We can guarantee that almost every restaurant in Italy will have Chianti Classico wine as it is the most popular table wine in Italy. Chianti Classico wine comes from the Chianti Classico regions in central Italy, stretching between Florence and Siena, from the top of San Casciano in Val di Pesa (Florence) to the bottom of Castelnuovo Berardenga (Siena), in total there are 7,200 hectares of the Chianti Classico vines. This wine has been produced for over 2000 years with the main red grape of the region, the Sangiovese grape. In order for a red wine to be given the title Chianti Classico, it has to contain a minimum of 80% Sangiovese grape, the other 20% can be made from Merlot, Canaiolo etc. and the minimum alcohol level should be 12°.
There is a significant difference between Chianti Classico and Chianti, which is often misunderstood. In 1716, the region of Chianti wine was marked between Florence and Siena and the red wine produced in that region (alongside following the rules of production) was to be called Chianti. However, in the 20th century the soar in demand of Chianti Classico wine nationally and from foreign countries meant that the production of Chianti wasn't able to meet the high demand, therefore Chianti Classico wine was also produced outside of its original territory, also being called Chianti. The original winemakers of Chianti were offended and to defend their wines, in 1924, they established the Consorzio per la tutela del vino tipico del Chianti e della sua marca di origine (Consortium for the Protection of Typical Chianti Wine and its Mark of origin) alongside with a trademark symbol of the Gallo Nero (Black Rooster) to depict the history of the original Chianti wine. In 1932, the adjective 'Classico' was added to the Chianti wine produced in its original production zone in order to differentiate its origin. Instead of an 80% use of the Sangiovese grape in Chianti Classico, Chianti requires a minimum of 70% use of Sangiovese grape.
Unfortunately, for now we are unable to make Chianti Classico wine as although we have the Sangiovese grapes on our farm, we do not have the certificate to produce the wine which we are looking into.
The Story of the Gallo Nero
The symbol of the Chianti Classico wine region is a gallo nero (black rooster) for a special reason. As the legend states, during the medieval era in Italy, there was a disagreement between Florence and Siena over who was the legitimate owner of the Chianti Classico region. In order to decide the rightful owner, the powers at the time decided to let two knights on horseback battle it out, of course by a race (not a fight). A knight from Florence and a knight from Siena were selected, at the sound of the rooster in the early morning, they would depart from their homes and wherever the knights crossed paths would become the border dividing the two cities, therefore setting their territories.
Sneakily, the knight of Florence chose a black rooster and starved him the night before so that he would awake earlier in the morning out of hunger and depart before the sun rose. The knight of Siena also made an attempt to blast off earlier, however, he had chosen a white rooster and stuffed him until he couldn't eat anymore in hope that he would crow before the sun rose - he was very wrong. Consequently, the knight of Florence had a much larger lead than the knight of Siena (who had only just awoken). The knights met when the Florentine was on 7.5 miles away from Siena, thus, the whole of the Chianti Classico region was included into the Republic of Florence! This symbol has been used since 1924 as a trademark for Chianti Classico wine.
Chianti Classico Revolution
When tasting or drinking Chianti Classico wines, you may see the sub-region it came from on the label or the sommelier may inform you. The names of the different sub-regions are: S.Casciano in Val di Pesa, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, Barberino Val d'Elsa, Poggibonsi, Greve in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti (sub-regions in Florence) and Castelnuovo Berardenga which is the only region of Chianti Classico located in Siena.
Historically, the bottle called fiasco was made from thin green or white glass and covered with woven straw to protect it from breaking during transportation and shipment - it has been used since the 14th century! The fiasco bottles were often decorated with red and green bands to represent the Italian flag. This bottle has also been used to help distinguish Chianti Classico wines, however, some winemakers in the 20th century used this design to their advantage, to sell poor quality wine abroad or even empty bottles just to increase profits. In the late 20th century, regulations were put in place to ensure the sale of good quality Chianti Classico wine with the fiasco bottle. Today the bottle isn't used as much for transportaion or shipment, however the fiasco can still be found in Tuscany, around the world and can be purchased.
There are three ‘levels’ to the quality of Chianti Classico wine. All types of Chianti Classico Wine are made in central Tuscany and have a maximum yield rule of 7.5 tonnes per hectare, barrel ageing is not required for this type of wine, however many winemakers age their Chianti Classico wine to develop a stronger and better taste.
Chianti Classico D.O.C.G Gran Selezione
For a Chianti Classico wine to be considered into the D.O.C.G ‘Gran Selezione’ (Grand Selection), the grapes must be grown by the winery itself, with a minimum aging requirement of 30 months, consisting of 3 months of bottle aging. There are also stricter and more technical rules and guidelines, such as the minimum alcohol level has to be 13%.
Chianti Classico Riserva
The Riserva wine is of medium range quality as the aging process is shorter, 24 months, including 3 months of bottle ageing. The minimum alcohol level has to be 12.5%.
Chianti Classico Annata
This version of Chianti Classico can be made in the shortest time of ageing, around a year. The minimum alcohol level is the smallest of the Chianti Classico wine options, at 12% and does not have to be aged in the bottle.
Famous Chianti wines
Castello di Ama, Chianti Classico D.O.C.G
The amazing winery Castello di Ama was rebuilt in 1700s, after it was destroyed during the Roman Empire and started their long journey of making wine, the legacy was passed down generations until today! Their Chianti Classico became titled D.O.C.G after the hard work of agronomist Marco Pallanti who worked on the vineyards since 1982. It felt like an honour to try their Chianti Classico and we can honestly say that you will like it as much as we do! The red wine is made of 96% Sangiovese grape and 4% Merlot, with an alcohol grade of 13%. The balsamic whiff of eucalyptus can be smelt straight away, the taste of mature red berry, cherries and rose burst with flavour on the palate, leaving a sweet and refined finish. This elegant Chianti Classico is definitely one to try! Castello di Ama is located in Lecchi in Chianti, within the sub-region Gaiole in Chianti and is around 1 hour and 15 minutes away from La Torre by car.
Castello di Volpaia, Chianti Classico Riserva
The 12th century castle once belonged to a Florentine family from Volpaia, the most well known of the family was Lorenzo, a friend of Leonardo da Vinci, who built an extravagant planetary clock for the Palazzo Vecchio of Florence. Today, the castle is owned by the Stianti family, who whilst respecting the artistic characteristics and traditions of the property from the 12th century, have created an empire of Chianti Classico vineyards with the help of the surrounding villages. The ruby red wine is made of 100% Sangiovese grape and has a taste of plum, blackberries and juicy wild cherry, the spice of the oak barrels it has been aged in balance the flavour to give it a warm finish and soothe the throat. The alcohol level is 13.5%, fitting perfectly over a dinner with red meat, roasted potatoes and winter vegetables! Visiting this castle gave us a blast from the past and trying the amazing Chianti Classico wine certainly enhanced our experience, we recommend trying this red wine as well as taking a visit to the castle to really experience the history of Tuscany and learn about its old traditions. Castello di Volpaia is situated in the sub-region Radda in Chianti, in Siena and is a 1 hour and 10 minute drive away from La Torre.
Villa Antinori, Chianti Classico Riserva
The Villa Antinori was established in 1928 by the Antinori family, they envisioned to generate Chianti Classico wines and vineyards that could be passed down through their family like an heirloom, with success their red wine has been well known for a century. With flavours of ripe black cherry, blueberries, toasted hazelnuts and a tobacco finish (due to being aged in French, American and Hungarian oak barriques), the velvety red wine has become exquisite and definitely tantalised our taste buds when we first drank it. Villa Antinori can be found in the sub-region San Casciano in Val di Pesa, only a 40 minute drive away from La Torre.
Chianti Classico Nearby
Corbucci
The farm and company of Corbucci has been passed down from generation to generation, from Father to Son. The farmhouse is situated on the hills of Gambassi with a beautiful scope of its 25 hectares of vineyards ranging with many different grapes, mostly Sangiovese. Francesco Corbucci, our neighbour, also has an amazing Chianti Riserva D.O.C.G, named ‘Corbucci’. The red wine is made of 100% Sangiovese grape, with fruitful flavours of matured cherries, ripe strawberries and a long smoky finish of tobacco and spice due to being aged in oak barrels. The alcohol volume is 14%, in fact when we went to our wine tasting session with Francesco, we began feeling tipsy half way through - the complimentary Italian cheese and ham helped to keep us sober. Only a 10 minute drive from La Torre, this Chianti is certainly recommendable and comes along with a great experience as well as value. You can visit this winery by car, on foot, cycling or on horseback due to its proximity to our farm!
Pietralta
Located in the beautiful countryside of Gambassi, the farm Pietralta offers a tranquil experience as well as fabulous Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. The farm focuses heavily on being eco friendly, for instance electricity is generated by a local photovoltaic system covering 60% of consumption, 90% of light bulbs are LED and energy from solar panels are used to supply hot water. As we also aim to run our farm in an eco friendly way, we felt inspired visiting Pietralta and the experience flooded our minds with many ideas on green methods to help us run our farm. Back to the wine, made of 90% Sangiovese grape, 5% Canaiolo and 5% Colorino, the intense velvety red wine bursts with flavours of dark red berries and blackberries, giving a rich toasted aroma of wood on the tongue. The wine has an alcohol grade of 12.5% and compliments heavier meals such as pasta with red meat sauce. Pietralta is a 20 minute drive away from La Torre, nearby and worth a try of their great wine.
Tenuta Torciano
Situated in the medieval town of San Gimignano which by many Tuscans is considered the heart of Tuscany, Torciano is a beautiful farm that offers magical experiences from dinner in the vineyards to helicopter wine tours! They have a range of Chianti Classico wines but our preferred one is the Chianti Classico D.O.C.G ‘Goldvine’. Made from pure Sangiovese and Canaiolo grapes, the deep red wine whirls with harmonious flavours of blackberries, licorice, ripened cherries and has a hint of dark chocolate, enhancing the tasteful finish. As the agriturismo also has a restaurant in Poggibonsi, we savoured this luxurious red wine over a meal of mushroom risotto, fresh roasted Tuscan meat and chestnuts. Both the farm and restaurant of Torciano can be reached by car, they are both a 20 minute drive away from La Torre!
Overall, Chianti Classico is a significant red wine in Italy and all over the world. The history behind the Chianti Classico region is fascinating and the legacy that it has left behind shall continue to succeed and better every meal with its presence.
