Wine Denomination from Tuscany
Chianti is a dry red wine from Tuscany in central Italy, made mostly from the Sangiovese grape. It is medium-bodied, with high acidity, moderate tannins and flavors of sour cherry, red plum, dried herbs and a hint of earth. The Chianti zone is large: it covers hills around Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Pisa, Pistoia and Prato. Chianti has been a DOCG, Italy's top quality level, since 1984.
Chianti is always dry. It has almost no residual sugar and usually 12.5–13.5% alcohol. The fruit can taste ripe, but the finish is tart and savory, not sweet. That bright acidity is what makes Chianti such a good wine with food, especially anything with tomato.
Chianti is closer to Pinot Noir than to Merlot. Like Pinot Noir, it is medium-bodied, fresh and red-fruited. The difference is that Sangiovese has more tannin and a more savory, herbal taste, with notes of tomato leaf and tea. Merlot is softer and rounder, with plum and chocolate flavors and less acidity. Some Chianti does contain a little Merlot or Cabernet in the blend, which makes those bottles feel fuller. If you like Chianti, you may also enjoy other Sangiovese wines such as Chianti Classico, Rosso di Montalcino and Nobile di Montepulciano.
Chianti has a reputation as a cheap wine, and much of it is good value. In the US, a basic Chianti costs about $10–18. A Chianti Riserva or a good bottle from the Rufina sub-zone usually costs about $20–40. The cheap image dates back to the 1960s and 1970s, when high yields and white grapes in the blend made a lot of thin wine. The rules are stricter today. The best way to spend a little more is to look for:
- A sub-zone name on the label, such as Rufina or Colli Senesi.
- "Riserva", which means at least two years of ageing.
- A good producer rather than the cheapest bottle on the shelf.
These producers make reliable Chianti that is easy to find:
- Frescobaldi: the Nipozzano Riserva is a benchmark Chianti Rufina, and the Castiglioni is a good everyday bottle.
- I Veroni: a family estate in Rufina; try the I Domi.
- Salcheto: an organic estate in Montepulciano that makes the Biskero Chianti.
- Fattoria del Cerro and Villa Poggio Salvi: good-value Chianti Colli Senesi.
- Melini: an old house known for its San Lorenzo Chianti Superiore.
- Also worth trying: Uggiano, Bindi Sergardi, Tenuta Sette Ponti, Dievole and Fattoria dei Barbi.
In US supermarkets you will also see big brands such as Ruffino and Cecchi. They are consistent, but small estates usually offer more character for the same price.
This is the most common source of confusion. Chianti and Chianti Classico are two separate DOCGs. Chianti Classico is the small historic area between Florence and Siena, first defined in 1716. In 1932 the Chianti name was extended to a much wider area around it, which is today's Chianti DOCG. Since 1996 Chianti Classico has had its own DOCG and its own rules: at least 80% Sangiovese, no white grapes, and a black rooster on the neck of every bottle. Plain Chianti never carries the black rooster. Classico usually costs more and has more depth. Our guide to Chianti vs Chianti Classico explains the differences in detail.
A Chianti label may add the name of a sub-zone. The sub-zones are:
- Chianti Rufina: in the hills northeast of Florence, near the Apennines. It is cooler and higher, and its wines are the most structured and long-lived of all the sub-zones.
- Chianti Colli Senesi: the hills around Siena, Montalcino and Montepulciano. It is the largest sub-zone and needs at least 75% Sangiovese.
- Chianti Colli Fiorentini: the hills south of Florence.
- Chianti Colli Aretini, Colline Pisane, Montalbano and Montespertoli: smaller areas around Arezzo, Pisa, Pistoia and Montespertoli.
A wine labeled simply "Chianti" can come from anywhere in the zone, and often blends grapes from several areas.
The classic image of Chianti is a round bottle wrapped in straw, called a fiasco. The straw protected the thin, hand-blown glass. In the mid-20th century the flask became a symbol of Italian restaurants abroad, often used later as a candle holder. Wrapping bottles by hand was costly, and the flask became linked to cheap wine, so most producers moved to a standard Bordeaux-style bottle. A few have brought the flask back, such as the Buondonno Chianti Classico Fiasco.
Serve young Chianti slightly cool, at about 15–16°C (59–61°F). Twenty minutes in the fridge is enough if the bottle is at room temperature. Serve Riserva a little warmer, at 16–18°C (61–64°F). A standard red wine glass works well. Drink basic Chianti within three or four years of the vintage. A good Riserva can age for ten years or more.
Chianti is made for the table. Its acidity matches tomato sauce, so it works with pizza, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs and eggplant parmesan. In Tuscany it goes with ribollita (bread and bean soup), pappardelle with wild boar ragù, grilled sausages and bistecca alla fiorentina. It also pairs well with cured meats and aged Pecorino Toscano. See our guides to the best wines for pizza and the best wines for pasta for more ideas.
Chianti is pronounced KEE-ahn-tee, with the stress on the first syllable. The "ch" sounds like a hard "k". Sangiovese is san-joh-VAY-zeh.
Chianti is the best-known wine of Tuscany. Read our Tuscany wine guide for Brunello, Bolgheri and the region's other wines, or our Sangiovese wine guide for more bottles made from the same grape. You can browse every Chianti in our catalog below.