Chianti Classico

Italy · DOP · Toscana · 1 commune(s)

Styles

Natural factors

Soils formed from argillaceous schists (galestri), scaly clays, alberese, and fine calcareous arenaria, shallow in depth, ranging from clayey-sandy to gravelly.
Hilly terrain between 200 and 600 m a.s.l., with slopes that are at times steep, giving rise to watercourses with a torrential flow regime.
Continental climate: winters with very low temperatures, dry summers, and average annual rainfall of around 850 mm.
High diurnal temperature ranges in September–October encourage slow ripening, determining the variety's characteristic colour, bouquet, and alcohol level.
Heavily clayey soils and valley-floor parcels are excluded from the zone eligible for production. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

Human factors

1716: the world's first edict delimiting a wine-producing zone, signed by Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici; independence as a DOCG from generic Chianti granted in 1996.
Ricasoli (1834–1837) codified the formula of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, and 15% Malvasia, together with the governo all'uso Toscano practice.

Product characteristics

Floral bouquet of iris and violet (arenaceous soils) and wild-berry aromas (calcareous component).
Deep red colour, dry and savoury palate, good structure, moderate acidity, minimum alcohol of 12%.

Terroir / wine link

Sangiovese expresses a bouquet of iris and violet from arenaceous soils, and wild-berry aromas from the calcareous component.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.