Chianti is not just Classico

Buon Anno a tutti!

 

I've written many times on these pages about the improving quality of Chianti beyond the traditional denomination of wines from the Classico zone.  True, maybe 15 or 20 years ago, you may have been treading precariously if you stepped to far afield of the central portion of the broader zone.  But not now.  Not any longer. 

 

Today's article is yet another example.  Fattoria Selvapiana lies in Chianti Rufina which is north of the Classico zone and due east of Firenze. Selvapiana possesses some of the best terroir in the zone and within that,  one of the best vineyards in all of Italy:  Bucherchiale. 

~ Old faded glory in front of Terra Cotta Amphora ~

I first tasted this wine at the 2013 VinItaly event in New York and immediately reported on its brilliance.  I implored my readers then to buy this wine in bulk and for your sake, I hope you listened. 

 

The 2009 Selvapiana Chianti Rufina Bucherchiale is simply an amazing wine.  It's a classic Tuscan red of stature, breeding and intensity.  This full dark blackish ruby 100% Sangiovese gives off penetrating aromas of crushed cherry,  new leather, mushrooms, fennel and "animale" - a characteristic I've always noted and one which winemaker Federico Massetti agrees.  On the palate, the wine is elegant and powerful.  A full bodied core of dusty cherry is spiked with soft mocha/coffee notes, fennel seed and new leather.  The acids and tannins are perfectly balanced in this lush red.  It's shown well right from the start and continues to do so.   Stupendous.   96 points.  About $30.   What are you waiting for? 

~ Magical ~

What did this wine shine with?  Just a bit of "man meat"......  15.8 pounds to be precise.




~We'd make Dario proud! ~

Salute!