Head for the hills: 20 top Chianti

There are few wines that are as closely associated with their region as Chianti is with Tuscany. For 50 years, the iconic green-glass bottle bound with straw, known as a fiasco (‘flask’) graced Italian restaurants and kitchen tables around the world.

But such recognition also brings challenges – Chianti and its unique bottle became associated with basic, rather than quality, wine and Chianti’s reputation suffered as serious producers refused to use the label.

Scroll down for 20 top Chianti picked by Michelle

Fast-forward to today. The region, seemingly untouched by time, covers about 15,500ha of vineyards of quintessential Tuscan landscape – rolling hills and quaint villages – from Pisa to Siena.

And that grape, Sangiovese? Unchanged since the 16th century and still dominating plantings in Tuscany.

For DOCG Chianti, Sangiovese must make up at least 70% of the blend – as distinct from the Chianti Classico DOCG zone (not included in this article), which stands separately from the DOCG sub-zones that surround it (see map, below), and where the minimum Sangiovese requirement is 80%.

Chianti’s seven sub-zones

Of Chianti’s seven sub-zones, Chianti Rùfina and Chianti Colli Senesi are generally considered to produce the best wines. Nestled into the foothills of the Apennines, the former is the smallest of the sub-zones, but also the best known and most consistent.

Its vineyards are at a higher elevation than those of the other sub-zones and are cooled by breezes that blow through a pass in the mountain range. The resulting wines are typically elegant and graceful, with vivid fruit, vibrant acidity and a tannic structure that enables mid-term ageing.

With its warmer climate and predominantly clay soils, Chianti Colli Senesi (the ‘colli’ refers to the fact that the wines come from the hills surrounding the town from which the sub-zone take its name – in this case Siena) tends to produce wines that are fruit-forward and approachable, with softer tannins and a hint of rusticity, and generally little in the way of overt oak influence.

In places it overlaps with the Tuscan DOCGs of Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

The five remaining sub-zones – (roughly north-south: see map, above) Chianti Montalbano, Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Chianti Montespertoli, Chianti Colline Pisane and Chianti Colli Aretini – typically produce relatively light, straightforward, fruit-driven wines that are best drunk in their youth and are often simply labelled as Chianti DOCG.

Onwards and upwards

Although the landscape and grape have remained constant, the quality and reputation of Chianti have been on an upward trajectory. Both knowledge and research have benefited the wines’ style and quality, and today Chianti represents some of the best value of all Italian reds, with UK supermarket prices generally held at the £6.50-£9 level.

Producers in the region (there are about 3,000 of them) have planted clones of Sangiovese that better highlight the red cherry fruit and juicy acidity for which the grape is known.

Wineries have the flexibility either to choose grapes from the greater area and use ‘Chianti DOCG’ on the label, or to select grapes from a single one of seven sub-regions, enabling them to make a more focused, terroir-driven wine and specify the sub-zone on the label.

Basic Chianti tends to be simple and fruity, whereas Chianti Governo – a historical winemaking tradition that uses a small portion of dried grapes – is similar but with a bit more body and alcohol. Both are made to be drunk early.

Wines labelled either Chianti Superiore or Chianti Riserva tend to be slightly more expensive and are matured in wood before bottling, adding that extra spicy nuance.

These wines are either ready to drink on release or can age, and can offer the best quality-to-value ratio, typically priced at a still-affordable level of about £9-£13.

For those willing to spend a little more, the most ageworthy and highest- scoring wines come from the sub-regions, yet compared to Chianti’s more famous (Classico) neighbours, they still offer incredible value.

With plenty to choose from, you can be assured that quality and consistency are guaranteed at every price point.

Michelle’s 20 top great value Chianti:

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