Gold in London - 2001 Ruffino Riserva Ducale 'Oro'

I thought Champagne would be my last post from Europe, as I was under the impression that London would not offer up any blog material. However, our two dinners offered some interesting wines, so I chaned my mind and took some notes.

Arriving on the Eurostar from Lille, we dropped off our bags and went for a lengthy walking tour of London. As a result we faced a very late dinner with tired children, so we decided to go to an Italian restaurant (kids, pasta) near our hotel. The resto, Concordia, was a reasonably-priced good quality Italian resto with a decent wine list, and 'kid-friendly' for those of you who care...

With our vacation fast drawing to a close, I was feeling in a celebratory mood, and went for the 2001 Ruffino Riserva Ducale 'Oro', a Chianti Classico (85% Sangiovese, 15% Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) from the well regarded 2001 vintage, and a wine that I have enjoyed in previous vintages. The waiter seemed thrilled with my selection, and promptly removed the wine glasses on the table and returned with proper Chianti-styled glasses. A nice deep ruby red, this Tuscan showed a beautiful spicy nose of pepper and cloves, new leather, blueberries - rustic, gamey, complex and interesting. Equally interesting on the palate, with rich, juicy blackberry fruit, but slightly off balance due to the high acidity and tannins. A substantial wine with a very long finish, I scored it just shy of an outstanding score, but I have little doubt that it will probably merit one in a few years.
13.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20