The following tasting notes are on a random selection of affordable Chianti Classico wines, mostly from the 2018 and 2020 vintages, bought and consumed in Italy:
Fontodi 2018 Chianti Classico DOCG (14.5% alcohol)
Fontodi Chianti Classico was the subject of an article a year ago with notes on the 2018 from last summer.
We wouldn't retract a single sentence from the tasting note in the link above except to say that this wine has softened considerably in the space of just one year from when that article was written and is now in my opinion fully mature, a little quicker than I expected. But it is not out of line with the other 2018s in this article, all of which are at their peak right now.
Volpaia 2018 Chianti Classico DOCG (14% alcohol)
The fortified medieval village of Volpaia sits at 2,000 feet above sea level in the Chianti mountains near Radda so the Castello di Volpaia vineyards are some of the highest in the entire Chianti Classico zone. This wine has always been very reasonably priced both in Italy and abroad and the latest vintage is on sale at the winery for 18 euros.
The Volpaia Chianti Classico blend includes 10% Merlot and is matured for 12 months in large french oak barrels. When combined with the light sandstone soils of the vineyards this approach to winemaking makes for open and accessible wines that can be enjoyed in their youth.
The 2018 has a rich perfume in the glass, full of red fruit and a little spice that promises a little more than it delivers. It's a medium-bodied elegant wine with juicy acidity and well-integrated tannins but perhaps lacks a little pizzazz. However, it delivers very good value and is a solid, reliable wine.
Felsina 2018 Chianti Classico Berardenga DOCG (14% alcohol)
This is the entry level wine at Felsina and is always reliable. Their vineyards on the southern border of the Chianti Classico zone in the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga are generally warmer than elsewhere and after a year's maturity in Slavonian oak barrels this wine typically matures early.
And so it proved because less than 5 years after the harvest this is already fully mature with very obvious tertiary flavors in the glass. A good wine if perhaps lacking in excitement, but there is always room for a wine that is guaranteed to never disappoint.
Vignamaggio Gherardino Riserva 2018 Chianti Classico 2018 (14.5% alcohol)
Recently the Coop supermarket in Lucca had a big sale of this wine (that I had never heard of before) at 8 euros a bottle so we bought a couple and then after trying a bottle rushed back for more the next day, a lot more!
I subsequently discovered that it is 80-90% Sangiovese and 10-20% Merlot, aged in oak barriques and is sold for as much as $60 in the US and even more strange is the fact that as I write this, it is on offer at 20 euros on the Vignamaggio website, so sometimes you have to overcome your natural skepticism and not look a gift horse in the mouth.
The history of this winery is a microcosm of the history of Florence and starting in 1250 it follows all of the trials and tribulations of the Tuscan power struggles, calamities and misfortunes over successive centuries that are so much fun to read about. It is located a few miles from Greve in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone.
One's opinion of a wine is often heavily dependent on how much it costs so I can unhesitatingly state that at 8 euros this is a fabulous wine. I wouldn't want to pay much more than $20 in an overseas market but it is a very appealing wine that is absolutely in its prime.
Excellent nose of mature, slightly stewed cherries is followed by a full, balanced wine with soft integrated tannins, a little pepper and sweetness but still sufficient acidity. A very pleasant finish with a slight bitterness that lingers. Super value.
Villa di Zano Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2020 (14% alcohol)
From Greve in Chianti this was a huge disappointment, even for a wine that only cost 10 euros in the supermarket. Bland, boring and a little tired with very little fruit or acidity, the moral of the story is that unfortunately you can't buy a Chianti Classico you've never heard of and expect it to be good even one from an excellent year. We in fact hardly ever do that ourselves and I am reminded again why we don't.
Monte Bernardi Retromarcia 2020 Chianti Classico (13.5% alcohol)
We visited Monte Bernardi in Panzano 3 years ago and wrote a separate article on all their wines at that time, including the 2018 and 2019 Retromarcia wines which are always 100% Sangiovese.
Very mature on the nose with vibrant notes of cherries and even with very refreshing acidity this is a sweetish wine with all sorts of tertiary notes developing and where the tannins have simply melted away. It feels like the date on the bottle should be several years older but just like the fabulous 2018 this is a wine that can reaches its prime quickly. Juicy, elegant with bags of flavor it's a super wine that remains very good value both in Italy and overseas markets.
Le Masse di Lamole Chianti Classico DOCG 2020 (13.5% alcohol)
Another wine from Greve in Chianti that was disappointing and again from the same very good year 2020 and available at only 10 euros here in Italy. I read a random US seller's tasting note to see if perhaps we were wrong about this wine and were missing something but then when I saw the description " racy and taut with well-defined tannins and bursting with mouth watering acidity" I knew that we were right in our assessment. Let me translate the sales note as follows: "cripplingly acidic with hardly any fruit and sadly lacking in body and structure". This is a thin, poorly made wine that reminds me of all the Bordeaux reds I drank from all the damp summers in the 1970s but at 10 euros I suppose what can you expect?
Castello dei Rampolla 2015 Chianti Classico DOCG (14.5% alcohol)
This has always been an underrated wine in my opinion. Panzano is our favorite wine area in Chianti Classico and Castello dei Rampolla in the coveted Conca d'Oro zone does all the right things without a lot of fanfare, including biodynamic farming, sovescio and biodiversity. Of course they have many more exalted wines than the simple Chianti Classico we describe here but this is the one that we have bought year in year out for the last decade.
It is made with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Still highly perfumed with a heady mix of mature fruit like an old-fashioned summer pudding. On the palate it's still quite vibrant with good acidity, refined but evident tannins and a dollop of sweet dark fruits that linger long after the last sip. Super wine at a great price in the mid 20s whether here in euros or there in dollars.
Volpaia 2016 Chianti Classico DOCG (14% alcohol)
The 2016 Volpaia was still on sale recently for under $20 in the US but the weather conditions that year were not particularly conducive to long term aging so the 2016 is perhaps a little past its best now.
Very dark still in the glass the fruit is quite muted on the nose but a little more evident on the palate showing notes of cherry and red fruit. Plenty of acidity and tannin remain and will probably outlive the fruit so this is very much a food wine and likely won't improve from here. Perhaps this was a year to forgo the usual 10% Merlot in the blend and go with Canaiolo instead.
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