Sangiovese -- focus on Chianti

We're still drinking Sangiovese today, but we've driven about 90 minutes north from Montalcino to Chianti, still part of Siena in fairly central Italy. On the way, we passed by the town of Siena and noticed temperatures dropping just a bit. At the same time, we moved a bit farther from the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The name Chianti goes back more than seven centuries. A notary and winemaker named Ser Lapo Mazzei used the term in what we would today call a bill of sale for six barrels of wine from Chianti. Later, a Filippo Mazzei served as an arms merchant for Thomas Jefferson. Later, when the words "all men are created equal" were added to the Declaration of Independence, it is said that Jefferson may have taken that from the writings of Mazzei. In fact, in his book, A Nation of Immigrants, John F. Kennedy paid that tribute to Mazzei.

In the picture above, you can see that the Mazzei family remains in the business of producing Chianti and pays homage to Ser Lapo and in another bottling to Fillipo.

Depending on what you are used to in Chianti, you may think the bottling looks unusual. Traditionally, Chianti was bottled in fat, roundish bottles, placed in straw baskets known as fiascos. While some producers still do that, the majority now use traditional bottling used for other Sangiovese.

To some, while perhaps not the most prodigious, Chianti is the most Italian of all Italian wines. Open a bottle and let the aromas envelope your nose. Then, turn around and walk through an Italian grocery store. The smells are the same. It's no wonder that a fine Chianti pairs so well with Italian food.

Unlike yesterday's Brunello, the Sangiovese used in Chianti is not the Sangiovese Grosso clone, but a much thinner-skinned grape producing particularly translucent wines. Typically, it's a somewhat ruby red with orange and even brown hues reminiscent of far more aged wines, but it's just Chianti.

The palate may be a bit coarse and is often quite tart at first taste. It's not a flaw; it's just Chianti. The actual flavors in your Chianti will likely vary based on the blending grapes used. While rarely specified on a bottle, Chianti often uses other grapes such as Canaiolo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Colorino. In years gone by, Chianti was allowed to contain white grapes, often Malvasia. But, as are the vagaries of European wine, such laws change and the wine is now all red.

In our partcular Chianti today, and of course we drink nothing but the finest, we get hints of smoke, game, dried red fruit, salami, dark Italian roast coffee, sweet tobacco, a bit of fine balsamic vinegar, and salami. It's no wonder it pairs with Italian food.

The high acidity is a perfect match with tomato-based sauces. The powdery tannins are a perfect match for olive oil and even cut through the fat in big game and steak. And, don't forget to find some real pizza (not the big box type) to pair with your Chianti.