Chianti: the story, the legend, the logo and its carachter
Chianti is the hilly area between Florence and Siena, between Arezzo and the Pisan Hills which has always been considered the 'heart of Tuscany'; it is a succession of splendid landscapes marked by dense vineyards, chestnut, oak and holm oak woods, evocative medieval villages, romantic castles and charming farmhouses. It is also the land where one of the most famous red wines in the world is produced: Chianti.

The Chianti area is the ideal place for trips between medieval villages, romantic vineyards and characteristic hilly landscapes. In every small village it is possible to come across cellars, castles and farms and taste the fine wine in one of the numerous wine bars. The origins, rich in a legendary history, and the winemaking tradition have made the Clante area (in the Etruscan age the name of a stream) famous throughout the world. Mostly covered by woods, where oaks, chestnuts and pines prevail, dotted with cypresses, Chianti is a plateau with altitudes ranging between 200 and 800 metres. Here the precious wine is produced at the maximum altitude for growing grapes (for the classic) of 700 meters above sea level.
There is a lot to say about the Tuscan Chianti wine and the area in which it is born and the beginnings are very distant. So I'd say make yourself comfortable and read the whole story.

The origins
Let's start with the origin of the name: according to some versions it could derive from the Latin term clangour, or noise, to recall the sound of hunting trips in the forests of which the area was rich; according to others, it derives from the Etruscan clante, or water, of which the territory is rich. Two readings make us immediately understand the prosperity and fertility of the territory. Unlike many other areas of our peninsula, here viticulture is not indebted to the Greeks, but to the Etruscans who were the first to change the Chianti landscape, abandoning pastoralism in favour of agriculture. The wine culture continued generously during the Roman Empire and survived even after the barbarian devastations, thanks to the efforts of the Benedictine and Vallombrosian monks. Starting from the year 1000, the "specialized" cultivation of the vine, which was raised in low rows in rows, spread everywhere, both in the lands of the monks and in those of the secular clergy and lay lords. The term "Chianti" appears for the first time in a parchment of 790, while the first parchments in which reference is made to winemaking in Chianti date back to 913.
It was precisely in the Middle Ages that the winemaking vocation of the Chianti area, in the wake of the teachings of the monks, strengthened: already in the 12th century, families whose names are still well known today in the world of wine, such as the Ricasolis (in Brolio since 1141 ) and the Antinori (wine producers since 1385) inaugurated their wine production. Documents of the time also tell us that Chianti was a white wine – even if starting from red berried grapes – and it is difficult to understand exactly when the transition to the vermilion colour took place. What is certain is that the need was soon felt to protect its typology, both to protect the name and the quality: hence the commitment of the Chianti League since the fourteenth century.
The habit of drinking wine, at that time, spread quickly and from a luxury product, the prerogative of noble tables, wine soon became a popular drink: it was present in all homes, from those of the rich to those of the farmers, who most often used it to mix unhealthy water since alcohol helps to sanitize it.
Was it the same Chianti as we know?
Did you know that Chianti was originally white? And that Michelangelo had an estate in the Chianti area or that Giuseppe Verdi loved this wine very much?
We know from medieval documents that in 1398 Chianti was a white wine, very different from the current red. We do not know when it changed colour or even what organoleptic characteristics it must have possessed at the time.
However, we know that even before being called Chianti, this wine was known for its freshness and vivacity, characteristics deriving from the particular vinification imposed in 1364 by Giovanni di Durante and Ruberto di Guido Bernardi. They prescribed adding raisins to the wine to eliminate impurities and egg whites, almonds and salt to clarify it, pepper and rose petals to give it a nice colour.
Chianti: the Legend begins
Here also begins the legend of Chianti linked to the image of a black rooster, at the centre of the age-old struggles between Siena and Florence. The story starts with the idea of fixing the border between the two republics with a "peaceful" duel, that is by having two knights leave their respective cities at the first cockcrow. The more shrewd Florentines used a black rooster left without food for days and for this reason they crowed already before dawn. Thus it was that the Florentine knight set off first and arrived as far as Fonterutoli before meeting his Sienese rival, moving the border between the two territories far south. The place still marks the division between the two provinces today.
A decisive turning point occurred with the announcement of Cosimo III de' Medici, who in 1716 felt the need to fix the boundaries of the wine areas of Chianti to protect them from counterfeits. The grand-ducal announcement, in fact, constitutes the first example of the delimitation of the areas of origin of the wines.

On September 24, 1716 (that is 300 years ago) the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III, penultimate of the Medici, promulgated a proclamation ("Above the Declaration of the Borders of the four regions of Chianti, Pomino, Carmignano and Vald'Arno di Sopra") intended to mark a turning point in the history of wine: by defining the boundaries of the production area of today's Chianti Classico wine, for the first time an official and indissoluble bond was established between a wine and its territory, anticipating the Denominations of Origin by three centuries.
The Chianti Classico area has the cities of Florence and Siena as its capitals and its lands extend right between the two provinces: it is 70,000 hectares which include the entire municipalities of Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti , Radda in Chianti and in part those of Barberino Val d'Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Poggibonsi, San Casciano in Val di Pesa and Tavarnelle Valdi Pesa.
A further boost to the control of the processing and of the grapes is due to the "Iron Baron", a historical character of Chianti, the former president of the Council Bettino Ricasoli in fact demanded the separation of the stems from the marc, the fermentation in closed vessels and a racking quickly followed by the "governo all'uso toscano" (ancient practice based on the addition of must from dried grapes to wine that has just finished fermentation, thus starting a second which continues until spring). His formula was for the use of three grape varieties: seven tenths Sangiovese and two tenths Canaiolo, both red grapes, with Malvasia del Chianti – to which the Tuscan Trebbiano will be added later, also white - for the remaining.

In 1924, the producers founded the "Consortium for the defense of typical Chianti wine and its brand of origin" to protect its production. The symbol chosen right away was the Black Rooster, the historic emblem of the ancient Chianti Military League, reproduced among other things by the painter Giorgio Vasari in his "Allegory of Chianti" on the ceiling of the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. In 1932, through a specific ministerial decree, the suffix "Classico" was added to distinguish the Chianti produced in the area of origin. Its notoriety abroad is linked above all to a particular container, the flask, which allowed it to be shipped without breaking. In 1574 a grand ducal announcement fixed its capacity at 2,280 liters corresponding to "half a quarter" but it was in 1922, with the idea of hermetic corking that the flask became a perfect shipping container, literally giving wings to the export of Tuscan wines.

The 'Fiasco'

The worldwide success of Chianti is linked to a container: the flask that allowed it to be shipped without breaking. Originally the straw glass wine container existed in many parts of Italy but in the Renaissance fiasco became synonymous with Tuscan wine and especially Chianti. In 1574 a grand ducal announcement (law) fixed its capacity at 2,280 liters corresponding to "half a quarter" but it was in 1922, with the idea of hermetic corking that the flask became a perfect shipping container literally giving wings to wine exports Tuscan. You will be amazed to know that even in the 1960s, the flask was produced in tens and tens of millions of pieces, 40 of which were destined for export. At that time both the glass and the straw were mechanized and the glassworks were asked not to send empty flasks abroad to prevent the production of fake Chianti, i.e. a "Tuscan sounding".
THE WINE OF ARTISTS AND POETS
After the Medici peace, the Florentines began to look at the countryside as a source of investment and income. Even Michelangelo bought houses and farms in Chianti and personally took care of the production of wine.
In 1512 Machiavelli sought refuge in the farms he owned in Chianti after being accused of conspiring against the Medici, in particular in Sant'Andrea in Percussina, in whose rooms he allegedly wrote The Prince. In his farm in Grignanello (Castellina in Chianti), even Galileo Galilei (1464-1642) took refuge to forget the conflicts with the scientific world of the time and the accusations of heresy.
Galileo wrote: “Wine is like the blood of the earth” … “it is a liquor of the highest mastery composed of humor and light, by virtue of which the ingenuity becomes illustrious and clear, the soul dilates, the spirits are comforted and joys multiply.”
Later, even Verdi (1813-1901) did not disdain the wine of these lands, when his wife Giuseppina Strepponi wrote to a friend "Verdi is fine, eats, runs around the garden, sleeps and drinks Chianti".

We conclude this brief excursus on the history of this wine with the words of the American journalist and oenologist Burton Anderson: "Chianti imposes itself by far as the greatest of wines" and which holds the record as the best known wine in the world, even more than Champagne and Bordeaux.
True or not, the land and the wine represent the excellence of Italy.

The characteristics of the wine
The characteristics of Chianti are those attributable to the most important vine of its blend, namely Sangiovese. This grape has an average polyphenolic content, a fruity olfactory profile with balsamic and ethereal notes, especially in the reserves, a marked acidity and a rather lively tannin in general. To obtain harmony on the palate, the wines are often characterized by a moderate alcohol content, which gives warmth and softness. The aging in wood, in containers of various sizes depending on the "style" desired by the producer, also contributes to rounding off the drink. Chianti is generally a structured and harmonious wine, which lends itself to pairing with important first courses and grilled or roasted meat courses.
Visual description according to AIS:
Red
Still wine
Full Body structure
Fine
Serving temperature 18-20°C in Classic red wine glass
It is advisable to open the bottle of Chianti at least one hour before tasting, up to several hours in the case of a Chianti that has been aged for longer or has spent a long time in the cellar. Use a medium-large sized, balloon or wide light goblet to allow the diffusion of the perfumes. Tasting temperature, 16-18°C depending on the type tasted.
Il Chianti si presenta di un colorerosso rubino, di buona trasparenza, con riflessi dal violaceo al granato fino all’aranciato a seconda dell’affinamento cui è stato sottoposto. Il colore è influenzato dalla presenza di vitigni che ne rinforzano l’intensità, quali il Colorino o il Canaiolo nero.
On the nose, Chianti is strongly characterized by the aromas of its main component, Sangiovese, despite the fact that other grapes are often used for the production, such as Canaiolo Nero or more recently Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The complexity of Chianti opens with fruity notes of red and black berried fruits as well as marked floral notes of violet. It is common to recognize black cherry, plum, blueberry and blackberry among the fruits. Aging in wood gives Chianti, when present, spicy aromas of vanilla, licorice, cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper, as well as balsamic notes of menthol and eucalyptus. In longer aged wines, tertiary hints of tobacco, leather, cocoa and chocolate can also be recognized.
The AIS descriptors for the olfactory examination of Chianti wine:
complex
intense
Balsamic
Floral
Fruity
Spicy
On the palate, Chianti is always characterized, as well as on the nose, by the organoleptic profile of Sangiovese which, to be regulated, must represent the predominant part of the grapes used in its production. Sangiovese is a grape with appreciable acidity and content in tannins. From these characteristics derives its predisposition to aging in wood, which allows to soften the more biting notes and at the same time improves its structure. The "roughness" of Sangiovese in the Chianti blend is then mitigated by the contribution of other vines, such as Canaiolo Nero, and Merlot, which has recently been found with increasing frequency in Chianti blends. Freshness and tannins also require an adequate alcohol content which is often very respectable in these wines. The persistence is generally very good, with flavors above all of red fruit such as black cherry, plum and blueberry.
Tasting notes according to AIS jargon:
hot
soft enough
tannic
persistent.
Pairing with food
The ideal combinations of Chianti are all traditional Tuscan dishes, from vegetable-based soups (Ribollita) to grilled and baked red meats. The "reserve" versions express the best in terms of structure and aromas, and can be combined with feathered and furred game (baked wild boar). Being it lamp, rabbit or wild pork, Chianti will serve you well.

The pyramid of Chianti Classico quality.
According to the production disciplinary, the Chianti Classico labels are divided into: vintage, reserve and grand selection. Here another difference is evident: in fact, Chianti wine does not include a large selection. The main distinctions between the three qualities concern the aging time, 12 months for the vintage, 24 months for the reserve and 30 months for the grand selection, and the alcohol content, 12% vol. per vintage, 12.5% vol. for reserve, 13% vol. for large selection. There are also differences in terms of organoleptic characteristics.
Cheers!
Comments