Everything You Need to Know About Chianti Classico

If you want to become confident in Italian wine, you've got some things working against you. Firstly, there's more than 500 native wine grapes. Then, you've got more than 500 regional wine designations. But perhaps one of the biggest reasons why Italian wine is so confusing is because of the wine laws around Italy's most historic wines. And perhaps the most bewildering of them all is the story of Chianti Classico. So it's time to untangle the real story behind Chianti Classico wines. Why? Well, it's kind of a rite of passage for us wine people, because it's one of the most collectible modern Italian wines today. In this video, we'll learn the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico, because believe it or not, that little word, Classico, means a whole lot. Then, we'll get into the four types of Chianti Classico wines to know. And finally, I have some tips and predictions, because news flash, after 300 years, there have been some changes in Chianti Classico that you need to know about. Hey, I'm Madeline Paquette, I created Wine Folly, and this is Christine Marsilio, who is a master of wine. We worked together with the Consorzio in Chianti Classico to create a comprehensive guide to the region. It has even more detail than we're sharing here, and will help you find amazing wines and wineries in this region. The best part is, it's free. So head over to winefolly.com to learn more. Chianti sits in Tuscany, and Tuscany is dynamic. From warm, easy lowlands across the Tuscan coast, to the mountainous foothills of the Apennine Mountains, it matters where you plant your vineyard, because it greatly affects the quality of wine here. Of course, the Italians have known about this for centuries. Cosimo III de' Medici set the original boundaries of Chianti back in 1716, by stating the names of the villages where Chianti wines were to be made. 1716 is quite old for a modern wine region. It's more than a hundred years before Bordeaux was first classified. The Bandeaux was intended to protect the Chianti name from appropriation in the neighboring city-states. However, by the time modern Italian wine law was established in the 1960s, the regional boundaries of Chianti had ballooned to include the surrounding zones. Fortunately, the original boundaries of Chianti have been preserved in what is now called Chianti Classico. Just 16,800 vineyard acres, which is three times smaller than Napa Valley. This is Chianti Classico. Looking in the glass, we see the first unique feature of Chianti Classico, and that's the color. It's a pale to medium garnet color, and this color is telling us this wine has high acidity, and it's made with Sangiovese grapes. Red wines of Chianti Classico must be 80% Sangiovese, at least. And the choice of Sangiovese is very important. The high tannin, acidity, and elevated fruit aromas make this grape ideal for long-term aging. You can age Chianti Classico for decades. But which Chianti Classico wine? There are actually three quality levels to choose from. There's the foundational Chianti Classico Annata, Chianti Classico Reserva, and Chianti Classico Grande Seleccione. While each of these wines uses the same Sangiovese grapes, they all follow different winemaking and quality standards. I want to show you the difference. With just 12 months of aging and no oak aging required, Chianti Classico Annata, or just Chianti Classico on a bottle label, is the freshest style. I get sour cherry, thyme, oregano, and this cured meat note. It's spicy with high acidity, rustic, grippy tannins, and a savory finish. This is your everyday Chianti Classico, which is perfect alongside food. Does it age? Yes, potentially, but most wines are meant to be drunk within a couple of years of being released. Chianti Classico Reserva has double the required aging, and wines often spend significant time in oak barrels. I get cherry, fig, baking spices, leather, dried herbs, and a touch of vanilla from that oak. It still has pronounced acidity and tannin, but with a richer, rounder profile and a complex, lingering finish. This is a great wine alongside food, but does it age? Yes, definitely. And then there's Chianti Classico Grand Selezione, the ultimate expression. Wines undergo rigorous quality checks and age even longer than the others. I get ripe black cherry, dried fig, balsamic, baking spices, sundried tomato, leather, tobacco. There's just so much going on in this glass, which speaks to the quality. Grand Selezione tend to be the richest, with the most complexity, with balanced tannins. Do these wines age? Yes, definitely. The Grand Selezione tier, since it was introduced in 2013, is considered to be the most collectible and cellar-worthy of all Chianti Classico red wines. And finally, for the rare bird, Vincenzo del Chianti Classico. It's a dessert wine tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages. Dried grapes ferment and age in small barrels called caratelli for a very, very long time, and the process gives Vincenzo this incredible complexity. Oh, so good. It smells like caramel, dried fruits, nuts, honey, and even savory and earthy notes, herbs, dustiness. Vincenzo means holy wine. It's traditionally enjoyed on Easter, but honestly, you can sip it for any special occasion. It's that good. Remember when I said I'd give you some tips and predictions on the future of Chianti Classico? It's that time. First, a couple of tips. If you're trying Chianti Classico for the first time, you don't actually have to spend a lot of money. Just look for a Chianti Classico wine from a highly-rated vintage year. They offer crazy good value. Second, it's easy to identify these wines in the store with the black rooster that's on every label. Now, for some predictions. If you're a collector interested in super fine wines, check out what just happened with the new UGA system in Chianti Classico. It was approved in 2021, but we're not going to see it on bottles until July 2023. It's very new, and it's only on Grand Seleccione. There are 11 areas in Chianti Classico. They're almost like the villages of Burgundy, and the terroir and soil is different in each area. So here's some predictions on what to expect. If you're looking for structured, floral, and elegant examples, you're probably going to find those in areas like La Mole and Rada because vineyards sit at higher elevations. For more robust and riper styles, look to the lower elevation regions like Castelnuovo Berrendenga or the vineyards with Galestro, Schista's clay soils like Panzano. To be honest, it's pretty surprising to see UGAs happen. It's not every day you get to experience a major change in such a historic winemaking region. So crazy, right? It's funny how once you start unraveling the story, you start to realize why Italian wine is so complex. Turns out, a lot can happen in 300 years. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Do you think Sangiovese and Chianti Classico deserves the consideration after hearing this story? And what wine region should Christine and I cover next? Thank you for making it to the end, and if you enjoyed this video, make sure to check out the complete Chianti Classico guide available for free at winefolly.com. And we'll be doing more videos like these, so remember to like and subscribe. And until next time, happy tasting! Salut!