Drink Chianti (with some Italian food) before you die!
Why? It’s the perfect accompaniment to pizza and pasta (…and possibly liver and fava beans!).
Chianti is made from the Sangiovese grape.
The name Sangiovese is derived, the story goes, from sanguis Jovis, meaning “Jupiter’s blood.” Jupiter was the
supreme deity of the Romans, wielder of thunderbolts and king of the gods. In
Italy, Sangiovese is king of the grapes, although I’m sure plenty of
Piedmontese would argue Nebbiolo is the king of grapes (…and the grape of
kings!). But Sangiovese is the most important, with more hectares under vine
than any other variety by quite some way. Even the ubiquitous Glera (née
Prosecco) is a long way behind in plantings than il re Sangiovese.
Although grown all over Italy, Sangiovese
thrives in Tuscany’s rolling hills, and in particular the region of Chianti,
nestled between Florence and Siena. Chianti is one of the world’s oldest
legally demarcated wine areas, officially defined in 1716 by Grand Duke Cosimo
III de’ Medici. (Tokaji and Port are also top contenders for this claim.)
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Sunset in the vineyards, Gaiole, Chianti | © stefanotermanini / adobe.stock.com
A classic Chianti tastes of bitter cherries
and violets, with a certain tomatoey savouriness, and a definite rasp of herbs
and a tea-like finish. The first written account of Sangiovese is from a Tuscan
book on viticulture written in 1600 and describes the variety as bitter, juicy,
and vinous. The acidity is typically up there and the tannins can be too,
which—combined with this appetising bitter edge—help make Sangiovese, and thus
Chianti, a great food wine.
Chianti is one of those wines that can really
make a meal. A basic pizza or bowl of pasta can be taken to the next level when
consumed in the company of Chianti. At the beginning of the James Bond novel Thunderball, when Bond leaves a two-week
stint at a health spa he describes himself having “a passionate longing for a
large dish of Spaghetti Bolognese containing plenty of chopped garlic and
accompanied by a whole bottle of the cheapest, rawest Chianti.” However, anyone
who has seen The Silence of the Lambs
will know that Hannibal Lecter, of course, prefers his Chianti with liver and
fava beans.
Six Chiantis worthy of your bucket list
The list below is by no means exhaustive, but
all make exemplary Chianti. It’s probably worth mentioning a
couple of points. First, you’ll see that two of the wineries have fattoria in their name. To me, this sounds a
bit like factory and conjures images of a big wine factory pumping out characterless Chianti. However, fattoria
is simply Italian for “farm.” Second, there’s more than one type of Chianti.
Chianti Classico is the historic heartland of Chianti and has its own subzones. So, on a label you may see Chianti Classico something. This just means it’s from a
specific area within the Chianti Classico zone. Chianti surrounds the Chianti
Classico area. And there are seven Chianti subzones. Wines with another word
after their name, such as Rùfina, come
from a specific zone within the Chianti region. For information about Chianti, Chianti Classico and all the subzones,
this page on the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) website has some good info.
1) Castello di Monsanto
Castello di Monsanto’s Il Poggio was the first officially designated single-vineyard “cru” in Chianti Classico (released in 1962). Structured, age-worthy, and beautifully traditional, Il Poggio remains the benchmark for serious Chianti.
https://www.castellodimonsanto.it
2) Mazzei
Established in 1435, the Mazzei family has made wine here for nearly six centuries. Their Castello di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, produced since 1995, is their flagship wine selected from the choicest parcels on their estate. It combines centuries of heritage with modern precision.
https://mazzei.it/
3) Barone Ricasoli
The Ricasoli family has strong links to Chianti. Documents show they already owned the estate of Brolio Castle in 1141. And, it was visionary wine entrepreneur Baron Bettino Ricasoli (1809–1880) who, in 1872, originated the “formula” for Chianti wine. Their top wine, Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, remains one of the region’s great flag bearers—rich, structured, and steeped in history.
https://www.ricasoli.com/
4) Fontodi
Owned by the Manetti family since 1968. Before getting into wine the Manettis spent a couple hundred years making the region’s famous terracotta tiles. The organically farmed estate is widely and highly regarded as a reliable benchmark for Chianti.
https://www.fontodi.com/
5) Fattoria di Fèlsina
A former ducal estate owned by the various Grand Dukes of Tuscany since the 1500s. The estate was reborn in 1966 under Domenico Poggiali and helped lead Chianti’s quality renaissance. The winery has had a long run of Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri accolades and was awarded Gambero Rosso “Winery of the Year” in 2009. In 2023, their Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2020 came number 22 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100.
https://www.felsina.it/
6) Fattoria Selvapiana
Founded in 1827, Fattoria Selvapiana is regarded as one of Chianti’s benchmark producers. Their flagship wine, Bucerchiale Chianti Rùfina Riserva DOCG, is by many regarded as one of the greatest Chianti Rùfinas ever made and has made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 three times.
https://www.selvapiana.it/