Thehistory of Chianti dates back to at least the 13th century with the earliest incarnations ofChianti as awhite wine. Today thisTuscan wine is one ofItaly's most well known and recognizable wines. In theMiddle Ages, the villages ofGaiole,Castellina andRadda located near Florence formed as aLega del Chianti (League of Chianti) creating an area that would become the spiritual and historical "heart" of theChianti region and today is located within theChianti ClassicoDenominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). As the wines of Chianti grew in popularity other villages in Tuscany wanted their lands to be called Chianti. The boundaries of the region have seen many expansions and sub-divisions over the centuries. The variableterroir of these differentmacroclimates contributed to diverging range of quality on the market and by the late 20th century consumer perception of Chianti was often associated with basic mass-market Chianti sold in a squatbottle enclosed in a straw basket, calledfiasco.[1]
In addition to changing boundaries, thegrape composition for Chianti has changed dramatically over the years. The earliest examples of Chianti were a white wine but gradually evolved into a red.BaronBettino Ricasoli, the futureprime minister in theKingdom of Italy created the first known "Chianti recipe" in 1872, recommending 70%Sangiovese, 15%Canaiolo and 15%Malvasia bianca. In 1967, theDenominazione di origine controllata (DOC) regulation set by the Italian government firmly established the "Ricasoli formula" of a Sangiovese-based blend with 10-30% Malvasia andTrebbiano. However some producers desired to make Chianti that did not conform to these standards-such as a 100% variety Sangiovese wine, or all red wine grape varieties and perhaps with allowance forFrench grape varieties such asCabernet Sauvignon orMerlot to be used. A few producers went ahead and made their "chianti" as they desired but, prohibited from labeling, sold them as simplevino da tavola. Despite their low level classifications, these "super Chiantis" became internationally recognized by critics and consumers and were coined asSuper Tuscans. The success of these wines encouraged government officials to reconsider the DOCG regulations with many changes made to allow some of thesevino da tavola to be labeled as Chiantis.[1]
In the earlyMiddle Ages, the area betweenBaliaccia andMonte Luco in the hills between the cities ofFlorence andSiena was known as theChianti Mountain. This area was noted for its winemaking with the villages of Castellina, Gaiole and Radda gaining particular renown. These three villages formed aLega del Chianti (League of Chianti) that the Florentine merchants would market as wines of distinction. In 1716Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany issued an edict legislating that the three villages of theLega del Chianti as well as the village ofGreve and a 2-mile (3 km) hillside north of Greve nearSpedaluzza as the only officially recognized producers of Chianti. This delineation existed until July 1932, when the Italian government expanded the Chianti zone to include the outlying areas ofBarberino Val d'Elsa,Chiocchio,Robbiano,San Casciano in Val di Pesa andStrada. Some of these areas, such as Robbiano, included large swaths of hillside near Florence (in what is now the Chianti DOCG sub-zone theColli Fiorentini) that produced lighter bodied wines that were not suitable foraging or improving in quality. The 1932 expansion was canonized into DOC regulations in 1966.[1]
In 1984 the Chianti Classico and the greater Chianti region were separated and each given their own DOCG ranking.[2] The boundaries were to cover an area of approximate 100 square miles (259 square kilometers) between Florence to the north and Siena to the south. The four communes of Castellina, Gaiole, Greve and Radda were included along with parts of Barberino Val d'Elsa, San Casciano in Val di Pesa andTavarnelle Val di Pesa in theprovince of Florence as well asCastelnuovo Berardenga andPoggibonsi in theprovince of Siena.[1]
The early history of Chianti is very much intertwined with the history of the entireTuscany region. The history ofviticulture in the area dates back to its settlements by theEtruscans in the eighth century BC.Amphora remnants originating from the region show that Tuscan wine wasexported tosouthern Italy andGaul as early as the seventh century BC before both areas begun to actively cultivate grape vines themselves. From thefall of the Roman Empire and throughout the Middle Ages,monasteries were the main purveyors of wines in the region. As thearistocratic andmerchant classes emerged, they inherited thesharecropping system of agriculture known asmezzadria. This system took its name from the arrangement whereby the landowner provides the land and resources for planting in exchange for half ("mezza") of the yearly crop. Many landowners in the Chianti region would turn their half of the grapeharvest into wine that would be sold to merchants inFlorence. The earliest reference of Florentine wine retailers dates to 1079 with aguild for wine merchants being created in 1282.[3]
UnlikeFrance orSpain, Italy did not have a robust export market for its wines during the Middle Ages. Its closest trading partners, France andAustria, were separated from Italy by the massiveAlps Mountains and also had ample supply of their own local wines. TheEnglish had little interest in Italian wines at this point, finding plenty of sources in France, Spain and laterPortugal to quench their thirst. While thesweetLacryma Christi fromCampania had some presence on the international market, most Italian wines had to compete for taste of the local market. Even then this market was mostly limited to the aristocracy (who seemed to preferred strong wines made fromVernaccia or sweetAleatico andVin Santos) since outside of the major cities ofRome andNaples, there was not yet a strongmiddle class. During theRenaissance, the city of Florence experienced a period of growth that brought with it an emerging middle class ofguilded craftsman and merchants. Some of these Florentine wine merchants, such as theAntinoris andFrescobaldis, would becoming powerful and influential figures in not only the history of Chianti but also of Italian wine.[4]
The earliest example of Chianti was as a pale, light white wine being sold by the merchantFrancesco di Marco Datini in 1398.[1] It eventually evolved into a coarse, deep color red wine thatSir Edward Barry described as having"disagreeable roughness and other qualities, seldom drunk." Some of these "other qualities" may have been a slight fizziness that was a by product of wine making techniques that emerged during the late Middle Ages. At the time variouswine faults would plague unstable Chiantis because they were not able to fully completefermentation andyeast cells would remain active in the wine. The lack of full fermentation was partly due to cooler temperatures following harvest that stuns the yeast and prohibits activity but could have also been caused byunsanitary fermentation vessels. In the 14th century, Chianti winemakers developed a technique known asgoverno where half-dried grapes are added to themust to stimulate the yeast with a fresh source ofsugar that may keep the yeast active all the through the fermentation process. While this technique did improve the probability of a fully fermenting wine, thesecond fermentation caused by the addition of the new sugars also left somecarbon dioxide caused the wines to have a slightlysparkling or "fizzy" character.[4]
Early attempts to regulate Chianti wine include 1427, when Florence developed a tariff system for the wines of the surrounding countryside, including an area referenced as "Chianti and its entire province," and 1444, when a provision was added to theLega del Chianti bylaws that prevented grapes from being legally harvested before September 29.[5]
The 18th century saw the seeds of the modern Chianti industry being planted. In 1716Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany issued an edict delineating the boundaries that would eventually become the heart of the Chianti Classico region.[1] Prior to becomingHoly Roman Emperor, the policiesPeter Leopold asGrand Duke of Tuscany encouraged many landowning families to invest in improving and expanding their vineyards. TheGeorgofili Academy was funded to teach noble families modern viticultural techniques from places such as France andGermany. Families that are still making Chianti today, such as the Capponis, Firidolfis, Ricasolis and Ridolfis.[4] The exact composition and grape varieties used to make Chianti at this point is unknown.Ampelographers find clues about which grape varieties were popular at the time in the writings of Italian writerCosimo Villifranchi who noted thatCanaiolo was widely planted variety in the area along withSangiovese,Mammolo andMarzemino. It wasn't till the work of the Italian statesmanBettino Ricasoli that the modern "Chianti recipe" would take shape.[1]
One of the most influential figures in the history of Chianti is the Italian statesmanBettino Ricasoli, who created the Chianti recipe that would later be canonized in DOC regulations. The Ricasoli family traces their lineage in the Chianti region toLombard barons who ruled during the 11th century. The family estate inBrolio is located in what is now known as the heart of the Chianti Classico region in theprovince of Siena. Orphaned at a young age, his family estate was crippled with debt and in disarray shortly after Ricasoli got married. Restoring the estate and its vineyard became his primary focus. Ricasoli traveled throughout France and Germany, studying the latestwinemaking methods and brought back with him vinecuttings of newgrape varieties. He began to experiment in his vineyard and cellar on which grapes produced the best wines at his estate. His work eventually settled on a blend of three Tuscan grapes-Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Malvasia.[4]
Ricasoli choose Sangiovese to be the base of Chianti because it provided the mostaromatics. Canaiolo brought fruitiness to the wine that soften thetannins of Sangiovese without lessening the aromatics. The addition of the white wine grape Malvasia was to provide further softening. Wine expertHugh Johnson noted that the relationship that Ricasoli describes between Sangiovese and Canaiolo has some parallels to howCabernet Sauvignon is softened by the fruit ofMerlot in the traditionalBordeaux style blend. Ricasoli continued with his winemaking endeavors until 1848 when his wife died. Stricken by grief, he had little desire for his vineyards or his wine. During this time the tides of theRisorgimento were growing stronger and Ricasoli found himself in the political arena which would eventually lead to him becoming thePrime Minister of Italy.[4]
The 20th century saw peaks and valleys in the popularity of Chianti and eventually led to a radical evolution in the wine's style due to the influence of the "Super Tuscans". The late 19th century sawoidium and thephylloxera epidemic take its toll on the vineyards of Chianti just as they had ravaged vineyards across Europe. The chaos and poverty following theRisorgimento heralded the beginning of theItalian diaspora that would take Italian vineyard workers and winemakers abroad as immigrants to new lands.[4] Those that stayed behind and replanted, chose high yielding varieties likeTrebbiano and Sangiovese clones such as theSangiovese di Romagna from the nearbyRomagna region. FollowingWorld War II, the general trend in the world wine market was for cheap, easy-drinking wine, which saw a brief boom for the region. With over-cropping and an emphasis on quantity over quality, the reputation of Chianti among consumers eventually plummeted. By the 1950s, Trebbiano (which is known for its neutral flavors) made up to 30% of many mass-market Chiantis.[2] By the late 20th century, Chianti was often associated with basic mass-market Chianti sold in a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, calledfiasco. However, during this same time a group of ambitious producers began working outside the boundaries of DOC regulations to make what they believed would be a higher quality style of Chianti. These wines eventually became known as the "Super Tuscans'.[1]
The origin of Super Tuscans is rooted in the restrictive DOC practices of the Chianti zone prior to the 1990s. During this time Chianti could be composed of no more than 70% Sangiovese and had to include at least 10% of one of the local white grape varieties. Producers who deviated from these regulations could not use the Chianti name on theirwine labels and would be classified asvino da tavola- Italy's lowest wine designation. Themarchese Piero Antinori was one of the first to create a "Chianti-style" wine that ignored the DOC regulations, releasing a 1971 Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon blend known asTignanello in 1978. Other producers followed suit and soon the prices for these Super Tuscans were consistently beating the prices of some of most well-known Chiantis.[6]
In response the international acclaim and high prices of these Super Tuscans, Italians authorities re-evaluated the DOC regulations for the Chianti region in attempt to bring some of these Super Tuscans back into the fold. They changed the grape blend composition of Chianti (not Classico or Riserva) to require a minimum of 75-90% Sangiovese, 5-10% Canaiolo nero, 5-10% Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia bianca Lunga, and up to 10% other varietys. With respect to Chianti Classico, a minimum of 80% Sangiovese is required, and up to 20% other varieties allowed. Beginning with the 2006 vintage, no white grapes are allowed in the composition of Chianti Classico. Chianti Classico Riserva is required to have a minimum of 24 months oak aging plus an additional 3 months of bottle aging. But beyond just grape composition, the new wave of winemaking during the era of the Super Tuscan also reinvigorated the Chianti's region with modern viticulturalvine training andcanopy management techniques and winemaking tools such as the use of newoak barrels. This new area of innovation led to a sharp increase in the price of Chiantis to where the bottlings from many of the top houses now match the prices of the premium Super Tuscans.[1]
Today, Super Tuscans are entitled to theDOC Bolgheri or the genericIGT label.