Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 29

with dinner that same evening, and restaurant buyers can put an annata on their list
right away, typically for less than $50-which
today is considered a bargain at most highend restaurants. As Stuckey notes, "If you're
going to be a wine-hospitality person for the
long haul, you have to know how to find great
wines at all price points, and that includes
those great $50 bottles."
The number of truly delicious annata wines
introduced at the Chianti Classico Collection
was impressive. Most were from 2015 and
2016, two different but excellent vintages that
may convert some of the remaining skeptics.
The 2015s will come as a pleasant surprise to
those who still think of Chianti Classico as
a thin, shrill wine. The growing season was
generally warm and dry, with an intensely
hot period in July followed by milder temperatures and some rain in August. Producers at higher altitudes benefited from cooler
evening temperatures, and the best wines are
concentrated and fleshy, with generous fruit
flavors and vibrant acidity.

If generous is the catchword for 2015, classic is a better term for 2016. Spring brought
some rain and hail that reduced yields, and
summer temperatures were cooler than in
the previous year. The grapes maintained
elevated levels of acidity during the long,
slow ripening period while developing deep
colors and aromas. Wines from 2016 may be
less immediately appealing than the fleshy
2015s, but producers like Michael Schmelzer of Monte Bernardi consider it the more
complete vintage, the wines more elegant
and long-lived.
Many 2015 Chianti Classicos are already
available in the US, and the 2016s will begin
appearing over the summer and fall-the
perfect time for this wine, in Stuckey's view.
"The Frasca team is into Chianti Classico
from April to October, when it outsells nebbiolo ninety-nine to one," he says. "It's a wine
that has cut, with scents of Mediterranean
and alpine herbs, so it works great as a vin de
soif red in the warmer months." Funny, that
sounds just as appealing as Beaujolais. n

"Now guests are getting
curious when they see the
[commune] listings, and their
preconceived notions are
challenged. We're selling a lot
more Chianti Classico because
of that." -Jeff Porter

Exploring Chianti Classico by Commune
To begin to understand the diverse styles of Chianti Classico, track
down wines from different communes and taste them side by
side. This list offers a starting point, with selections from six of the
communes. All of these producers make their annata wines-an
unadorned style ready-to-drink upon release-solely with sangiovese
or with small additions of indigenous varieties. Choosing wines from the
same vintage will make the comparison more direct.
Gaiole in Chianti
* Badia a Coltibuono
(90% sangiovese, 5% canaiolo,
3% ciliegiolo, 2% colorino)
* Riecine
(100% sangiovese)
* Rocca di Montegrossi
(90% sangiovese, 5% canaiolo,
5% colorino)
San Casciano in Val di Pesa
* Montesecondo (80% sangiovese,
15% canaiolo, 5% colorino)
* Principe Corsini Villa Le Corti
(95% sangiovese, 5% colorino)
Castelnuovo Berardenga
* Castell'in Villa (100% sangiovese)
* Fèlsina Bernardenga
(100% sangiovese)

Radda in Chianti
* Castello Monterinaldi
(90% sangiovese, 10% canaiolo)
* Istine (100% sangiovese)
* L'Erta di Radda
(98% sangiovese, 2% canaiolo)
* Monteraponi
(95% sangiovese, 5% canaiolo)
* Pruneto (95 to 100% sangiovese)
* Val delle Corti
(95% sangiovese, 5% canaiolo)
Castellina in Chianti
* Bibbiano (100% sangiovese)
* Castellare di Castellina
(95% sangiovese, 5% canaiolo)
* Castello La Leccia (100% sangiovese)
Greve in Chianti
* Fontodi (100% sangiovese)
* Monte Bernardi Retromarcia
(100% sangiovese)

S. Casciano
in Val di Pesa

Tavarnelle
Val di Pesa
Barberino
Val d' Elsa

Provincia di Firenze
Provincia di Siena

Greve in
Chianti
Radda
in Chianti

Castellina
in Chianti

Poggibonsi

Gaiole in Chianti

Castelnuovo
Berardenga

WINE & SPIRITS

JUNE 2018

29



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - June 2018

Contents
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 1
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 2
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 3
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 4
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - Contents
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 6
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 7
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 8
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 9
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 10
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 11
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 12
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 13
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 14
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 15
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 16
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 17
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 18
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 19
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 20
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 21
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 22
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 23
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 24
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 25
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 26
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 27
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 28
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 29
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 30
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 31
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 32
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 33
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 34
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 35
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 36
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 37
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 38
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 39
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 40
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 41
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 42
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 43
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 44
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 45
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 46
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 47
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 48
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 49
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 50
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 51
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 52
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 53
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 54
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 55
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 56
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 57
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 58
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 59
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 60
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 61
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 62
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 63
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 64
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 65
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 66
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 67
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 68
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 69
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 70
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 71
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 72
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 73
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 74
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 75
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 76
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 77
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 78
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 79
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 80
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - Cover3
Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - Cover4
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