2001 Allegrini Volpolicella Classico

[wondersofwine]

Looks like Roberto already told you what it should not taste like--plums, chocolate, vanilla, herbs. Sure there are gradations within the permissible flavors but I trust both Foodie and Roberto to recognize a traditional chianti as opposed to a new world amalgam. I think part of the divide is between commercial interests (serving the 90% who only care about how the wine tastes to them and maybe how WS or Robert Parker scored it) and the admittedly smaller clientele who appreciate wine history, background and tradition. Speaking personally, not for any other member of the board, I don't mind the use of new vinicultural practices or new technology if it increases predictability and quality of the wine without really changing the flavor profile (i.e., keeps in check stemminess, volatile acidity, tendency towards flabbiness, etc.). I do see the reasoning for a blend of sangiovese juice with cabernet sauvignon juice (or maybe some merlot) to be called something other than chianti classico. It's not a traditional chianti so should have a different label.