1999 Castello di Ama Bellavista Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany

96 pts - Antonio Galloni

80% Sangiovese, 20% Malvesia Nera

The 1999 Chianti Classico Vigneto Bellavista comes across as big, rich and powerful. It doesn't initially have the freshness of some of the more structured years, but then the fruit opens up and the wine literally explodes on the palate. If opened today the 1999 needs a lot of air. The wine is constantly changing in the glass, making it hard to peg down, but endlessly fascinating. Dried rose petals, mint, licorice and tobacco wrap around a vibrant finish that is at once powerful and seductive. Stylistically the 1999 lies somewhere between the truly opulent years and the more structured vintages, making it relatively accessible for this wine.. Last tasted Jun 2012; Drink 2017-2037.