A little bit of history: The first mention of Chianti goes back to 1398 and the wine is supposedly a white wine of scarce quality. In the early Renaissance the wine is mentioned as red and is drunk also by the Popes. In 1713 the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III, established some boundaries for the production area of the Chianti and a sort of production code - it is the first time in World history that a law is defined around wine production. It was only after 1860 with the studies of the Iron Baron, Bettino Ricasoli of Brolio, that the Chianti started to be made in a similar way as it is made today.

Modern day Chianti area has been divided into 8 sub-areas - the regular Chianti wine can however be produced in all of these areas.
To distinguish one Chianti from another, a wine maker may choose to make a Chianti typical to the district that the winery is located in, thus using the appellation of one of the sub-areas with the result that the wine will be better identified by the wine buyer.

The best known of all of the Chiantis, the Chianti Classico, is really no longer considered a sub-area of the Chianti (it is however mentioned on this page for the purpose of comparison). The Chianti Classico will on this web-site have its own page as it is now (since the Ministerial Decree in 1996) recognized as an independent appellation.

Future modifications: It is the intention to improve the general quality of the Chianti, so from 2007 white grape varieties will no longer be allowed in the regular Chiantis, as they evidently damage the Chianti's longevity.

 

1. Chianti
- Production area: provinces of Arezzo, Firenze, Pisa, Pistoia, Siena (many districts)
- Grape varieties: Sangiovese min 75% max 90%, Canaiolo Nero 5-10%, Trebbiano Toscano & Malvasia Bianca Lunga 5-10%, other grape varieties max 10%
- Maximum permitted production of grapes per hectare is 100 quintals
- Minimum aging: 4 months
- Type of wines: Chianti (Superiore - min 12% alchol, Riserva - min. aging 38 months)

 

2. Chianti Classico
 

Some historical facts:
The term "Classico" refers to the old and original production area of the Chianti.
In 1924 a group of 33 wine makers gather in Radda in Chianti and create a Consortium ("Consorzio per la difesa del vino tipico del Chianti e del suo marchio di origine") and choose the black rooster as their symbol which was once the symbol of the Chianti League.
The term "Chianti Classico" is first mentioned in 1932 when a Ministerial Commission decides to classify this area clearly in order to reduce huge amounts of fake Chianti abusively produced in all of Central Italy.
 

Area of Production:
Province of Florence (Greve in Chianti and part of San Casciano Val di Pesa, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, Barberino Val d' Elsa)
Province of Siena (Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, and part of Poggibonsi, Castelnuovo Berardenga)
Map
 

Wines:
Chianti Classico Docg
Chianti Classico Riserva Docg

The Production Code:
In 1967 the Chianti Classico area was granted the Doc recognition, on of the first in Italy.
The first version of the DOCG production code for Chianti and Chianti Classico dates back to 1984, when Chianti Classico was still considered a sub-denomination of the omni-comprehensive Chianti Docg, although with separate regulations that imposed production rules more stringent than those stipulated for the other Chiantis.
But it was only in 1996 with the Ministerial Decree that Chianti Classico obtained the definitive consecration of its importance, precedence - and independence from the other Chiantis. With the latest modification of the production code, new rules were adopted that benefit the quality of the wine and the appellation.

·         An important change concerns the variety of grapes that can be used in the production of the wine. In the new production code, the minimum percentage of Sangiovese, the typical red variety of the zone, that must be used is increased from 75 to 80% and the max percentage t0 100%. In addition to Sangiovese, producers may use other native red grapes, like Canaiolo and Colorino, or "international" varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a maximum ratio of 20%. Trebbiano and Malvasia, both white grapes, can no longer be used, beginning with the 2006 vintage.

·         The minimum alcohol level is 12° for the regular wine and 12.5° for the Riserva.

·          A new vineyard may only begin production four years after planting.

·         Yield per hectare must not exceed 75 quintals (3.34 tons an acre), the equivalent of 52.5 hectoliters (559 U.S. gallons an acre) of wine.

·         Production per vine is limited to three kilos (6.6 pounds).

·         In addition to vinification, all operations involving the preservation and bottling of the wine as well as its fining in the bottle must be carried out within the production zone.

·        Minimum aging in oak barrels: 7 months

·         Before bottling, the wine "certified to become Chianti Classico Docg" has to undergo chemical exams and approval by a tasting (See General Characteristics).

·         To ensure that all the various components of Chianti Classico wine will be harmoniously balanced, its release for consumption is authorized only after October 1st of the year following the harvest. For the Riserva type, minimum maturation of 24 months, including at least three months of bottle aging, is required.
 

General Characteristics that Chianti Classicos must meet:

- Color: a bright ruby-red tending to garnet with maturation.
- Odor: vinous, with a scent of violets and a pronounced finesse that develops in the maturation phase.
- Flavor: balanced, dry, sapid and lightly tannic, fining in time to a velvety softness.
- Sugar: maximum of 4 grams per liter of reducing sugars.
- Minimum net dry extract: 23%.
- Minimum total acidity: 4.5 ppt.
 

The Sangiovese & Composition of the Soil
The grape that makes the most important contribution to the production of Chianti Classico, with a ratio that ranges from 80% to 100%, is the Sangiovese. This variety is now used in all the leading Doc and Docg red wines of central Italy.
This grape is extremely sensitive to external factors, such as terrain and climate, and it certainly does not ripen precociously or uniformly. However, it is rare to find another variety that so faithfully interprets the characteristics of the soil in which it grows and modifies its odors in accordance with the terrain. Sandstone is responsible for the wine's flowery bouquet, calcareous soils produce scents of wild berries and tufa or volcanic soils yield fresh odors of tobacco. But a scent of violets, which the production code identifies as a characteristic and specific element of Chianti Classico, is always present no matter where the vines grow.
 

Life-span
In general terms, the life-span of a Chianti Classico is as follows:
3 yrs after harvest date: from young to ready - drink or hold a couple of yrs.
3 yrs to 6 yrs after harvest: ready to drink
6 yrs to 10 yrs: starts to loose its acidity and tannins and alcohol sensation will prevail. Do not hold - drink!
over 10 yrs of age: risky business!

The life-span of a Chianti Classico Riserva is longer due to the selection of grapes, higher alcohol level, aging method.
4 yrs after harvest date: young - if possible hold another couple of yrs.
4 - 10 yrs after harvest: the wine will reach its peak during this period.
10 - 15 yrs after harvest: the wine has already reached its peak. Drink whenever.

3. Chianti Rufina
- Production area: Province of Florence (part of the districts of Rufina, Dicomano, Pelago, Pontassieve, Lonta)
- Grape varieties: Sangiovese min 75% max 90%, Canaiolo Nero 5-10%, Trebbiano Toscano & Malvasia Bianca Lunga 5-10%, other grape varieties max 10%
- Maximum permitted production of grapes per hectare is 80 quintals
- Minimum aging: 7 months
- Type of wines: Chianti Rufina (Superiore, Riserva - min. aging 38 months)

 

4. Chianti Colli Senesi
- Production area: Province of Siena (many districts)
- Grape varieties: Sangiovese min 75% max 90%, Canaiolo Nero 5-10%, Trebbiano Toscano & Malvasia Bianca Lunga 5-10%, other grape varieties max 10%
- Maximum permitted production of grapes per hectare is 100 quintals
- Minimum aging: 4 months
- Type of wines: Chianti Colli Senesi (Superiore, Riserva - min. aging 38 months)

 

5. Chianti Colli Aretini
- Production area: Province of Arezzo (many districts)
- Grape varieties: Sangiovese min 75% max 90%, Canaiolo Nero 5-10%, Trebbiano Toscano & Malvasia Bianca Lunga 5-10%, other grape varieties max 10%
- Maximum permitted production of grapes per hectare is 100 quintals
- Minimum aging: 4 months
- Type of wines: Chianti Colli Aretini (Superiore, Riserva - min. aging 38 months)

 

6. Chianti Colline Pisane
- Production area: Province of Pisa (many districts)
- Grape varieties: Sangiovese min 75% max 90%, Canaiolo Nero 5-10%, Trebbiano Toscano & Malvasia Bianca Lunga 5-10%, other grape varieties max 10%
- Maximum permitted production of grapes per hectare is 100 quintals
- Minimum aging: 4 months
- Type of wines: Chianti Colline Pisane (Superiore, Riserva - min. aging 38 months)

 

7. Chianti Colli Fiorentini
- Production area: Province of Florence province (many districts)
- Grape varieties: Sangiovese min 75% max 90%, Canaiolo Nero 5-10%, Trebbiano Toscano & Malvasia Bianca Lunga 5-10%, other grape varieties max 10%
- Maximum permitted production of grapes per hectare is 80 quintals
- Minimum aging: 7 months
- Type of wines: Chianti Colli Fiorentini (Superiore, Riserva - min. aging 38 months)

 

8. Chianti Montalbano
- Production area:
In the province of Florence (the districts of Capraia e Limite, Vinci)
In the province of Pistoia (the districts of Lanciano, Monsummano Terme, Pistoia, Serravalle Pistoiese)
In the province of Prato (Carmignano district)
- Grape varieties: Sangiovese min 75% max 90%, Canaiolo Nero 5-10%, Trebbiano Toscano & Malvasia Bianca Lunga 5-10%, other grape varieties max 10%
- Maximum permitted production of grapes per hectare is 100 quintals
- Minimum aging: 4 months
- Type of wines: Chianti Montalbano (Superiore, Riserva - min. aging 38 months)

 

9. Chianti Montespertoli
- Production area: Province of Florence (part of the Montespertoli district)
- Grape varieties: Sangiovese min 75% max 90%, Canaiolo Nero 5-10%, Trebbiano Toscano & Malvasia Bianca Lunga 5-10%, other grape varieties max 10%
- Maximum permitted production of grapes per hectare is 80 quintals
- Minimum aging: 4 months
- Type of wines: Chianti Montespertoli (Superiore - min 12% alchol, Riserva - min. aging 38 months)