Chianti is one of the best-known and possibly most abused names in Italian wine. Older generations will remember the fiasco, a straw-covered bottle that was often repurposed as a candlestick holder or bedside lamp. The quality of the wine was mixed at best. Over time the Chianti region had expanded greatly, leading to some very cheap but inferior wines. The original historic Chianti region is now known as Chianti Classico and produces the best wines. Surrounding it are various other quality regions that have their local names attached, such as Chianti Rufina, Chianti Colle Senesi and Chianti Montalbano. Beyond that is a much larger area simply called Chianti. Some of these wines are very good, others less so. All of these are part of Tuscany, a region familiar to many who holiday in Italy.
While there are plenty of very good and very expensive wines (often called Super-Tuscans) made from cabernet sauvignon, merlot and other well-known varieties, most of the traditional red wines of Tuscany have the indigenous sangiovese variety at their heart. Other sangiovese-focused Tuscan wines include Brunello do Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Tart and spicy, sometimes with a savoury tannic bite and herbal notes, wines made from sangiovese tend to have good acidity and therefore show best with food of some kind. Lighter styles go well with mixed antipasti or pizza and tomato-based pasta dishes. Fuller-bodied wines are great with red meats, including the local Bistecca alla Fiorentina, game and hard cheeses.
Chianti Corte alle Mura 2024
12.5%, €8.99
Medium-bodied with savoury red cherry fruits, tobacco, good acidity and some drying tannins. Try it with pizza or tomato-based pasta dishes.
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Col d’Orcia Spezieri 2022 Toscana, Organic
13.5%, €18.95 – €20.95
From one of the top producers in Montalcino, a light, smooth and supple wine with red cherry fruits and a tannin-free finish. Try it with antipasti.
Fallon & Byrne, Dublin 2; The Grapevine, Dalkey, Co Dublin; 64 Wine, Glasthule, Co Dublin; Nelly’s, Dublin 9
Tenuta Cantagallo, Chianti Montalbano 2024
12.5%, €18.99
A charming easy-drinking wine with vibrant red cherry fruits. Text-book Sangiovese. Serve cool with antipasti or pasta with meatballs.
Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva 2021
14%, €30
Rich and voluptuous dark cherry and cassis overlaid with tobacco. Refined with well-integrated dry tannins, this would go best with gilled or roast red meats.
