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Chianti Classico

There can be no more famous Italian wine than Chianti, a wine which has the dubious honour of being universally understood and easily pronounceable, a red version of Chablis and Sancerre, perhaps. There is no-one who has not heard of Chianti, unlike some of Tuscany's more esoteric wines, Vin Santo or Vernaccia di San Gimignano for example, even if the closest some have come to it is hearing of Hannibal Lecter's desire for a bottle to accompany his meal of liver and fava beans. This in itself says something of Chianti's universal and readily understood image; in the original novel by Thomas Harris, the wine the anti-hero desired was in fact Amarone di Valpolicella, but in crafting the screenplay writer Ted Tally, fearing that would be an unknown with too many viewers ("He wants Ama-whatty?") opted for the better known Chianti instead.

Chianti is a very broad region, multifaceted and to some degree quite disparate, as not all of the Chianti zones are contiguous. The best known, longest established and most central is Chianti Classico, but there are others; Chianti Rùfina is perhaps the most notable, but there is also Chianti Colli Aretini, Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Chianti Colline Pisane, Chianti Colli Senesi and Chianti Montalbano. In truth I have not encountered many wines from these lesser regions; Chianti Classico has been, for me as it has for many others, the most prominent and most commonly experienced wine. For that reason, this section of my guide to the wines of Tuscany focuses on Chianti Classico.

Chianti Classico

The true heart of Chianti, the Chianti Classico region lies between Florence to the north and Siena to the south, roughly defined by the Firenze-Siena autostrada to the west, and less certainly by the Arno to the east; I say less certainly as the course of the Arno, and the autostrada and railway lines that accompany it, actually lies a few kilometres beyond the Chianti Classico boundary. Quite typical of Tuscany it is a landscape of rolling hills and hidden valleys, verdant green with vineyards and olive groves, dotted with cypress trees and ancient stone buildings, often little defensive towers or churches but sometimes much more imposing castles. The roads can be tight and twisting, and relatively short distances can take what seems an age to travel as you slowly wend your way towards your destination, sometimes through surprisingly dense woodland; it is only the stunning vistas which appear around each corner, as the trees part to reveal the valley and vineyards beyond, that serve to distract you from the slow progress you are making.

The Chianti Classico region may trace its roots back to the early 18th century, when it was granted exclusive use of the term 'Chianti' by the Medici nobleman Cosimo III. It is this long heritage that led to the 'Classico' suffix (indicating that this is the original Chianti) when the Chianti zone was expanded to include the aforementioned six zones in 1932. Italy was some way behind France in legally defining wine regions, so it was not until 1967 that the region was actually given its Denominazione di Origine Controllata, with subsequent elevation to Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita in 1984. Since then the regulations have continued to evolve, influenced by the emergence of the super-Tuscans in the 1980s, increasing competition on international markets and the Chianti Classico 2000 project, a quality-orientated programme of discovery and investment carried out in the late-20th century.

Central to the region, both spiritually and geographically, are the wine towns of Panzano in Chianti and its famous conca d'oro (or 'golden shell') to the south of the town, a south-facing amphitheatre of vines many of which are owned by Fontodi, Greve in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Gaiole in Chianti. The latter four towns correspond to four of the Classico region's nine communes (these towns having appended in Chianti to their names as an indication of such), and are regarded as the original heartland of the Classico zone by Chianti Classico purists.

Chianti Classico: The Wines

Although there are a myriad of styles produced within the Chianti zones, everything from Cabernet- and Merlot-dominated super-Tuscans to whites from Trebbiano, Vermentino, Vernaccia and more, I will restrict myself in this brief regional guide to the star players, Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva (although I will be unable to avoid mentioning Chianti lookalikes which are, for one reason or another, designated Indicazione Geografica Tipica or IGT). So this means only one variety: Sangiovese.

Well, not quite. Sangiovese may well be the dominant variety in Chianti Classico and the other Chianti regions, and indeed all Tuscany as far as red wine is concerned, but here in Chianti it does not (usually) act alone. Just as Cabernet Sauvignon - which we would probably all agree is a defining feature of left bank Bordeaux - may be supported by Merlot or Cabernet Franc, and indeed Petit Verdot or Malbec, and just as Syrah in Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie - again the variety defining the style - may legally be blended with white varieties including Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier depending on the appellation, Chianti Classico may also be a blended wine, and indeed historically this was legally required.

The evolution of Chianti as a blend can be traced back to the Ricasoli family, who continue to maintain a prominent position in the region today, as residents and proprietors of the Castello di Brolio. It was in the mid-19th century that Baron Ricasoli proposed Chianti's "golden blend", one dominated by Sangiovese but complemented by other red varieties particularly Canaiolo Nero (which would bring colour to the wine), as well as white varieties, particularly Trebbiano and Malvasia. The purpose of the white grapes was to soften and freshen the wines, especially those intended for immediate drinking, but the concept was carried right through to the DOC regulations that were drawn up in the mid-20th century. The result was that blending of what many perceived as 'lesser' varieties, including at least 10% white grapes, became legally enforceable under the Chianti DOC regulations which were finally ratified in 1967. This put quality-minded estates in a strait-jacket, making what they saw as the most suitable blends (Sangiovese with international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon) or indeed pure Sangiovese cuvées illegal, whereas less scrupulous estates could release weak and willowy 'red' wines including large quantities of white varieties (the maximum permitted was 30%) which were quite legally labelled as Chianti.

One result of this bureaucratic debacle were the super-Tuscans, which I will discuss in more detail in a later instalment of my guide to Tuscany; briefly therefore, these were initially wines made using Sangiovese but blended as the winemakers saw fit, often with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah, and not with Canaiolo Nero, Trebbiano or the like. During several decades the story came full circle, and it was the established super-Tuscans that began to influence the legally permissible blends for Chianti. As attitudes softened with the realisation that international varieties  and super-Tuscans were here to stay (and that the quality was good), international names such as Cabernet and Merlot began to appear in the list of authorised varieties in the 1980s, and the percentage allowed also gradually increased. In 1984, coincident with Chianti's elevation to DOCG, the quantity of international grapes permissible was relaxed, the new figure being 10%. In 1996 this was increased to 15% for Chianti Classico alone, clearly differentiating this 'original' Chianti region from the Chianti 'pretenders', and pure Sangiovese cuvées were also made legal. The maximum percentage of internationals rose to 20% in 2000, and although some estates would perhaps like it even higher I think it is unlikely to go beyond this figure. So today Chianti Classico must comprise at least 80% Sangiovese, but may be as much as 100%. The 20% may be international, but may also include the indigenous Colorino, Canaiolo Nero or Mammolo, but there is no longer a role for the white varieties; these were outlawed in 2006.

The fruit is harvested with a legal maximum yield of 52.5 hl/ha, crushed and fermented in a wide variety of materials. Traditionally wooden vats have dominated, and although some would be oak (often from Croatia or Slavonia) there was no fear of using other woods, including cherry or chestnut. Today there are many estates using stainless steels vats, and concrete is another option, although with the arrival of international varieties in the blend we should perhaps not be so surprised to learn that French oak can now be found in many cellars, not only in the shape of large vats but also smaller barriques, for fermentation and élevage.

Speaking of élevage, the division between Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva is legally one of aging, as the former may be released on the first day of October the year after the harvest, whereas the latter must see 24 months of élevage, including three months in bottle, before it may be released. Obviously this then engenders a quality distinction, with the higher quality fruit usually destined for the Chianti Classico Riserva and ultimately longer cellaring, whereas the straight Chianti Classico would usually be intended for earlier drinking. This rule of thumb is, however, clearly imperfect; some estates eschew the riserva designation to make one high quality wine, whereas others follow it but omit to label the more serious cuvée as a riserva, thus it is down to the consumer to know which is which. Meanwhile, some will produce more than one wine that meet the riserva criteria, but labelling only one as a riserva but - as a hangover from the super-Tuscan days - the other might be designated Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) which replaced the Vino da Tavola (VdT) classification borne by those wines in their early days.

Chianti Classico Today

The prevailing mainstream image of Chianti is, even today, the rustic red - perhaps quickly turning to a sour orange hue - in its wicker-encased fiasco. But Chianti - specifically Chianti Classico - has changed, and the wines can certainly no longer be regarded as suitable merely for lunchtime in the trattoria. There are now serious red wines produced here, bolstered by the moulding of the DOCG regulations to fit what the leading growers had already decided worked best, together with concerted efforts by the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico to improve standards across the region. This they achieved with the Chianti Classico 2000 project, a programme of viticultural investigation and trials of vinification techniques using 25 hectares of dedicated vineyards and five experimental cellars. The project informed as to those clones of Sangiovese and other red varieties that gave the best quality (selecting six Sangiovese and one Colorino clone as superior), as well as rootstocks, planting density, yields, vine-training techniques and issues of soil management. The project was a huge success; uptake of the registered clones and of the lessons learned has been very influential in improving the quality of the wines.

In my opinion Sangiovese and Chianti offer wines that are unique, and also - if chosen with care - wines that can also offer great pleasure. From the very best estates the Chianti Classico Riserva (or equivalent if the IGT designation is used instead, such as with Fontodi's Flaccianello) can give a distinctive vinous experience unparalleled by any other wine region in the world, and this is what makes Old World regions such as Chianti, or Tuscany's other expressions of Sangiovese such as those from Montalcino or Montepulciano, so great. Even today, with my broad passion for the wines of the Loire and Bordeaux, I still find time to add a few bottles of Chianti, from estates such as Fontodi, Fèlsina and Fonterutoli to the cellar. And I doubt I could give any more convincing recommendation than that.

• Part 3: A Day Out in Chianti Country