Obviously I am not a wine expert by any means! Recently while in Italy, I bought 2 bottles of Chianti - one a "good" bottle of wine, the other just average (if you can call Chianti average at all). The good bottle is a gift for my Uncle, a wine expert whom I will be traveling to visit in 2 days. However, now I do not know which bottle is the good one! I assume the older one? This is what I have: 1. Fattoria Montereggi Vendemia 1999 Chianti 2. Castello Il Palagio Chianti Classico Riserva 1995. Thanks for your help, hope this doesn't sound silly! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

With the information you have given, it is difficult; however, a "Reserve" (Riserva) is usually a better wine, all other things being equal. Age does not really make one wine better than another--an old bottle of bad wine is still a bad wine. Sorry, I don't know either of these vineyards. Does anybody else out there?

I am familiar with Castello Il Palagio <BR>Chianti Classico Riserva 1995. <BR>It comes from a castle close to Mercatale and Firenze. It is a beautiful place, my husband and I stayed in a farmhouse near the castle. <BR>They produce wine and olive oil. The have wine tasting tours, it was a wonderful experience. <BR>They had a good harvest in 1995, therefore the wine from that year is good. <BR>Riserva usually means that they used their best grapes (from the 1995 harvest for example)to make the wine. <BR>I believe the Castello Il Palagio <BR>Chianti Classico Riserva 1995 is the better wine, but I am not sure because I am not familiar with the other wine. <BR>And yes Linda is right, just because the wine is older it does not necessarily mean it is better, it all depends on whether the winery had a good harvest a specific year or not. <BR>

There is no question but that the riserva is the better/more expensive of the two bottles however given that there are at least 1400 listed wine makers in Tuscany and 7 different Chianti it is unsurprising that no one knows the Montereggi.............The other bottle labelling itself as Classico means it comes from the Valchiana area (where Antinori, probably the largest and internationally most wellknown maker, is). Personally I prefer the Chianti Ruffina which comes from North of Florence though the Chianti Colle Senese have their moments. All Tuscan wine was offered the opportunity to use the pronym 'Chianti', many years ago - notably the Lucchesi chose not to do so(as of course did the Brunello(s) and the Vino Nobile). Now of course the world had moved on a piece and some of the so-called 'SuperTuscans' are superbo.

Thanks for your help! I will definitely go with the Riserva.

Philip, <BR> <BR>You sound like my kind of man!