Castello D'Albola Chianti Classico 1998

The wine offers a brilliant ruby red color. As time passes, the hue is enriched with garnet tones that, as the years go by, lighten further toward orange with an ochre tint typical of Tuscan wines. The aroma is satisfyingly intense, fine and elegant, with light scents of ripe fruits and violets. As it evolves, the wine develops an appealing bouquet that is full and complex. It possesses a pleasant fullness and an outstanding balance of body and structure. Somewhat austere in its youth, the wine softens with age, becoming velvety and developing prolonged and appealing aromatic persistence.

This Chianti Classico best accompanies main course meat dishes made with rich sauces, every type of roasted and braised preparation, grilled red meats and game. It is also perfect with aged cheeses, particularly those with rather piquant flavors. It should be served at a temperature ranging from 61-64º F, and should be opened a couple of hours before the wine is to be served, especially if it has been aged four years or more.