Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Heady aromas of red berries and fresh roses lead into flavors of wild strawberry, cherry and plum. The finish is tinged with burnt orange, tamarind and tarragon. Well balanced, round and spicy, this will pair well with a cassoulet.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
OMG, the most classic of the classicos, the fine and time-honored 2012 Le Conti Chianti Classico is one of the finest and truest of them all. Clean and so true to the Tuscan tradition. Medium dark ruby in color; bright red fruit aroma, zesty and alive; medium bodied, superior tension on the palate; dry, pleasing acidity, well balanced; bright, fine and pure in the flavors, red fruit notes expand and go all the way to the wine's finish. (Tasted: February 12, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.
However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.
Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.