 By Les Kincaid
Chianti certainly has a very long history. It's been
around in one form or another since at least the 14th
century. The name of its eponymous district derives most
likely from the sounds of the hunt (clanti) that filled
the air in the area just south of Florence. In fact,
in 16th century England, the wine from this region was
referred to as Florence. It was in the later part of
the 19th century, however, that the blend, or uvaggio,
for Chianti was developed by Barone Bettino Ricasoli.
This prescribed blend continued with many variations
until the mid 1980s.
About Sangiovese
The primary grape was, and still is, the Sangiovese,
which gives the wine its characteristic plumminess and
edge, along with the red Canaiolo, which was used to
soften the Sangiovese. White grapes were also required
in the blend including the Malvasia and Trebbiano, which
were used to lighten and even to stretch the wine. Many
producers of Chianti rejected this practice of blending
and preferred to make their Chianti only from red grapes
or desired to blend the native Sangiovese with imported
varieties like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. Indeed,
these disputes with the Italian DOC (denominazione di
origine controllata) regulators gave birth to the highly
sought after super Tuscans, like Solaia and Tignanello,
which were humbly labeled Vino da Tavola. Today, however,
the rules have been much relaxed and the use of white
grapes is no longer an issue. Up to 10% of the grapes
may be imported varieties including Merlot and Cabernet
Sauvignon. Instead, the focus of the regulators has shifted
to the age of vines, vintage yields, and minimum aging
requirements.
Producers have also disagreed over the use of the governo,
a secondary fermentation induced by adding musts from
sweet dried grapes or grape concentrate as the first
fermentation begins to subside. It's been argued that
this practice gives the wine more character and makes
it more readily approachable. Another disagreement has
been over the use of oak. For many years, Chianti was
made in large Slovenian casks; today, however, some producers
are employing smaller French barriques. More and more,
the quality of this wine has been improving, but unfortunately
at the same time the unique Italian Chianti seems to
be becoming internationalized. Nonetheless, we can still
find many examples of this wonderful wine.
Selecting Chianti Wine
Selecting Chianti can be difficult if one is unfamiliar
with the different types and districts whose names appear
on the label. Essentially, there are three basic types
of Chianti. The first is Chianti di pronta beva, Chianti
to be drunk young. This wine is not meant for aging and
the governo is often used in its production. This is
a refreshing wine with plenty of acid and fruit. It's
usually bottled in the straw-covered fiaschi and is not
generally exported.
The next is simply Chianti. These wines are DOCG (denominazione
di origine controllata garantita). They are designed
for aging and are usually bottled in the familiar shouldered
Bordeaux style. Chianti is typically full to medium bodied.
It's dry with good fruit and sometimes displays a certain
angularity. The nose can be floral (violets and iris),
berried, or earthy. On the palate, there can be flavors
of black cherry, beef, earth, oak, and vanilla.
Quality in Chianti can vary. The most consistently good
ones usually come from the Chianti Classico district,
which covers 173,000 acres from south of Florence to
north of Siena. This district includes nine townships
and hundreds of producers. Some of the better known townships
are Greve, Radda, and Castellina. The wines from each
township are affected by the different soils (rock, sand,
and clay) as well as by the area's micro climates. The
voluntary consortium of Chianti producers in this district,
the Consorzio del Gallo Nero, has teamed together to
protect the quality of their wines that bear their bollino,
or seal, with a black rooster. The border of the bollino
is red for Chianti Classico normale, silver for vecchio,
and gold for riserva.
Other Chianti Districts
The six other Chianti districts that fall outside the
classico district form what is called the Chianti Putto.
They also have their consortium, the Consorzio del Chianti
Putto, which uses a pink cherub (or putto) as their seal.
These districts are named for the hills that surround
Arezzo, Florence, Pisa, and Siena. Here again, the styles
and quality vary.
The third type of Chianti is the Riserva, which is the
finest. By law, riservas require longer aging in wood
or in bottle; they can only be produced in the best vintages,
and are made from the choicest of grapes. These are full-bodied
wines with beautiful floral bouquets along with hints
of pepper and spice. They can be assertive and velvety-and
the best examples quite pricey. The finest riservas generally
come from the Chianti Classico district; however, in
the Chianti Putto, the riservas from Chianti Montalbano
and Chianti Rufina (not to be confused with Ruffino)
also have fine reputations.
Good Chianti Vintages
Some good Chianti vintages are the 1997 (there's been
a lot of press about this one), 1995, 1990, 1988, and
1985.
Chiantis make wonderful accompaniments for pastas with
meat sauces, hearty bean soups, game, and beef. One great
match is a grilled Tuscan steak marinated in olive oil
and garlic. Try it if you haven't done so.
Les
Kincaid is a food, wine, and golf expert and cookbook
author: Never Trust A Skinny Chef II.
Article © 2002-2006, Sauce
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