Chianti Classico

Chianti Classico is a wine produced in one of Chianti's sub-areas. There are actually 8 sub-areas in Chianti: Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Montalbano, Montespertoli and Rùfina. You may recognize these wines very easily by the black rooster logo on the neck of the bottles.

History

The first definition of a wine-area called "Chianti" was made in 1716 by the Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. It described the area nearby the villages of Gaiole in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti and Radda in Chianti; the so-called "Lega del Chianti" and later "Provincia del Chianti" (Chianti province). In 1932 the Chianti area was completely re-drawn. The "new" Chianti was a very big area divided in seven sub-areas: Classico [Located partially in areas of the province of Florence and partially in areas of the province of Siena] , Colli Aretini [Located in areas of the province of Arezzo] , Colli Fiorentini [Located in areas of the province of Florence] , Colline Pisane [Located in areas of the province of Pisa] , Colli Senesi [Located in areas of the province of Siena] , Montalbano [ Located in areas of the provinces of Pistoia, Prato and Florence] and Rùfina [Located in areas of the province of Florence] . The "old" Chianti area was then just a little part of the Classico area, being the original area described in 1716 about 40% of the extension of the Classico sub-area and about 10% of all Chianti. Most of the villages that in 1932 were suddenly included in the new "Chianti Classico" area added immediately or later "in Chianti" to their name (the latest was the village of Greve changing its name in Greve in Chianti in 1972).

In 1967 Chianti was transformed into a DOC and the Classico sub-area was confirmed [D.M. 9.08.1967] . In 1984 Chianti was transformed into a DOCG and the Classico sub-area was again confirmed. [D.M. 2.07.1984] . From 1996 the Classico sub-area has a separate "disciplinare" (rules of production), similar to the rest of Chiantis but generally a bit stricter in quality parameters [Classico's Chiantis are considered the second highest quality Chiantis after the Chianti Superiore] .

The black rooster

A black rooster was the emblem of the "Lega del Chianti" during XVII century. From 1967 until 2005 it was the emblem of an association of some of the producers of the Classico sub-area sharing advertising costs [Consorzio del Marchio Storico] ; therefore only some bottles of Chianti Classico had that symbol on the neck, regardless of quality. Since 2005 the black rooster is the emblem of the Chianti Classico producers association [Consorzio del vino Chianti Classico] ; from that year all Chianti Classico wines have that symbol on the neck of the bottle indicating that the wine is produced in the Classico area and according to the Chianti Classico rules.

Grapes

Till mid of 19th century Chianti was based solely on Sangiovese grapes. During the second half of 19th century Baron Bettino Ricasoli who was an important Chianti producer and, in the same time, minister in Tuscany and then Prime Minister in the Kingdom of Italy, imposed his ideas: from that moment on Chianti should have been produced with 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia bianca (Malvasia bianca is an aromatical white grape). During the 1970s, producers started to reduce the quantity of white grapes in Chianti and eventually from 1995 it is allowed to produce a Chianti with 100% sangiovese, or at least without white grapes.

Production

In the "disciplinare" (rule of production) is never mentioned nor the time wine should lay in barrels nor how grape should be selected.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.chianticlassico.net Chianti Classico Internet Site]
* [http://www.chiantisuperiore.it Chianti Internet Site]