A poll taken a few years back asked Europeans to name the ten things they most associated with Italy: Chianti, the famous wine f

Ian D’Agata

A poll taken a few years back asked Europeans to name the ten things they most associated with Italy: Chianti, the famous wine from Tuscany, placed in the top five spots. That result conveys just how well known this famous wine is outside of Italy: and even James Bond, agent 007, played by Sean Connery in the movie version of From Russia with Love, has dinner on a train with an arch-enemy that orders a bottle of Chianti. However, Chianti is only one of Tuscany’s three most famous wines, the other two being Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino. All three wines are made mainly, or entirely, with the sangiovese grape, which though Italy’s most planted red grape variety, gives by far the best results in Tuscany.

Sangiovese is the typical grape of all Chianti, it has always been a blend, ever since it was invented back in the XIXth century by Baron Ricasoli; and the modern day DOCG rules allow that it be a blend of 80% sangiovese and 20% other grapes, though white grapes are no longer allowed. Originally, white local varieties such as trebbiano toscano and malvasia bianca had been allowed since Ricasoli believed these added freshness and fragrance to the wine (he really felt only malvasia ought to be used) but since these reduce the aging potential of the wines their use was gradually reduced and finally eliminated over the last twenty years. Since many different other grapes are allowed, it is important for consumers to know that Chiantis can all be very different one from another, as the more delicate sangiovese will be greatly modified if large amounts of syrah, merlot, or cabernet sauvignon are added to the blend. The most typical Chiantis are those where the complementary 20% of grapes are old native varieties such as malvasia nera or canaiolo nero, that allow the sangiovese to shine through.

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