Pretty but missing something

By Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor

It amazes me how old Europe is. I can only say that as an ignorant American in his mid-twenties, but when I compare some wines in California, many of which where non-existent before the 1990's, and the wines from Italy or France, many of which have history going back to the 1600's, it just boggles my mind.

That is how I felt when I received samples from Tiziano. In the About section, Tiziano talks about how old the Chianti Classico region is and how lucky Tiziano is to be part of that tradition. Somewhat misleading, since what I really want to know is the age of Tiziano winery. A pretty website, with very little information.

The wines somewhat echo that sentiment and being almost done. The winery makes a Chianti, Chianti Classico, Chianti Riserva, and a Pinot Grigio. Below are my tasting notes:

2008 Tiziano Pinot Grigio, Veneto, Italy - Starts with bright kiwi and fresh cut flowers in the glass. The taste is extremely light and grapy, with a slightly metallic taste upfront.

2007 Chianti - Earthy and rich with blackberry and slightly barnyard characteristics. Yes, that's a good thing. The taste is light and a little creamy. It is a simple wine, but easy to drink and destined for Tuesday night with pasta marinara.

2006 Chianti Classico - Fresh raspberries and stawberries are almost growing out of the glass. Such fruity sweetness on the nose! Then there are notes of dark chocolate and toast that mixes with the fruit. The only thing holding this wine back is the mass of woody dryness that cuts away the fruit on the finish.

2005 Chianti Riserva - Not sure what happened with this wine, but it was not my favorite. There is a super sweetness to this wine which is almost immediately dropped and dissapears. I tried two different bottles and both had the same result.