Tuscany and Piedmont - an interesting comparison...

Had the pleasure of serving a 1990 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva (13% alc) and a 1998 Marcarini Brunate (14% alc) at dinner recently. Both wines paired well with steaks on the grill.

The Badia was slow-o'd in bottle for a couple of hours.  The Marcarini was fully decanted for a couple of hours.  I have sung the praises of the 1990 Badia vintage before and this bottle showed extremely well..

http://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2013/11/sangiovese-at-its-best.html

The Marcarini was a bit reticent from the start.  Elegant, yet lighter presence than the Badia. It never seemed to gain strength (as one would expect) over the course of the evening, which was surprising given the Brunate heritage. Actually,  this example did not have the depth and allure that has been the hallmark of Brunate I have had in the past.

By the end of the evening,  the Badia had continued to blossom and was totally rocking.   It was hands-down the consensus favorite.   The aromas of leather and earth coupled with blue-black glorious aged fruit from the hallowed 1990 vintage put huge smiles on everyone's faces!