Black Rooster
The name of the Chianti wine has a geographical origin – it is associated with the hilly border region which was a subject of endless wars between the republics of Siena and Florence in the Middle Ages. According to legend, at the end of the 14th century, they decided to divide these lands peacefully: by mutual agreement, two riders had to leave Siena and Florence towards each other at the first rooster crowing. The new border between the cities was to pass at the place of their meeting. The cunning Florentines, however, were able to deceive their enemy neighbors: using the terms of the agreement, they found a hungry black rooster, locked him up and did not feed him for several days. When the fowl was released, it crowed a few hours before the expected time, and the Florentine rider met his opponent almost at the very walls of Siena. Since then, Florence has become the sole owner of Chianti.

According to Ricasoli, Chianti was to be composed of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, and 15% Malvasia white grape. In addition, the Chianti had to be made according to the Governo Toscano method, that meant: ​​”to select a part of the grapes, the healthiest and the ripest, better Sangiovese than Canaiolo, pick it earlier and leave the bunches to air dry for six weeks. Then this grape is sent to the press and added to the newly fermented main must, due to which the second fermentation will begin in it, which lasts until spring.” Although Ricasoli’s proposal to raisin a part of grape yield and use white Trebbiano in the varietal composition was soon rejected, that time he received qualities that still remain standard – Chianti is a pleasant tart wine with refreshing acidity and bright fruity aroma, which in its basic version must be consumed during the first years after harvest.

Just three years later, a rival consortium of Outer Chianti, the Consorzio Vino Chianti, was established in Tuscany. It was created in 1927 by the Tuscan winemakers from Florence, Siena, Arezzo and Pistoia and managed to lobby for a fateful decision very soon: in 1932, the Italian government increased the ​​Chianti wine production area nearly tenfold compared to the historical Chianti region. The Outer Chianti consortium was assigned a new Tuscan wine region divided into 7 sub-zones: Classico ( “classical”, including the historical zone, as well as new territories in the north and south), Colli Aretini (Arezzo Hills), Colli Fiorentini ( Florentine Hills), Colline Pisane (Pisa Hills), Colli Senesi (Siena Hills), Montalbano, and Rufina. The decision was based not only on lobbying but also on economic reasons. A wine shortage caused by phylloxera and the opening of the US market after the “Prohibition”, made Chianti officially defined as a “typical wine” based on its organoleptic characteristics and not on historical and geographical origin. In 1967, the winemaking zone of the Greater Chianti consortium received its own Denomination of Controlled Origin Chianti DOC, and in 1984 – Chianti DOCG (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin). Today, the consortium includes 3000 wine-makers producing over 80 million liters of wine. The Chianti DOCG regulation prescribes the production of this wine based on the Sangiovese grapes (from 70% to 100%) with the addition of other red and white varieties permitted in Tuscany. If Cabernet Sauvignon or Franc are used instead of the local red autochthonous varieties Ciliegiolo, Canaiolo, Colorino, etc., their portion must not exceed 15%. The part of white varieties Trebbiano and Malvasia must also not exceed 10%. The minimum aging period for Chianti DOCG wines is 6-12 months, depending on the subzone; aging for Riserva wines is at least 2 years from January 1st of the year following the harvest date.

Chianti Classico terroirs
The Chianti Classico wine zone operates in the provinces of Florence and Siena in the districts of Castellina, Gaiole, Radda, Greve (including Panzano), Barberino Tavarnelle, Poggibonsi, Castelnuovo Berardenga, San Casciano – Val di Pesa. The Chianti Classico appellation occupies a huge area (although several times smaller than that of the “big” Chianti) – more than 70,000 hectares and cannot be considered a homogeneous terroir. The Chianti Classico wine zone is a vast and complex area with a wide variety of geographic, geological and microclimatic conditions. In addition, the basis of the Chianti Classico – the Sangiovese grape – is extremely sensitive to the slightest changes in climate and geology. We find pleasantly fruity, balanced wines on the gentle hills of San Casciano, Tavarnelle and Barberino, warm wines with excellent structure in Castellina in Chianti, soft wines in Greve in Chianti, full-bodied energetic wines in Panzano, fine and intense wines with well-defined minerality in Radda in Chianti where the soil contains a significant amount of alberese limestone, strict aristocratic in Gaiole and Castelnuovo-Berardenga where the soil contains a lot of tuff components. In recent years, the idea of ​​internal division of the general wine zone of classic Chianti into separate subzones similar to the “communes” of Burgundy and Bordeaux has become more and more popular. These subzones could correspond to the main archetypes of Chianti Classico, its main styles. Divisions into subzones are usually suggested to be in accordance with the administrative division along the borders of communes but critics reply that the terroirs do not recognize regional borders – the real climate and soil map of Chianti is much more complex, and the conditions within the subzones are too heterogeneous. One of the most influential proponents of “zoning” is Bill Nesto, the author of the famous book Chianti Classico: The Search for Tuscany’s Noblest Wine – the most in-depth and informative research on the history and modernity of Chianti.

Antinori – marquises of Tuscan winemaking

The family of the Marquis Piero Antinori, the eldest of the two Antinori brothers (the younger one is Lodovico Antinori, the founder of the famous Ornellaia and Biserno wineries) is one of the noblest and most influential in Tuscany. The Antinori clan, the largest landowners in Chianti, is probably the best and brightest symbol of the social immutability and invulnerability of the Tuscan elite, whose composition has not changed for centuries (remember at least the sensational study of the Bank of Italy in 2016, which showed that in Florence the richest families are the same as 600 years ago).The status of the Antinori family is clearly visible to the residents and guests of Florence – in the heart of the city near the Florentine Cathedral, there is Antinori Square with the Antinori Palace built in 1469 by Giuliano da Maiano, the early Renaissance architect. In addition to the family’s private chambers where art exhibitions are regularly held, the palace houses the restaurants Cantinetta Antinori and Buca Lapi. The noble Antinori family moved to Florence at the end of the 13th century and immediately took a prominent position in the city – in 1302 Antinori entered the famous guild of silk merchants, and in 1385 – into the Florentine guild of winemakers. Since then, 26 generations of the family have been continuously engaged in wine production. The latest generation is represented by the Marquis Piero Antinori and his three daughters.

The latest and most ambitious project of the Marquis Piero Antinori is the construction of the grandiose winery Nuova Cantina Antinori, 20 kilometers south of Florence. This magnificent multifunctional complex, cost 80 million euros, houses a winery and wine cellars, a restaurant, office space and a museum under one roof. From an aesthetic point of view, Nuova Cantina Antinori is one of the most interesting monuments of Italian architecture of the 21st century: the complex is built inside a hill and harmoniously merges with the surrounding landscapes. There are no right angles and artificial symmetry in facades and interiors and their lines follow the natural environment.
Nuova Cantina Antinori attracts thousands of tourists visiting the winery and tasting Antinori wines in a local restaurant and enoteca shop. The only drawback of the local wine excursions is their “conveyor” character due to the large influx of guests. A more “thoughtful” and measured acquaintance with great wines Antinori is offered by the Badia a Passignano winery located a little to the south in Chianti Classico, where introduction to vineyards and a medieval winery is accompanied by a gala lunch or dinner at a local restaurant with tasting of all the top wines of the “Marquises of Tuscan winemaking”