Chianti Classico

Appearance & taste

The specification describes three levels. Chianti Classico is a more or less intense ruby red and has an intense, floral bouquet. On the palate it is dry, fresh and delicate, with light tannins that mature over time. The Riserva is an intense ruby red and turns garnet with age. It has a fruity bouquet and is dry and balanced, with strong tannins. The Gran Selezione has a spicy, persistent bouquet and a long finish.

According to the specification, a scent of flowers such as iris and violet is typical of the area, which it links to the sandstone soils. There are also notes of wild berries, which it attributes to the limestone in the soil.

Since 2005 every bottle has carried the image of a black rooster. It complements the name “Chianti Classico” but does not replace it.

Production

The main grape variety is the native Sangiovese. The vines are traditionally trained on the Tuscan arch (Guyot) or as spur-pruned cordon. At most 7,500 kg of grapes or 52.5 hl of wine may be produced per hectare; the specification calls these the lowest values in Italy. Bottling takes place only within the area itself, so that quality and origin remain assured. Vintage wine may only be sold from 1 October of the year after the harvest.

The Gran Selezione is at the top. It may only be made from grapes from the estate’s own vineyards of the business that bottles it. Its label may also name one of eleven defined sub-zones of the area: Castellina, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Gaiole, Greve, Lamole, Montefioralle, Panzano, Radda, San Casciano, San Donato in Poggio or Vagliagli.

Origin & history

The area is hilly, 200 to 600 m high, with some steep slopes. The soils are mostly shallow, made of shale (galestro), clay, calcareous sandstone and the typical Albarese rock. The climate is continental, with cold winters, dry summers and around 850 mm of rain a year.

Evidence of winegrowing here goes back to Etruscan and Roman times. Documents mention the wine from 1200, and in 1398 the name “Chianti” appears for the first time in a notarial deed. In 1716 Grand Duke Cosimo III of Tuscany set the boundaries of the area. According to the specification, this made it the first delimited wine area in the world.

Between 1834 and 1837 Baron Bettino Ricasoli, later Prime Minister of Italy, described a composition of the wine on which the official composition of Chianti was based. When neighbouring areas also worked this way, 33 producers founded a protection consortium in 1924. In 1932 the oldest area received the right to the addition “Classico”. Since 1996 Chianti Classico has had its own product specification, separate from Chianti.