IL BAND dei VINI di COSIMO III
The Grand Duke Cosimo Medici III proclaims a decree to define the zone where wine could be produced in the Chianti Region of Tuscany in The Year 1716 on September 24th of the year. This edict can be rightfully considered as the World's 1st Territorial Designation of wine, anywhere in the World, and setting forth Quality Controls and Guarantees of Quality to the consumer of these wines.
This was the announcement of the "Declaration of The Borders off the Four Regions of Chianti : Domino, Rufina, Carmignano, and Val di Arne di Sopra, in which the boundaries of the areas within which which the aforementioned wines could be produced were specified.
This provision establishes the fundamental principal of each subsequent Protected & Controlled Designation of Origin, that is, the essential correspondence between a denomination and the production territory.
It must be said that the Grand Duke, two months earlier on July 18, 1716 had issued a proclamation establishing a Congregation that would would have to control the wines "Which are Committed to Sailing" that is suitable to travelling by Sea, always Carmignano, Domino, Rufina, and Chianti Val di Arno di Sopra.
The Congregation had to ensure that the wines were not tampered with or adulterated during the journey, as they were considered important for the "Decorum of The Nation" (the nation being Florence).
In practice, Cosimo III created the historical precursors of the current Consortia. The Congregations had in fact the purpose of checking that the production standards required to obtain the denomination, established in the same provision, were respected. The decree establishing the Supervisory Congregations can therefore be considered by right, together with territorial delimitations notice, the first true production specifications in history.
to conclude the discussion on the first DOC in history, we must remember that, in memory and pride of this right of primogeniture over all other denominations in the World, however prestigious, the "Coat of Arms" of Chianti Classico, featuring the traditional Black Rooster bears the words "Since 1716". For everlasting memory.
Consorzio Chianti Classico Nowadays
So, at over 300 years old, today’s production of Chianti Classico DOCG still contains minimum 80% Sangiovese along with maximum 20% native grapes –Canaiolo, Colorino– or international varieties –Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. The denomination is limited exclusively to roughly 180, 000 acres at the very heart of Tuscany covering 4 entire municipalities – Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti; and parts of five other municipal territories – Barberino Val d’Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Poggibonsi, San Casciano Val di Pesa and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa.
To this day, the Consorzio Chianti Classico, the association counting over 180 wine estates and nearly 700 DOCg wines – some 96% of production– continues to protect and promote the territory’s iconic wines and culture. Two ways they have revamped Chianti Classico’s image and helped boost sales are through showcases like the trendy Enoteca in the Mercato Centrale, just steps from Florence’s Duomo, or Cathedral, and the Casa Chianti Classico, in the converted Franciscan Monastery of Santa Maria del Prato at Radda in Chianti near Siena, with its charming restaurant, museum, conference facilities and wine shop.
Chianti Classico embraces a huge variety of estates and exceptional quality wines with major players like Antinori, Barone Ricasoli, Banfi, Cecchi, Rocca delle Macìe, Ruffino to name a few, meaning the sky really is the limit here. But let’s look now at three perhaps less well-known wines with a few common features. All three of these Chianti Classico DOCG reds hail from small boutique wineries, and received top ratings for their 2013 Riserva or Gran Selezione.
Throughout Tuscany wine bottles and many a restaurant feature a black rooster, the famed 'Gallo nero', a marketing logo with a history that stretches back to the Middle Ages.
Legend has it that the Black Rooster, initially signifying the whole of the Chianti and now indicating the Chianti Classico region, was chosen for the following reason:
In the Middle Ages when Siena and Florence were fierce rivals and wished to locate the boundary between them, it was decided that two knights would set out on horseback from their respective hometowns at cockcrow and where they met would be the boundary.
BLACK vs. WHITE
The Sienese chose a beautiful white rooster, raised sleek and fat with the idea that it would loudly wake their knight at dawn; the Florentines, on the other hand, provided their knight with an underfed black rooster. On the day of the race, the black rooster was so hungry he began to crow even before sunrise, causing the knight to set out much earlier than his counterpart, whom he met at Fonterutoli, near Castellina in Chianti – a mere 12 km fron Siena. In this way, almost all of the Chianti was under the role of the Florentine Republic and the black rooster much celebrated.
Wines labelled “Chianti” can come from a vast region within Tuscany, from the foothills of the Appenines to the flatter plains. For some of the best expressions of Sangiovese, you need to look into higher elevations.
The original boundaries of Chianti, where wines are made in smaller quantities and of higher quality, come from Chianti Classico DOCG. These wines tend to age well. The best wines from Chianti Classico will be labelled as Riserva or Gran Selezione.
Within the larger DOCG of Chianti there are seven sub-zones:
- Colli Senesi
- Colline Pisane
- Colli Aretini
- Montalbano
- Montespertoli
- Rufina
- Colli Fiorentini
The main grape used in Chianti is Sangiovese. It is a thin-skinned variety and, therefore, makes pale-colored wines.
In the glass, Sangiovese is ruby red with flashes of bright burnt orange — a hue commonly associated with aged wines.
Besides Sangiovese, Chianti wines may contain wine grapes like Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon, and even Merlot. White grapes were once allowed in Chianti Classico, but not anymore.
The best example of Chianti is a visceral tasting experience. Imagine the smells as you walk through an Italian grocery store: at the entrance, there’s a bowl of preserved sour Amarena cherries. You walk under bunches of dried oregano, past a wall of dark, aromatic balsamic vinegar, and then pass a counter where dry salami is being sliced. At the bar, dark espresso drips into a ceramic tazza. A whisper of sweet tobacco wafts in the door from an old man’s pipe outside.
Chianti smells and tastes like Italy. There will be a little coarseness and tartness on the palate, but these aren’t flaws; they are classic characteristics of Sangiovese.
Aging & Classifications of Chianti
As Sangiovese (Chianti’s main grape) grows, it becomes savory, loses color, and softens its tannins. But only the best wines can age over a long period of time. Here are some labelling terms that you might see on either Chianti or Chianti Classico wines.
- Chianti: Aged for 6 months. Young, simple, tart, and fresh.
- Superiore: Aged for a year. Slightly bolder wines with smoother tannin.
- Riserva: Aged for 2 years. Usually, the top wines of a Chianti producer. These will normally have some oak aromas, such as vanilla or spice.
- Gran Selezione: Aged for at least 2.5 years (only found in Chianti Classico). Some of the most sought after wines in Tuscany with intense tannins, flavors, and aromas ranging from dried cherry, smoke, balsamic, and leather aromas.
