Jake Bennett-Day, co-owner of Vino Gusto in Bury St Edmunds, on why Chianti has fallen out of favour and what to look for in a good bottle
Sounds romantic, doesn’t it? It is. Only the drastically early Ryanair commute could detract from the romanticism otherwise inspired by the light bathed rolling hills of Chianti Classico and infectious Italian hospitality.
A welcome and timely scene shift from the dreary greyness of October on Hatter Street, if only for a few days. Though this is a work trip, of course. It’s not all hat shopping and castle exploring – we are also tasting wine.
Specifically, we’re focusing on Chianti. I love Chianti. But the wines have unfairly fallen from favour in the UK over recent years, thanks in no small part to the rustic, over industrialised production of entry-level grog to satisfy a meme-able pairing with liver and fava beans.
Sadly, these wines serve only as an offensive caricature of the magical Sangiovese grape and do not represent the wonderful diversity and quality to be explored across the Chianti region. Only yesterday I was waxing lyrical about the seductive charms of Fattoria Selvapiana’s Chianti Rufina to a customer, who met my enthusiasm with little more than a wince before suggesting they may prefer to explore my collection of much more expensive Barolo’s from t’up North.
Tuscany is one of the oldest of all wine areas in Italy. Evidence of viticulture exists in this region all the way back to the 8th century BC.
Florentine wine retailers were known to exist in the 11th century and by the 14th century, reference was being made to ‘Vino Nobile di Montepulciano’ and ‘Chianti’. The original Chianti region was what is now the ‘Classico’ area around Firenze and Sienna, although the overall (large) Chianti DOCG is further divided into six sub regions, the most famous of which are probably Rufina and Colli Senesi, along with Chianti Classico.
Very broadly, we can say the region’s greatest traditional wines come from the central Classico region and specifically the district of Greve.
While there will be no mention of the grape varieties on the label, Chianti is allowed a minimum of 75 per cent Sangiovese by law, a maximum of 10 per cent of the indigenous Canaiolo, plus up to 15 per cent of ‘other’ grapes – by that Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
With very little exception, the great Chianti’s will be predominantly Sangiovese, with maybe a judicious use of Canaioloand/or Cabernet Sauvignon. Of course, like all traditional European fine wine producing regions, the Tuscan’s assume you know all of this already. . .
Producers may indeed make wines outside of these parameters and play around with the grape ratios or include other grape varieties from outside of the officially recognised Chianti DOC(G) region, but these can’t be called Chianti, of course. They are classified simply as Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT), though the wines are anything but simple.
Known colloquially as ‘Super Tuscans’, a term popularised by famous American wine critic Robert Parker, these producers challenged the rigidity of the DOC(G) rules and set out to make standard bearing, iconic wine brands. With a name so evocative, it unlocked a producer’scapacity to sell at premium, thus boosting the enthusiasm and indeed price point for Super Tuscans globally.
These wines are generally made with a higher proportion of international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with a higher proportion of new oak. Making the wines feel luscious and powerful by contrast to the fresher, more delicately defined Sangiovese based wines from Chianti.
So what makes Chianti so appealing to me? Well, lots. I love the raw flavours of Sangiovese. The wines always scream of Italy to me, with aromas of tomato leaf, sour cherries, earth and herbs. And they’re never too rich, or indeed too thin. With alcohol and acidity in balance the wines are superbly food friendly and have the capacity to age supremely well.
If you’re afraid of the sort of Chianti that comes in a wicker flask, it’s time for you to revisit it. If you lean towards rich, unctuous reds, you’ll likely be a fan of Chianti made in the more traditional style from Classico. These wines tend to be supple, with a good amount of indulgent oak, just perfect at this time of year with a hearty stew, or indeed on a Sunday with a lovely rib of beef.
My favourite producer of this style is Isole e Olena. Their Chianti Classico is very traditionally styled and certainly benefits from a few years in bottles and a couple of hours in a decanter. Just like that delicious rib of beef, it needs to be well rested.
If you’re a fan of Pinot Noir or even Barolo, look to find a Chianti from Rufina, the most northern zone of Chianti at the highest altitude. Here the wines are fresher, more savoury and elegant.
The best producer of this style is Selvapiana (as mentioned above). Throughout their range, the wines are soft, floral and ultimately, sexy. Their ‘entry-level’ Chianti Rufina is the one wine that I could happily drink for the rest of my life at the sub £20 price point. Equally food friendly, this really is good with fava beans, kale and garlic. I have had wonderful experiences. . .
I’ll leave the recommendations there before I begin to over romanticise. Besides, next stop is in Montalcino over the hill, but I’ll certainly be leaving a piece of my heart in Chianti Classico.
Jake Bennett-Day is co-owner and director of Vino Gusto wine shop, 27 Hatter Street, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1NE
Visit www.vinogusto.co.uk
Tel: 01284 771831
