Podcast 002 | What you absolutely need to know about Chianti Classico

Apr 21

Good morning or good evening, depending on when you're listening to me right now. Either way, I'd like to warmly welcome you to a new episode of my podcast, 'A Glass of Wine with Nina in Chianti'.

I'm Nina and I love Chianti Classico, and I'm so happy you're here and that I can take you into my Chianti Classico world.

Today I want to explain what you should know about Chianti Classico. So, what exactly is Chianti Classico? Where does Chianti Classico come from? What's the difference between the terms Chianti and Chianti Classico? What quality levels are there? And what are the most important differences? And how do I recognize Chianti Classico?

But before I start, let's bring my glass of wine for today into play, because, following the podcast's title 'A Glass of Wine', I have a glass of wine right here with me.

Rocca di Montegrossi in Monti in Chianti

Today, it's the Chianti Classico 2018 from the Rocca di Montegrossi winery in Monti in Chianti. I chose this wine for this episode because, for me, this Chianti Classico really represents the roots of Chianti Classico.

That's because the Rocca di Montegrossi winery is right at home in the historical heart of Chianti. It's located in Monti in Chianti, at the foot of the famous Castello di Brolio. And because Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi, the owner of Rocca di Montegrossi winery, has been producing a Chianti Classico there for over two decades that, of course, follows modern rules but also traditional values. Now I'll give it a try.

The wine smells wonderfully of cherries, sour cherries, dark berries, but also spices like pepper and juniper. It's very elegant, powerful, with a super elegant acidity and lovely fine tannins. It's easy to get excited about it!

Marco told me at the presentation of this vintage that he thinks 2018 is probably the best vintage Rocca di Montegrossi has produced under his leadership. But honestly, he tells me that almost every year, and I think that's great, because Marco is simply proud of his work.

What exactly is Chianti Classico?

Alright, let's dive in now. What exactly is Chianti Classico? I've almost taken it for granted that you know Chianti Classico is a red wine. A red wine from Tuscany, more precisely from a clearly defined area between Florence and Siena, called Chianti. I'll go into more detail about this area, about the definition of the area, a bit later. Chianti Classico is made from at least 80 percent Sangiovese grapes.

It can also be 100 percent. So, it can be a wine made purely from Sangiovese grapes, or a cuvée, a blend, with 20 percent other varieties. These can either be autochthonous, meaning native Tuscan grape varieties. For example, there's Canaiolo, Colorino, Malvasia nera, Pugnitello, Mammolo, which is also a typical variety. Or they can be international grape varieties, like the well-known Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Petit Verdot. All grape varieties are precisely defined by law, and the ones I've listed here are just the most common ones.

What makes Chianti Classico special?

So, how can you generally describe Chianti Classico wine? Visually, in the glass, it's usually ruby red, with violet reflections when it's young. As it matures, the color often leans towards garnet red.

The typical aromas on the nose remind you of fruit flavors like cherries, sour cherries. Oh, 'Weichseln' - that's the Austrian in me coming out! We'll probably keep stumbling over me using Austrian terms, but I'll try to avoid that in the future. So, 'Weichseln' means sour cherries. Then there are plums (in Austria we say 'Zwetschgen'), and dark berry aromas like blackberries or 'Heidelbeeren' - there's the Austrian again - blueberries, but also blackcurrants. And notes of citrus fruits are also typical. But also very typical for Chianti Classico, especially when it's young, are floral notes that remind you of violets. You know, those delicate purple flowers you find in spring meadows right now. Also typical are aromas that remind you of spices, like juniper, pepper, and cloves.

On the palate, Chianti Classico is dry. It has a refined character, an elegant structure of acidity and tannins. It's harmonious, and what I find so lovely is that with age, the wine becomes velvety soft.

So, to sum it up very roughly, you could say it's usually dark red in the glass with fruity and spicy aromas. Chianti Classico is dry with a delicate acidity and elegant tannins, making it a perfect food companion.

Where does Chianti Classico come from?

Now I want to go into a bit more detail about where Chianti Classico actually comes from. Chianti Classico is produced in the heart of Tuscany, in a precisely defined area between Florence and Siena, from the Chianti region. That region, roughly speaking, is bordered by Florence to the north, Siena to the south, the valleys of the Elsa and Pesa rivers to the west, and the Monti del Chianti – the Chianti mountains – to the east. As an Austrian, you naturally see the 'mountains' a bit differently, because I think the highest mountains in Chianti are only around 900 meters. The definition is a bit different in Austria, but I'm happy to accept it here.

In total, the area covers about 71,800 hectares. It fully includes the municipal areas of Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti, and Radda in Chianti. And parts of the municipalities of Barberino Tavarnelle, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Poggibonsi, and San Casciano Val di Pesa are also included.

Of these just over 70,000 hectares, about 10,000 hectares are planted with vineyards. The rest is mainly forest and olive groves. And of course, beautiful houses, great restaurants, lovely 'Castelli' – meaning castles – in other words, a fantastic landscape. Of the total vineyard area, which is these 10,000 hectares, about 7,200 hectares are registered in the DOCG register for Chianti Classico production.

The Chianti Classico appellation is therefore one of Italy's most important wine regions. On average, about 35 million bottles of Chianti Classico are produced each year. And these are exported to over 50 countries worldwide.

Chianti & Chianti Classico

Something that's really important to me is explaining the difference between the terms Chianti and Chianti Classico. Both terms have come up quite a bit already, and I'd love to explain to you what the exact difference is.

What exactly is Chianti wine? And Chianti Classico wine? What does 'Chianti' even mean? Let's start with the Chianti region itself.

So, Chianti is that region I just talked about, nestled between Florence and Siena, between the Elsa and Pesa rivers, and including Monte in Chianti. It's basically the geographical area of Chianti – the land, the scenery, the soil.

Chianti Classico wine is the name for wine that comes specifically from this geographical area – the Chianti region – and from vineyards that are officially approved for making Chianti Classico.

Only these wines get to use the black rooster symbol, the Gallo Nero. And just to make things a bit more confusing, there's also 'Chianti' wine. This is the name for wines, also called Chianti, that are made in Tuscany and mostly from Sangiovese grapes, but they don't come from the specific Chianti geographical area. That's where Chianti Classico grows, remember? Across the Tuscany region, there are actually eight different areas (appellations) in provinces like Arezzo, Florence, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato, and Siena that are called Chianti. Seven of these have regional names, like Chianti Colli Aretini, Chianti Colli Fiorettini, Chianti Colli Sinesi, Chianti Colli Pisane, Chianti Montalbano, Chianti Montespertoli, and Chianti Rufina.

To help you understand this better, I've put a link in the show notes to one of my blog posts. You'll find a map there too, which should really help you visualize it.

The Different Quality Levels of Chianti Classico

So, what are the different quality levels for Chianti Classico, and what are the key differences between them? As I mentioned, for any Chianti Classico, it always has to be at least 80% Sangiovese grapes. That's a constant! We distinguish between three quality levels: Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva, and Chianti Classico Gran Selezione.

The Consorzio Chianti Classico, which is basically the marketing group for Chianti producers, loves to show these three quality levels as a pyramid. The base of this pyramid is the regular Chianti Classico. This is also the one produced in the largest quantities. It needs to have at least 12% alcohol and must age for at least twelve months. Those are the two main things to remember for Chianti Classico. Of course, there are tons of other detailed production rules, but I won't get into those right now.

Chianti Classico Riserva, compared to the regular Chianti Classico, has a slightly higher minimum alcohol content of 12.5% and needs to age for at least 24 months. Out of that, three months must be spent aging in the bottle.

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is the top tier of our pyramid and the newest category in Chianti Classico, only introduced to the world in 2013. To be a Gran Selezione, the wine needs to have at least 13% alcohol and must age for 30 months, with three of those months happening in the bottle.

Now, there's one rule here that I find a bit tricky, but it's part of the deal, so I'll explain it. The grapes absolutely *must* come from vineyards owned by the winery itself. This could be from a single, special plot or just a selection of the winery's very best grapes. I find this rule a bit odd because it almost makes you wonder, 'Wait, so the grapes *aren't* always from the winery otherwise?' Of course, in most cases, they are! But, as with anything, there are some bigger Chianti Classico producers who might buy grapes or even bulk wine from other producers who choose not to sell under their own brand.

While that does happen sometimes, most producers make their own wine. In fact, there are now over 300 Chianti Classico producers making wine under their own labels!

How Can I Spot a Chianti Classico?

Okay, so to quickly sum it up, how can you tell if you've got a Chianti Classico in your bottle? Super important, even if it sounds obvious: it *has* to be red wine. There's no such thing as white Chianti Classico, even if you might hear that sometimes or get it mixed up. Chianti Classico is always red!

Next, the bottle should actually say 'Chianti Classico' on it. Pretty important, right?

You should also see the Chianti Classico symbol – the Gallo Nero, or black rooster – on the bottle. It'll be either on the front, near the neck, or on the back label.

That black rooster symbol actually comes from a cool legend, which I'd love to tell you all about in another episode sometime!

Also, every bottle of Chianti Classico will have the DOCG designation of origin on it. DOCG stands for 'Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita,' which is the official legal term for 'controlled and guaranteed origin quality.' It's basically the highest stamp of approval in Italian wine law.

Another official thing you'll see is the banderole, which is a special strip you'll find on every bottle of Chianti Classico – actually, on every DOCG wine bottle. On this banderole, there's a unique letter and number code that makes each bottle identifiable. The Consorzio Chianti Classico has a cool service on their website where you can type in this code. Once you enter it and pick your language, you'll get all the details like the wine's analytical values and the exact winery it came from. I'll pop that link in the show notes so you can try it out next time you get a bottle! This is all possible because the entire winemaking process, from the vineyard right up to bottling, is carefully watched and recorded.

Alright, so now you're pretty well-equipped with the most important Chianti Classico knowledge – definitely enough for some wine small talk! Just so you know, if you're curious, I'll also drop a link in the show notes to the wine I was sipping on today from the Rocca di Montegrossi winery. That link will let you discover even more about it. Next time, I'd love to tell you more about Chianti Classico, like how it's actually made, how long it's been around, and what's the deal with that black rooster legend.

So, I'd be thrilled if you stick around, subscribe to this podcast, and tune in again soon. All the best to you! A presto! Ciao!