Chianti Classico Riserva & Gran Selezione 2015 & 2016: Panel tasting results

Aldo Fiordelli, Andrew Jefford and Monty Waldin tasted 201 wines with four outstanding and 61 highly recommended.

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their Chianti Classico Riserva and Gran Selezione wines from the 2015 and 2016 vintages, with a maximum of two wines per producer.

The verdict

Two very warm vintages, and an expectation that 2016 would be the better performer of the two. And indeed, the results seem to bear this out. All four Outstanding wines are from 2016, and the lion’s share of the Highly Recommended wines. ‘It’s better, and more consistent,’ observed Aldo Fiordelli, with Monty Waldin agreeing: ‘2016 is a better vintage than 2015 for two reasons. Firstly, because it was actually a better vintage. And secondly, because people learned from the mistakes they had made in 2015 and corrected them in 2016. So it’s a double-whammy of goodness, if you like!’

Scroll down to see top wine tasting notes & scores

Andrew Jefford urged wine drinkers not to overlook 2015 though. ‘There was an awful lot to like in this enormous tasting, and the many high scores are testament to the high level of ambition and achievement in these two vintages. And both of them are very good vintages, in different ways. In the end 2016 probably is ahead, but not by a huge margin. What made 2016 stand out was the gorgeous freshness and vivacity of the wines – and we know that freshness is part of the zeitgeist nowadays.’

That freshness can also be affected by the oak ageing, and this still seems to be an issue. ‘Many producers are showing a less heavy-handed approach, but some still seem to be from another era – all about power and concentration, and dark fruits,’ said Fiordelli.

‘I think Bordeaux has moved away from oak more swiftly and more comprehensively than Tuscany,’ Jefford interjected. ‘Quite often in this tasting, the oak was a hurdle to climb over, which it shouldn’t be. I don’t think any wine needs exaggerated oak in its youth in order to have a successful maturity. I’d like to see less use of new oak, and more use of older oak, earthenware, concrete.’ ‘I think the trend now is towards larger oak,’ said Waldin. ‘But it will take a while to filter through. If producers have paid £500 for a barrel, they need to use it.’

The tasters also discussed the shift from using international varieties in the blend. ‘There’s an increase in the number of 100%-Sangiovese wines, and a move away from using international grapes,’ said Fiordelli.

Waldin agreed with Fiordelli that native grapes such as Canaiolo and Colorino work much better. ‘I don’t get the theory that Merlot softens the Sangiovese in a Chianti Classico – I find often it’s very weedy, and it doesn’t work for me, even in small percentages. The ancillary grape varieties that are historic in Chianti Classico are much better choices, and work seamlessly. They are far better adapted to the local area.’ Jefford commented on how just 10% or 15% of Merlot or Cabernet in the blend can completely change the expression of the wine. ‘I’m not against those blends per se,’ he commented, ‘but you do lose the sense of place. Tuscany is probably the best place for Merlot outside Right Bank Bordeaux, but I’d favour keeping it separate from Sangiovese, which is such a fantastic variety – so protean – that it doesn’t need the Merlot.’

Gran Selezione isn’t a step up from Riserva, agreed the tasters. ‘The only substantive difference is that one of them has to come from estate-grown grapes,’ explained Waldin. ‘Both were outstanding categories, with highs and lows,’ added Jefford. And more highs than lows, judging by the scores. ‘The good examples were beautiful – no angularity, balletic, with depth and definition,’ enthused Waldin. ‘Really drinkable now, and with a long drinking window.’

Discussion copy by Amy Wislocki.

See all wines from the panel tasting here

The scores

201 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 4

Highly Recommended 61

Recommended 123

Commended 13

Fair 0

Poor 0

Faulty 0

About Chianti Classico Riserva & Gran Selezione

In Tuscany’s Sangiovese heartland, in one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions, what is it that distinguishes its two highest-quality categories from the rest? Monty Waldin explains

Although Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione represents a mere (but rising) 6% of total production in Tuscany’s Chianti Classico region, its worth and even its very existence are under scrutiny and still a source of debate. Plenty of notable voices, more in the wine media than the trade, see its creation from early 2014 as a needless additional ‘top’ tier, an extra layer of complication when wine in general and Italian wine in particular is complicated enough as it is.

Compared to Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva, Gran Selezione wines have to wait an extra six months (30 as opposed to 24) before going to market, so they have a little bit more bottle age. So far, so sensible, but hardly earth-shattering.

Gran Selezione’s trump card, its supporters argue, is that wines must be made solely from grapes 100% grown, fermented and bottled by the producer whose name appears on the label. Wines from rented vines whose grapes are farmed and fermented by the named producer are permitted.

Positive moves

Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva, in contrast, can be made from purchased grapes, wine or both; as can Tuscan titans Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Morellino di Scansano, DOCGs all.

And because oak ageing is optional for all Chianti Classico wines (yes, Italy does have its share of very sensible wine legislation), it means Gran Selezione (or ‘Chianti Classico Select’, as it would be called in California) is not an oaky monster by default.

This is important because the Chianti Classico production zone provides Sangiovese (85%-100% in all Chianti Classico styles) with a perfect playground, offering warm enough conditions for grape sugar (alcohol) ripeness, a long growing season for textural ripeness, and cool nights for full aroma and flavour expression.

Chianti Classico: The facts

Vineyard area: 7,080ha

Communes: Nine, between Florence and Siena: Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti; parts of Barberino Val d’Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga, San Casciano in Val di Pesa, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa and Poggibonsi

Producers (Chianti Classico DOCG): 315

Production: (Chianti Classico DOCG) Some 36m bottles on average annually, 2008-2018 – about four times that of Brunello di Montalcino

Chianti Classico: Know your vintages

2018: Cool, drizzly season. Grapes battled for light, heat, hydration. Extended, grinding harvest. Mainly short-haul wines.

2017: Spring frost nipped the buds. Dry weather then shrivelled what grapes remained. Yields 27% down compared to the average, but reasonably balanced wines. Drink 2020-2023.

2016: Summer sometimes scorching. Cooler spells and pre-harvest rain crucial. Some brilliant, vibrant, sleek, 100%-Sangiovese gems. Wines with even 5% Merlot noticeably weedier. Drink 2020-2030.

2015: Large crop. Some very hot days, cool nights. Those who avoided roasted grapes made rich, round wines. Long-haul potential. Drink 2020-2035.

2014: Cool, goose-bump vintage. Cloudy skies. Tightrope viticulture. Umbrellas ubiquitous. Dusty wines indicate compromised fruit. The best show unassuming, crunchy fluidity. Drink.

2013: Vines were sleepy in spring, sunbathed all summer, then kept their cool into late autumn. Some super wines, bright, and both supple and crunchy. Drink 2020-2028.

Trends for the region as a whole include the continuing shift to organics – about 40% of vineyards are certified organic, compared to less than 10% globally. The pristine, manicured Chianti vineyard is giving way to something scruffier, as native wild plants or sown cover crops are encouraged, to protect soils from erosive torrents of heat or rain.

The gradual waning of importance in blends of showy but heat-sensitive, climate change-averse international varieties such as Merlot is also apparent, as historic names like Canaiolo, Colorino and Malvasia not only re-emerge but can assert their valuable bit-part role in wines whose ‘conscious uncoupling’ from Cabernet and Merlot is underway.

Chianti Classico Riserva & Gran Selezione 2015 & 2016: Top scorers

See all wines from the panel tasting here

The judges

Aldo Fiordelli

A certified sommelier since 2003, Fiordelli is a widely published Italian journalist, wine writer and author, and a DWWA judge. On the editorial board of L’Espresso restaurant and wine guide, he also writes for Civiltà del Bere, Italy’s oldest Italian wine magazine. He became a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne in 2017.

Andrew Jefford

Jefford has been writing about wine since the 1980s, authoring numerous books and winning many awards. He is a contributing editor to Decanter magazine, and is one of three Co-Chairs overseeing judging at the Decanter World Wine Awards. He lives with his family near Montpellier in France.

Monty Waldin

Waldin is a widely published and awarded wine writer, author, broadcaster and consultant with a particular interest in biodynamic, organic and natural wines. A regular contributor to Decanter and the DWWA Regional Chair for Tuscany, he hosts the Italian Wine Podcast series and publishes www.chateaumonty.com.