Chianti Red Wine

Chianti is an Italian red wine produced in Tuscany. It has been associated with the image of a bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called a fiasco, however, the fiasco is only used by a few makers of the wine now and Chianti Red Wine is usually bottled in a traditionally shaped Red Wine bottle.  In the middle of the 19th century Baron Bettino Ricasoli created the Chianti recipe, which is a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia bianca.

Chianti Red Wine is sometimes referred to as the "Bordeaux of Italy". The flexibility in the blending of different grape varieties for Chianti is responsible for some of the variability in styles among Chianti Red Wines. The Lighter styles generally have a higher proportion of white grape varieties blended in, while Chianti Red Wines that have only red grape varieties are usually fuller bodied and richer. Only 15% of Cabernet Sauvignon is permitted in the blend.

Chianti Classico wines are characterized in their younger stages by their floral and cinnamon spicy bouquet. As the wine ages, aromas of tobacco and leather start to emerge. Chiantis tend to have medium to high acidity and medium tannins. The acidity in the wines make them very flexible with food pairings, particularly with Italian cuisines that use red sauces, as well as with beef, lamb and wild game. The Basic Chianti Red Wine is often characterized by its fruit notes of raspberry, cherry and plum and  range from simple table Red Wines to those approaching the level of Chianti Classico. Red Wine experts note that thes basic everyday drinking Chianti Red Wines are at their peak drinking qualities between three and five years after vintage, while premium examples having the potential to age four to eight years. The most well made examples of Chianti Classico Red Wines often age and improve in the bottle for six to twenty years.