Description of the wine: It is the world's most popular Sangiovese-based wine, thanks to the symbol with the black rooster that characterises it, and has historically always been composed by a mix of grape varieties, with Sangiovese to represent the largest share. Organoleptic characteristics: It has an ruby red color tending to garnet, a vinous smell with scents of mammola violets, a dry, harmonious, fruity, slightly tannic taste. Historical-cultural information and curiosities: The tradition of viticulture seems to date back to the Etruscans and the Romans, but the first documents that contain the name "Chianti" date back to the thirteenth century. In 1600 the export of Chianti to England become a routine. In the collective imagination the composition of Chianti Classico remains firm to the formula invented by Bettino Ricasoli in 1800: Sangiovese, Cannaiolo and Mammolo with a portion of Trebbiano, a white grape, of abundant production and capable, with its sweetness and softness, to counteract the harshness of Sangiovese, often harvested when still unripe in order to avoid the rains of September. Today, as even the Sangiovese and the other red grapes ripen fastly than in the past, there is no more need of adding white grapes, which in 2006 were excluded from the grape mix allowed. The same regulations define the Vintage type, usually fresh, with scents of violets and fruits such as cherry and raspberry, but rather full-bodied, never excessive, enough to be combined with many meat dishes typical of the Tuscan cuisine. Moreover, the Reserve, type exist. The aging in wood is compulsory, which includes more complex, spicy and fine wines, and above all able to age even for decades. Last but not least, the most recent type is Selection,, designed to reward the cru and the best vineyards of the DOCG , which are generally very territorial expressions of Sangiovese. Today, a typical Chianti Classico tastes of violet and flowers, of fresh fruit (cherry, strawberry, raspberry), leather and liquorice. With time, it takes hints of spices, lacquer, enamel and fruits in alcohol, while maintaining a character that is always fresh, with lively tannin, not very soft, almost grumpy, which makes it perfect at the table. After the eighties and nineties, in which prevailed wines with invasive steps in small oak barrels and corrections based on Merlot or Cabernet, today there is a return to local grapes, and to a less standardized taste more transparent towards the territory, so that interesting differences of expression among the various towns in the DOCG begin to emerge, whereas before these interesting differences were cancelled by a heavy hand that wanted to bring all wines to the so-called "international taste", soft, fruity, straightforward and with little interesting chance of aging. Serving suggestions: The Chianti Classico goes very well with all dishes, above all red meat and roasts. Production area: This is the most historic area of Chianti, that formerly included only the towns of Castellina in Chianti, Radda and Gaiole. More recently (at the time of the division between Chianti and Chianti Classico) the area has been enlarged to terrirories of value and winemaking quality that, if not identical, is higher: Castelnuovo Berardegna, Poggibonsi, Barberino Val d'Elsa, San Casciano and Greve in Chianti. Divisions: Colli Fiorentini (FI), Colli Arezzo (AR), the Pisan Hills (PI), Rufina (SI), Colli Senesi (SI), Montalbano (PT) and Montespertoli (FI). Grape varieties allowed for its production: Sangiovese has the highest percentage (80-100%), followed by other varieties so-called complementary, both autochthonous red berry varieties (as Ciliegiolo, Canaiolo and Malvasia Nera) and white berry grapes (Trebbiano and Malvasia recently excluded by the regulations). In the last years international varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah have been admitted.
