Brett happens

Chianti Classico 2011, Castello d’Albola ($20.00, 11472337)
Sangiovese with 5% Canaiolo. Manually harvested. Macerated and fermented on the skins. Matured 12 months in Slavonian oak barrels. Reducing sugar: 2.1 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Mosaiq.
Fragrant nose: black cherry, kirsch, terracotta, dried mushrooms, leather and a little black spice. Medium- to full-bodied. The fruit is ripe and upfront – while this isn’t a bomb, it’s definitely fruit-driven – with sandalwood joining the juicy cherry and a lactic note chiming in toward the end. Supple if drying tannins, typically bright acidity and a respectably long finish marked by notes of Cherry Blossom and tobacco leaf, an odd mix if ever there were one. Carafing two or three hours mutes the oak so, if like me, you don’t enjoy heavily made-up wines, you might want to do that. On the other hand, you could always plunk down $2 more for a bottle of San Fabiano. (Buy again? Probably not, given the competition.)