Tuscany Taste: Celebrating 300 years of Chianti Classico Wines

Chianti Classico producers have something more to be cheerful about. Not only was the production of 292,000 hL in 2015 higher than the 20-year average but the vintage also looks good. Their continued efforts have not only been responsible for 80% wines exported, they have also discovered new markets totalling over 100 countries-including many off the beaten track markets like, Bahrain, Bermuda, Dutch Antilles and Zimbabwe. However, the marked success still eludes them in India due to the lower priced Chianti finding a bigger market share in the high tax regime.

Despite the usual problems of not clearly appreciating the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico (also known as Black Rooster or Gallo Nero), US continues to be the biggest export market (31%), followed by Germany (12%), Canada (10%), UK (5%) followed by Scandinavia, Switzerland and Japan (4% each). Italy consumes 20%- around two thirds of what the USA drinks.

Genesis of Chianti Classico

‘Chianti as it is known today did not exist before 1716 when Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III established the boundaries of the Chianti wine production zone-between the cities of Florence and Siena’, explains Silvia Fiorentini, the affable PR and Communications Manager of Consorzio Vini Chianti Classico, the producer-owned private Association. Pomino (where Ruffina is today), Carmignano and Vald’Arno Superiore were also specifically authorised to produce Chianti wines which kept on getting more and more famous. In the early 20th century, the classic production area was unable to keep up with the increasing domestic and international demand. It was then that the wine began to be produced outside the original Chianti zone but still under the name of Chianti or wine made for use in Chianti. 

A Consorzio (Association of Chianti producers) was established in 1924 to safeguard the quality and interest of this zone. In 1932 the suffix Classico was added to distinguish the original Chianti from that produced outside the defined production zone. It was assigned the DOC status in 1967 and DOCG (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita), the highest appellation for Italian wines in 1984. In 1996, it became an independent DOCG. In 2010 the two appellations, ‘Chianti’ and ‘Chianti Classico’, were classified separately. Today ‘Chianti’ wines can no longer be produced in the Chianti Classico production zone. In 2013, the Consortium approved a series of modifications to the production specifications which started a real re-organisation of the whole zone. Because of the limited area of production and more stringent regulations, the quality of Chianti Classico is intrinsically better in general and the production costs and hence the sales price are also higher, making it a regular challenge for the producers to educate people on the difference between the two wines and the quality.

Tasting with Personal Sommelier

Chianti Classico may be released after a minimum of 12 months ageing on January 1 and Riserva a year later. All 378 bottles of wines offered from 2014 back to a few select older vintages were displayed on a long table in the middle of a hall with the tables on both sides for tasters to requisition wines according to their choice. A Sommelier assigned to each table took your request by the number inscribed on each bottle for the event. The service is absolutely immaculate with the Sommeliers conversant with the English language as well. They are knowledgeable enough to give you tips and guide you if you desire or simply bring the requisitioned bottles to the table. The service proficiency is not seen anywhere else except Montalcino where there is similar service and now I recognise the faces of many sommeliers at both venues.

Tasting with Producers

As usual, the Stazione Leopolda offers the visitors the opportunity to have a quiet sit-down tasting of around 380 wines with the sommelier service or taste with 164 participating producers. I noticed two minor changes this year. The producers were present on both days- a much better idea since it gives the option to switch back and forth for tasting and a lot of flexibility to the tasters and the possibility for producers to network on both days.

I am not sure if I liked the second change. Every year, the stands are in alphabetical order. But this year the order was slightly different-alphabetical order but under each sub-zone Chianti Classico stretches between Florence to Siena in 9 zones going from North to South.

In the previous years, the wineries were listed alphabetically. It was relatively easy to know the location of a winery. But now the alphabetic order pertains to each section individually. Ostensibly, this gives the tasters an opportunity to taste wines from a similar area, so they are geographically similar and perhaps with soils more similar to each other than say a winery from the extreme north to one in the South, even though in the alphabetical order they may be right next to each other as a stand.

In any case, it is advisable to meet the producers on the first day in the afternoon when the owners are also fresh and present in the stands and one has enjoyed the Sommelier service in the morning. Second day is open to the public-a great idea to see hundreds of Chianti Classico lovers milling around, making it a rather festive occasion but nevertheless a bit overpowering when one is trying to focus on different offerings from an insurmountable number of producers you want to meet and spend quality few minutes with. However, it was a very inspiring sight to see hundreds of people tasting together in a nicely informal atmosphere and the producers giving their best to all alike.

Gala Dinner at the Teatro (theatre)

It would be simplistic to assume that the beautiful, modern theatre and an architectural delight, was completed last year just so one might have the gala dinner in this building this year. But it did add to the 300th year celebration with the dinner that was more approachable and felt less crowded than the previous years. As always, wines available for tasting during the day were offered by super-efficient sommeliers though the bar always seemed crowded. I wonder if next year the Consorzio would consider two physically separated bars so people don’t have to trudge back and forth to change the wine label or the glasses. But it appeared to be less suffocating than the previous editions what with around 400 producers and journalists jostling for the limited space.

Gran Selezione Discussion continues

This was the third year since the concept of Gran Selezione was launched in 2014 thanks to a Government decree, defining the highest quality of a Tuscan wine by appellation-higher than a Chianti Classico docg or a Riserva docg. But the doubting Thomases still were debating the wisdom of introducing another appellation, especially when many producers already had these ‘highest quality, aged wines’ in their stable. The purists have a point that Sangiovese expresses it purity best with no oak or at best with a touch and drinkable young unlike Gran Selezione.

At the traditional Panel discussion before Lunch where a well-known RJ quizzed a panel of producers including the President of Consorzio Sergio Zingarelli, the General manager Giuseppe Liberatore and Marchesi Piero Antinori, it was obvious that there was still no consensus about the newly discovered gems but as Zingarelli stood his ground and said, ‘97% of the producers are members of our Consorzio and we have to listen to each voice carefully and the different opinions are bound to be there. But we choose a path that the Board feels is best suited to improve the quality, image, prestige and status of Chianti Classico region. I am sure Gran Selezione will prove to be a successful concept with time.’ In any case, it was a lively and healthy debate and hopefully, this will become a tradition for the format.

Celebrating 300 years

The Consorzio has planned several events to celebrate the 300th anniversary, which includes a special logo that will be on the collar of each bottle. This should also act as a reminder to the large population of Chianti Classico wine drinkers that the zone has a 300 year-old history of being recognised-perhaps the first in the world to be ‘classified’, says Fiorentini.

With one exception that there is no time to visit some of the beautiful estates of Chianti Classico, not only exciting because of their wines bust also the panorama and the historic significance of many of the estates. One leaves the old trains station-Stazione Leopolda converted to a well designed wine tasting venue, with a heavy heart but hopes to return again the following year- when there is another vintage, another experience awaiting the Chianti Classico lover.

Subhash Arora

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Tags : Chianti Classico, Chianti, Gran Selezione, Black Rooster, Gallo Nero, Silvia Fiorentini, Consorzio Vini Chianti Classico, Pomino, Carmignano, Vald’Arno Superiore, DOC, DOCG, Stazione Leopolda, Sangiovese, Sergio Zingarelli, Giuseppe Liberatore, Marchesi Piero Antinori