Chianti

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Chianti is one of the best-known Italian red wines, made mainly from the Sangiovese grape in central Tuscany. Its designation now covers a large territory with several sub-areas, and it remains a reference point for Italian viticulture.

History

The name is documented from the 14th century, when viticulture flourished in the Chianti hills around Florence. Around 1250 a military league, the Lega del Chianti, was formed between Castellina, Gaiole and Radda, and the wine of that area began to take on the name. The earliest records describe it as white, although red wines are also mentioned in documents of the same period. In 1427 Florence set up a tariff system for the wines of the surrounding countryside, and in 1716 Cosimo III de' Medici officially defined the villages allowed to produce it.

In the 18th century Chianti was widely recognised as a red wine, though its exact composition is uncertain. In the 19th century Baron Bettino Ricasoli promoted a recipe based mainly on Sangiovese, which laid the foundations of the modern wine. Oidium and phylloxera later devastated the vineyards, and the postwar period brought high-volume production that damaged its reputation. The area was redrawn and divided into sub-areas in 1932, the DOC status arrived in 1967 and DOCG in 1984.

Culture

Chianti is part of Tuscany's identity and is associated with everyday meals at the table. Its most recognisable mark is the black rooster of Chianti Classico, which only producers belonging to the subzone's consortium may display. The sub-areas, from Classico to Rufina, Montalbano or Colli Senesi, offer styles that vary with the terrain. The rules allow between 80 % and 100 % Sangiovese, which may be completed with up to 10 % fruitier varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah. For years it was tied to the straw-wrapped fiasco bottle, though only a few producers still use it today. Its current presence combines everyday wines with highly regarded bottles known around the world.

Legend and fact

Bettino Ricasoli is often credited with a specific formula (70 % Sangiovese, 20 % Canaiolo and 10 % Malvasia Bianca Lunga), but a review of his correspondence does not confirm it. Over time, some producers replaced Malvasia with Trebbiano, which fed misunderstandings about the so-called Ricasoli formula. What is documented is his role in establishing Sangiovese as the dominant grape.

Trivia

The fiasco bottle. For a long time Chianti was identified with a squat flask wrapped in straw, the fiasco. Today only a few producers use it.

The black rooster. The black rooster seal may only be carried by Chianti Classico from producers who belong to the local consortium.

The Super Tuscans. Some producers working outside the DOC rules created the so-called Super Tuscans, whose prestige came to exceed that of many DOC-sanctioned Chiantis.