|
The many faces of Chianti
Chianti has come a long way since that time, not so terribly long ago, when most of us knew it as cheap "spaghetti wine," customarily offered in cute bottles wrapped in wicker baskets, suitable for recycling as candlesticks.
This should be old news to most wine enthusiasts, but let's recap briefly in case you're rusty: The Chianti region spans a broad swath of Tuscany in Northern Italy, from Florence to Siena and from Umbria to the sea. Its blend or "recipe," altered a bit from tradition in modern times, must include from 75 percent to 100 percent Sangiovese, and up to 10 percent each of Canaiolo, other local red varieties, and/or the white Trebbiano or Malvasia. (The inclusion of white grapes, once mandatory, is now optional, and the possibility of 100 percent Sangiovese without any other grapes is also a recent innovation.) Grapes grown anywhere in the region may go into basic Chianti, but only grapes from the traditional central region, between Florence and Siena, may qualify for the "Chianti Classico" designation, which also calls for slightly longer aging before release. Higher alcohol levels qualify for the title "Superiore," and longer aging - 24 months, compared with six for Classico and five for regular Chianti - adds the title "Riserva." Pick up a bottle of Chianti Classico Riserva, and you're dealing with (and paying for) something with a lot more gravitas than a simple pizza or spaghetti wine. These are serious, world-class wines that demand cellar time to show at their mature best. Today, inspired by the recent arrival of an affordable but tasty 2004 Chianti from the Siena region, I thought it might be interesting to point out another, somewhat less well-known, aspect of Chianti. In addition to the broad Chianti region and the central Classico zone, the Chianti regulations permit special regional labels for wines made from grapes grown in seven sub-regions scattered around the map of Tuscany. Some of the sub-regions are fairly widely available, while a few are rare enough that I have yet to see them sold outside Italy. Here's a quick field guide to help you recognize these rare birds if you see them:
In contrast with the kind of detailed attention that wine "geeks" lavish on detecting and understanding the subtle differences among French wine villages, I haven't seen a great deal of similar discussion - at least in English - about consistent terroir distinctions among the sub-regions of Chianti. Perhaps that will come as Chianti's modern reputation continues to grow. For now, suffice it to say that I find the sub-regional Chiantis often provide excellent quality for price. That's certainly true of today's tasting, a 2004 Chianti Colli Senesi from Fattoria della Vitae. My tasting report follows.
WEB LINKS:
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE: If you prefer to comment privately, feel free to send me E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE 
Fattoria della Vitae 2004 Chianti Colli Senesi ($8.99)
This is a dark garnet wine with a reddish-purple glint, a little more shaded toward blue-violet than Chianti's usual reddish highlights, perhaps signaling its youth. Spicy black-cherry aromas are typical of basic Chianti, as are its fresh and bright flavors, simple black fruit nicely balanced by crisp acidity, making for a fine food wine. U.S. importer: Kysela Pere et Fils Ltd., Winchester, Va. (Dec. 18, 2005) FOOD MATCH: Moving away from the stereotypical red-sauced pasta or the traditional red meat (although either would have been just fine), we paired it with a tasty if less obvious match: rich, dark turkey thighs seared on the stovetop and finished in the oven. VALUE: Fine value, and reassuring to find wine of this quality still available in the single-digit range. WHEN TO DRINK: Not meant for long-term cellaring, but it should certainly hold up for a year or two on the wine rack.
PRONUNCIATION:
WEB LINK:
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
SUBSCRIBE: Administrivia To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. We do not use our E-mail list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail address to anyone. I welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. To contact me, please send E-mail to wine@wineloverspage.com All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Friday, Jan. 13, 2006
|
