Podcast 002 | What you should definitely know about Chianti Classico

Chianti Classico

Nina in Chianti | Salzburg

Buongiorno or Buonasera, depending on what time of day you happen to be listening to me. In any case, welcome to a new episode of my podcast for a glass of wine with Nina in Chianti.

I am Nina and I love Chianti Classico and I am delighted that you are here and that I can take you with me into my Chianti Classico world.

Today I would like to explain what you should know about Chianti Classico. So, what actually is Chianti Classico? Where is Chianti Classico produced? What is the difference between the two terms Chianti and Chianti Classico? What quality levels are there? And what are the main differences? And how can I recognize Chianti Classico?

But before I start, my glass of wine today comes into play, because in keeping with the title of the podcast, I have a glass of wine by my side.

Rocca di Montegrossi in Monti in Chianti

Today 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 very much represents the roots of Chianti Classico.

The Rocca di Montegrossi winery is at home in the historic heart of Chianti. It is located in Monti in Chianti, at the foot of the famous Castello di Brolio. And because Marco Riccasoli Feridolfi, the owner of the Rocca di Montegrossi winery, has been producing a Chianti Classico there for more than two decades, which of course follows modern rules, but also traditional awareness. Now I'm going to taste it.

The wine smells wonderfully of cherries, sour cherries, dark berries, but also spices such as pepper and juniper. It is very elegant, powerful and with its very elegant acidity and beautiful fine tannins. It makes you go into raptures.

Marco told me at the presentation of this vintage that he believes that 2018 is probably the best vintage that Roccati Montegrossi has produced with his leadership. But to be honest, he tells me this almost every year and I think that's a good thing, because Marco is simply proud of his work.

What exactly is Chianti Classico?

So, now let's get started. What exactly is Chianti Classico? I've almost assumed that you already know that Chianti Classico is a red wine. A red wine from Tuscany, more precisely from a clearly defined area between Florence and Siena, the so-called Chianti. I will go into more detail about this area, the definition of the area, a little later. Chianti Classico is made from at least 80 percent Sangiovese grapes.

It can also be 100 percent. It can therefore be a wine made purely from Sangiovese grapes or a cuvée, a blend, with 20 percent of other varieties. These can either be autochthonous grape varieties, i.e. native to Tuscany. For example, Canaiolo, Colorino, Malvasia nera, Pugnitello, Mammolo, another typical variety. Or they can also be international grape varieties, such as the well-known Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Petit Verdot. All grape varieties are precisely defined by law and the ones I have listed here are only the most common varieties.

What characterizes Chianti Classico?

How can we describe Chianti Classico wine in general? Visually, i.e. in the glass, it is usually ruby red with violet reflections when young. When ripe, the color tends towards garnet red.

The typical aromas on the nose are reminiscent of fruit aromas such as cherries and sour cherries. Oh, sour cherries, that's the Austrian in me now. We'll probably stumble over the fact that I use Austrian expressions again and again. But I'll do my best to avoid that in future. So sour cherries are sour cherries. Then there are plums, we say damsons in Austria, and dark berry aromas such as blackberries or blueberries, there she is again, the Austrian, blueberries, but also blackcurrants. and notes of citrus fruits are also typical. Typical of Chianti Classico, especially when young, are also floral notes reminiscent of violets. In other words, those delicate purple flowers that can now be found in the spring meadows. However, aromas reminiscent of spices, such as juniper, pepper and cloves, are also typical.

The taste of Chianti Classico is dry. It has a fine character, an elegant acidity and tannin structure. It is harmonious and what I find so beautiful is that the wine becomes velvety soft as it matures.

Roughly speaking, it is usually dark red in the glass with fruity and spicy aromas. The Chianti Classico is dry with a fine acidity and elegant tannins, making it a perfect accompaniment to food.

Where is Chianti Classico made?

I would now like to go into a little more detail about where Chianti Classico is actually produced. Chianti Classico is produced in the heart of Tuscany, in a precisely defined area between Florence and Siena, from the Chianti region. Roughly speaking, this region is bordered to the north by Florence, to the south by Siena, to the west by the Elsa and Pesa river valleys and to the east by the Monti del Chianti, i.e. the Chianti mountains. As an Austrian, of course, you see the mountains a little differently, because I think the highest mountains in Chianti are around 900 meters. The definition is slightly different in Austria, but I'm happy to accept it.

In total, the area covers approximately 71,800 hectares. It includes the entire municipal areas of Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti. Parts of the municipalities of Barbarino Valdelsa, Castelnova Berradenga, Poggibonsi, San Casciano Val di Pesa and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa are also included.

Of these just over 70,000 hectares, around 10,000 hectares are planted with vines. The rest is mainly forest and olive groves. And of course beautiful houses, good restaurants, beautiful castles, in other words a dreamlike landscape. Of the entire vineyard area, i.e. of these 10,000 hectares, around 7,200 hectares are registered in the DOCG register for the production of Chianti Classico.

The Chianti Classico appellation is therefore one of the most important wine regions in Italy. On average, around 35 million bottles of Chianti Classico are produced each year. And these are exported to more than 50 countries around the world.

Chianti & Chianti Classico

The distinction between the two terms Chianti and Chianti Classico is a matter close to my heart. The two terms have come up a few times now and I would love to explain to you what the exact difference is.

What does the wine Chianti mean? What does the wine Chianti Classico mean? And what does Chianti even mean? I'll start with the Chianti region.

Chianti is the region I described earlier, which lies between Florence and Siena, between the Elsa and Pesa rivers and the Monte in Chianti. It is therefore the geographical area of Chianti, the region, the landscape, the soil.

The Chianti Classico wine is the name of the wine that comes from precisely this geographical area, i.e. from Chianti and from vineyards that are classified for the production of Chianti Classico.

Only these wines are allowed to bear the symbol of the black rooster, the Gallo nero. And then, to add to the confusion, there is the wine Chianti. This is the name of the wine, Chianti, which is also produced in Tuscany and is also predominantly made from Sangiovese grapes, but does not come from the geographical area of Chianti. This is where the Chianti Classico grows. In the Tuscany region, there are a total of eight appellations in the provinces of Arezzo, Florence, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato and Siena, which are known as Chianti. And seven of these have a regional appellation, such as Chianti Colli Aretini, Chianti Colli Fiorettini, Chianti Colli Sinesi, Chianti Colli Pisane, Chianti Montalbano, Chianti Montespertoli and Chianti Rufina.

For a better understanding, you will find a link in the show notes to one of my blog posts, where you will also find a map on this topic for a better visual understanding.

The quality levels of Chianti Classico

What quality levels are there in Chianti Classico and what are the most important differences? Well, as already mentioned, Chianti Classico always has to be at least 80 percent Sangiovese. That is always the same. A distinction is made between the quality levels Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva and Chianti Classico Gran Selezione.

The Consorzio Chianti Classico, the marketing company of the producers in Chianti, likes to present these three quality levels in the form of a pyramid. The base of this pyramid is Chianti Classico. Chianti Classico is also the highest production in terms of quantity, with at least 12 percent alcohol, and it must mature for at least twelve months. These are the two essential factors for Chianti Classico. Of course, there are many more detailed production regulations. But I don't want to go into them here.

In contrast to Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva has a slightly higher minimum alcohol content of 12.5% and must have matured for at least 24 months. Three months of this must have already matured in the bottle.

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, the quality category at the top of the pyramid, is the youngest category in Chianti Classico, as it was only introduced to the world press in 2013. The distinguishing criterion or production requirement is that a Grand Selectione must contain at least 13 percent alcohol and that the Grand Selectione must mature for 30 months, including three months in the bottle.

And now it comes to a determination that I find a little difficult, but it is simply part of it and that is why I am explaining it. The grapes have to come from the vineyards that belong to the winery. These can be individual vineyards, for example, or the selection of the best grapes from the winery. I therefore find this definition a little difficult, because it implements the idea, so to speak, of asking the question, oh well, aren't the grapes otherwise from the respective winery? This is of course the case in the vast majority of cases, but as always, there are also large producers of Chianti Classico who buy grapes from other producers or barrel wines from producers who have decided not to market under their own label.

Of course there are, but in most cases everyone produces for themselves and there are now over 300 producers in Chianti Classico who produce under their own label.

How do I recognize Chianti Classico?

So, in a nutshell, how can I tell that I have a Chianti Classico in the bottle? Very important, albeit very banal, it has to be red wine. There is no such thing as a white Chianti Classico wine, even if this is sometimes misunderstood, but Chianti Classico is always a red wine.

Then the bottle should say Chianti Classico on it. Not entirely unimportant.

The bottle should also feature the symbol of Chianti Classico, the Gallo Nero, the black cockerel. Either on the front of the bottle neck or on the back label.

The symbol of the black rooster goes back to the legend of the black rooster, which I would like to tell you about at another time in another episode.

The DOCG designation of origin also appears on every bottle of Chianti Classico. DOCG stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garandita. This is the legal designation, the legal designation of origin for controlled and guaranteed quality, the highest level, so to speak, in Italian wine law.

Another legal story is the banderole that you find on every bottle of Chianti Classico, actually on every bottle of DOCG wine. On this banderole you will find a combination of letters and numbers, making each bottle clearly identifiable. The Consorzio Chianti Classico has a special service on its website where you can enter this letter-number combination and when you enter it, you enter this number combination, you select the language in which you want the result, then you get the analytical values and the exact origin of the winery displayed. I would be happy to give you this link in the show notes so that you can try it out at the next opportunity. This is possible because the entire production process, from the vineyard to the bottle, is monitored and recorded.

So, now you are well equipped with the most important knowledge about Chianti Classico, definitely ready for small talk. For your information, if you like, I'll put a link in the show notes to the wine I drank today in passing, from the Rocca di Montegrossi winery. You can find out more about this wine via this link. Next time I would like to tell you more about Chianti Classico, for example how Chianti Classico is made as a wine or when Chianti Classico actually came into existence and what the legend of the black rooster is all about.

So I'd be delighted if you'd stick with it, if you subscribe to this podcast and if we hear each other again soon. I wish you all the best! A presto! Ciao!

Wine of the episode

2018 Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico DOCG

Further links

Link to my blog posts:
Link to the Consorzio Chianti Classico: https://www.chianticlassico.com/en/wine/traceability/

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