Wines Styles of Chianti
More people know the wine Chianti than any other in all of Italy. Most people know very little about the wines of Chianti though. For instance, to begin, Chianti is a place and not a wine per say. Like every other red D.O.C.G. wine in Italy, the wines bearing the Chianti designation are Sangiovese based. But when we talk of Chianti wines here, we are not including the low quality fiasco bottles covered in the straw baskets. We are talking high quality, real reputation bottlings by some of the most famous families in all of Italy. Families like the Antinori’s and the Frescobaldi’s have history’s that can be documented back for over 500 years. And the Ricasoli family, well they can be attributed with developing the modern recipe for Chianti in the 1870’s. This family is still a very strong player also, making high class wines at their estate, Castello di Brolio.
The original region, which is now classified as the Chianti Classico, was identified as far back as the 14th Century as the hills beginning to the south of Florence and stretching south to Siena. The major communes then, and still today, are Greve, Radda, Gaiole, and Castellina, all of which are wonderful old world towns rich with history and inhabited by fabulous enoteca ready to pour their best local products. The Medici family, one of the most powerful in Italian history, created the first governmental legislation concerning wine and Chianti in 1716, when Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici identified these four communes as high quality production zones for this wine. Today there are 8 zones for Chianti, the Classico region as define previously, as well as 7 other zones which can be made into base labeled Chianti or bear the name of its designation. The most famous and highest quality is Chianti Rufina, which is east of Florence. Here you will find top quality producers like Selvapiana and Frescobaldi, who’s Nipozzano Riserva is always a smart buy. The others are Chianti Colli Aretini near Arezzo, Colli Fiorentini between Classico and Rufina, Colli Senesi which covers over Siena, Montalbano to the west of Florence, Colli Pisani which encompasses Pisa, and Montispertoli which is west of the Classico region.
On many bottles of Chianti Classico these days you will see the Gallo Nero, or the Black Rooster. This is the symbol of the Consorzio of Chianti Classico, a group of member producers who are dedicated to not only improving their wines but the reputation of the whole of Chianti Classico by increasing education and improving the vineyards and cellars. While any producer whose vineyards are located within the designated zone may use the Chianti Classico label, the Gallo Nero is a member’s only badge, and is almost always a sign of quality in the bottle.
Vin Santo is another wine that you will encounter throughout the Chianti regions. This is the famous dessert wine of the region, made from a blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes mainly that are dried for 3-6 months after harvest and before pressing. The wine is then placed into small barrels which do not exceed 3-5 hL on average. The wine is aged and never topped off, thus creating a quite unique taste and character all its own. Have a glass after dinner and dip one of the local specialty biscotti into it and dessert is thus served.
Chianti Classico D.O.C.G.
Originally defined back in 1716 by Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici, this is the area between Florence and Siena. A D.O.C. in 1967, and a D.O.C.G. in 1984 the region received major legal revisions in 1996 so as to update the requirements for these wines. Today the blend is still Sangiovese dominant, and the majority of the Sangiovese grown here is of the Sangioveto clone, which is smaller and has thinner skin compared with The Grosso of Montalcino or Prugnolo of Montepulciano. This combined with the traditional Galestro soils of the Classico region delivers a highly perfumed wine that is very dry and bright with acidity. Blending is allowed here, and until 2006 one could actually blend some white wine into the mix to raise the aromatic levels, but this is now forbidden in Classico wines.
Sangiovese from a minimum of 75% -100% is allowed, Canaiolo Nero maximum 10%, and other authorized varietals maximum 15%. These ‘other grapes’ are most commonly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon which are used to improve color and darken the flavors of the wine on the nose and palate, they soften the natural dryness and acidity of the Sangiovese. Chianti Classico must wait until October 1st following the harvest to be released, and wines with the Riserva label must wait 26 months from January 1st following the harvest, including a minimum of 2 years in barrel and 3months in bottle.
Chianti D.O.C.G.
As with Chianti Classico, many of the restrictions are the same here. In fact, a Chianti Classico could be simply labeled as a Chianti D.O.C.G., but this almost never happens. As I mentioned, this is a catch all that covers the 7 sub zones of the current Chianti area. There are a few minor differences based on slightly less stringent regulations for a Chianti wine. A Chianti wine must only wait until March 1st following the harvest to be released onto the market, with the exception of the wines from Rufina, Fiorentini, and Montespertoli which must wait until June 1st. For Riserva wines the aging is the same as Classico wines.
Sangiovese is present from 75%-100% in the blend. Canaiolo Nero with a maximum of 10%, other authorized red varietals maximum 10%, and Trebbiano and/or Malvasia at a maximum of 10%. Here is the big difference with the Classico region, as there are still white grapes permitted into the blend of these Chianti wines. Most producers no longer participate in this practice, but nonetheless it is still available.
Vin Santo del Chianti & Chianti Classico D.O.C.
The ‘Holy Wine’ of Tuscany as it has been served as the wine of mass by Catholic priests at times. Today it can still be deemed a spiritual experience as it is the most well known and recognized dessert wines to come out of Italy. The sweetness of the wine countered with the dryness of the cookie, it works so well together it would be a shame to have one without the joy of the other to accompany along. As stated before the grapes are dried and then pressed, and the wine itself is fermented and aged for long periods in small casks without ever being topped off. In general, a Vin Santo will be golden amber in color and rich in its intensity of aromas. There are notes of toffee and caramel with dried preserved dates and figs accompanied by the tinge of almond on the finish.
Trebbiano and/or Malvasia Toscana minimum 70%, other authorized white grapes maximum 30%. The most common ‘other’ grape would be Grechetto, which is most famous for its use in Umbria for the wines from Orvieto. The grapes are dried and then pressed, the juice being put into small casks of a maximum of 5 hL to ferment and age. The barrels are never topped off during this time. Normale wines are aged a minimum of 3 years, with Riserva wines going a minimum of 4 years.
Due to the length of time and low quantity able to be produced each year, these wines are not so common, and can be expensive at times. That said, a good reputable Italian Restaurant should offer one by the glass to experience.
Toscana I.G.T.
This is a true catch all label, as it covers the whole of Tuscany. I include it here because many famous and respectable wines from the Chianti region are being made in ways that do not allow them to claim any other higher designation, yet. Take the famed Antinori family. In 1971 they released a wine named Tignanello, one of the first ‘Supertuscan’ wines on the market. The blend is almost always around 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is produced from vines on their estate property in Chianti Classico but does not conform to the Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. laws, not then and not now. This is just one example of course, but it gives you an idea. Remember that, like in many of the newly defined regions in Tuscany, some of the best wines do not yet conform to laws as they have been laid out. In time there is great belief that they will. The best thing to do is to go with trusted producers or professional recommendations when contemplating a wine labeled with one of these catch all appellation. Don’t be afraid to experiment though, as you may be pleasantly surprised by what you find.
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