The Revolution of Chianti (but Don’t Call it a Comeback)

Chianti is no stranger to designating and classifying wine. The first documentation of regional designation dates back to 1716, when wines were produced in the Lega del Chianti (Gaiole, Castellina, and Radda). Under this newly introduced system, producers and their land were considered first, with emphasis on the land always placed at the forefront.

Production thrived over the next two centuries, though the sharecropping model put in place wasn’t necessarily ideal. Aristocrats and well-heeled merchants owned the majority of the land, while small farming families worked the soils for them in exchange for food. Under this model, hundreds of small individual farmers gave their fruit to larger overarching facilities, which in turn, cranked out mass-produced regional wines. A dramatic shift towards quality really came post-World War II, when manufacturing moved in and jobs shifted to cities. In 1961, Italy outlawed sharecropping, which left many farmers unable to buy land and left them on their own. A new rise of small family-owned farms began to exist, and by the 1960s, a true ‘quality revolution’ was in full swing.

However, consumers, as well as a big part of the industry, weren’t necessarily ready to readjust their view of the region. Rather than looking at Chianti as they do Barolo and Burgundy, the area is still viewed as a region rich in history and value (true), without much regard for specific growing areas and diverse senses of place (wrong!)

For comparison’s sake, we like to think of Chianti Classico as Bourgogne Rouge. These wines come from the largest sub-area of Burgundy, though one would never discount them down to average or homogenous. The same can be said for stricter designations, too. A wine from Gaiole or Casanuova Verdenga presents just as many intricate differences as that of two separate bottles from Nuits-St-Georges versus Pommard. So why do Bourgogne Rouge bottlings and appellation-specific Pinot Noirs from Burgundy receive the renown that they do, yet the same isn’t true for Chianti Classico and designazione-specific wines?

In addition to more intricate farming, stronger labelling structures/designations were also put in place. Dry wines produced from lower yields boasting higher alcohol contents can be labeled Chinati Superiore (aside from those hailing from the general ‘Classico’ sub-region). Chiantis aged for 38 months may boast the prestigious Riserva labeling, similar to the Nebbiolo-based stunners of Piemonte. And these designations don’t simply come from nowhere. The reason these designations were drawn up in the first place is due to the sheer vastness, and therefore, differentiations in terroir, amongst this larger overarching zone. In the same way that Burgundy breaks down the Côte d’Or, the Tuscans set to remodel Chianti the same way, all for the goal of emphasizing specific producers and their unique growing sites.

At the end of the day, similar to Burgundy, Barolo, and every other noble wine-producing region across the globe, it comes down to producers. We believe that each of the Chianti producers in our portfolio has a unique story to tell and that each of their wines are unique, compelling, and dramatically different in their own right. This is where bringing a ‘Burgundian’ or ‘Barolo-inspired’ mindset to thinking about the region and its producers/vineyard sites is key.