5/18/2023 0 Comments Chianti wine mapsAnd like all Italian rules, they are frequently confusing. Like all Italian wines, Chianti comes with rules. Chianti Classico, Chianti and its Subzones Chianti rarely achieves the body and density of its Sangiovese-based cousin Brunello further south in Montalcino. Moderate tannins increase with quality, as does structure and body, which progresses from light to medium. Further accents of violets, herbs, spice and earth are common in this dry red. Its calling card is mouthwatering acidity, a transparent ruby hue and flavors of black and red cherry. Vineyards in Montepulciano / Getty Sangiovese And in 1996, Chianti Classico separated from Chianti DOCG and became its own DOCG.Ĭombined, Chianti and Chianti Classico DOCGs continue to grow more wine grapes than any other Italian region save Prosecco, though better clones and a focus on lower yields have lifted quality. The appellation would go on to earn Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status in 1984, Italy’s highest level of wine classification. Thank You! We've received your email address, and soon you will start getting exclusive offers and news from Wine Enthusiast. The Italian government created the Chianti Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) in 1967, which was included a central subzone of Chianti Classico. Fast forward two centuries and production had grown throughout the region. In 1716, Grand Duke Cosimo III de’Medici demarcated the first Chianti wine zone, now known as Chianti Classico. Savvy merchants and bankers, the Medicis ruled during the Renaissance, when the arts, literature and wine flourished. These cities’ histories are as rich, complicated and lurid as a Shakespearean drama.ĭuring the 13th century, acrimony between the Florentine Guelphs and Siennese Ghibellines gave way to the rise of the famous Florentine family, the Medicis, in the 14th century. Today, the production zones of Chianti fall around Florence in the north, Siena in the south, Arezzo in the east and Pisa in the west. The Romans further developed the area’s agriculture, which also included olives. Its history stems from the Etruscans, who were the first to identify the region as an attractive source for grapes. Tuscany, the romanticized swath of central Italy known for its rolling hills, cypress trees and stone castles, is also home to Chianti. Ripe Sangiovese grapes in Tuscany / Getty Chianti from the Romans, the Renaissance and Today Get to know this Tuscan region through its fascinating history, grapes and appellations. However, that’s a boon to savvy drinkers that can nab a delicious bottle of Chianti at an attainable price. Over the last few decades, Chianti has increased in quality, though most of its top wines fail to titillate palates as seductively as Barolo and Brunello. Many tasted their first sip of tangy Sangiovese from a fiasco, a bottle wrapped in a straw basket, in a red-sauce Italian restaurant. Few Italian wines trigger nostalgia in American consumers like Chianti.
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