Hip wading the Chianti River

Hip-wading Through Chianti

In all my years of conscientiously purchasing wine, there has always been one rascally region that has both: burned me with some of the most insipid, thin, tart, and bitter; as well as thrilled me with some of the sexiest, most exciting and affordable wines I’ve tasted. That dastardly region is Chianti. And, like a jilted lover still desperately grasping on to the hope that the good-times inspired, I keep coming back to Chianti because it is one of the oldest and most storied wine producing regions in the history of the world. Oh, but Chianti, I’ve learned your ways, and even have a few tricks that have led me to a recent streak of excellent value.

But before I divulge my secrets for navigating the more-often shallow, but occasionally-deep river of Chianti that flows from West-Central Italy to our shores, we must first visit the complex, confusing and often corrupt world of Italian labeling laws.

For all intents and purposes, Italian labels are broken into three categories: Indicazione Geographica Tipica (IGT), Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata Garantita (DOCG). Conceivably each should be a guarantee that the wines produced within these governing bodies’ jurisdictions will be consistent with agreed upon standards. And also, conceivably, the quality of the wine should increase as they ascend from IGT to DOCG. Now, it’s worth mentioning at this point that traditional region known as Chianti has been a wine-producing region since Roman times, and its traditional varietal recipe based on the Sangiovese grape has been celebrated for centuries. But, when the DOC system was being implemented in the 50’s and 60’s, the large producers in the area that held the most sway, insured that the wines produced around the area known as Chianti, would be made as inexpensively as possible, and therefore, incorporated vast lands that had never, for sound viticultural reason, been planted to grapevines. The result was the influx of bad Chianti in the American market.

And although there have been several attempts to restrict the term Chianti (most notably, the elevation of Chianti Classico to DOCG status, and the recognition of the individual constituent subregions within Chianti as DOC),the large producers have remained in control. As a result, the American consumer is still confronted by a majority of bulk Chianti producers making crap wine.

Ah, but with every majority comes a minority. And in Chianti’s case, the minority is consistently excellent; there are just a few keys to finding the diamonds in the rough. The first advice I have for would-be Chianti drinkers is to look outside of the basic Chianti category. If a label carries the name of one of the seven sub-regions in Chianti (Classico, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, etc.), that’s a good start. Second (and especially if you are looking within the basic Chianti category), look for the best, traditional producers. These typically will be owned and operated by families that have resided in the region for generations, and whose reputations reside in the quality of the wine. My favorite producers are Badia a Coltibuono, Dievole, and Isole e Olena. Third, if your wallet allows, try a Chianti Classico Riserva. One might put you back 30 bones, or so, but it will be a rare treat, and well worth the price of admission. And finally, if you are feeling extra savvy, look at the back label for the importer. There are a small few wine importers that specialize in family-owned, quality-conscious Italian producers, and each has a logo on the back label of their wines. In my opinion, the best are Dalla Terra and Marc de Grazia. If you find either name on the back label of a questionable bottle, rest assured.

Now, if on you next restaurant outing, you find yourself confronted by a wine list containing a Chianti that carries the surname of a famous Renaissance painter, give it a pass. But, if you happen to come across a Chianti you’ve never seen in the supermarket, use the aforementioned advice to guide your decision.

The author tasted the following wines whilst composing this article:

Badia e Coltibuono, Cetamura, Chianti, 2007 -- $14 retail
Nice cranberry and hibiscus nose. Big cherry cream soda component. Is that mint? Nice soft tannins and food-friendly acidity. This is the perfect match for Mediterranean food (especially the smoky baba ghanoush from Sahara).

Piazzano, Chianti, 2007 -- $13 retail
Now we’re talking. This nose reminds me of classic Bordeaux. Incredibly distinct pencil shavings on the nose (replete with hard wood and graphite aromas). I can’t believe this wine doesn’t contain any Cabernet Sauvignon. Way bigger tannic structure that makes me trust that this wine could gracefully age for 5 to 8 years. Pair this with Prime rib roast, buttered asparagus and horseradish mashed potatoes. Seriously smokin’.

Pardon the redundancy, but these wines taste like wine. Don’t expect immediate gratification from either. They both would do well with a decanting, and most likely would unleash their true potential on their second day open.