“Prosperity weaves no garlands for imitators,” Johann Frederick von Schiller, 1759-1805, Wallenstein’s camp, 1798, prologue.
Of the entire worldwide production of wine, France and Italy combined account for 30 percent. The latter inspires far more heated and passionate debate about quality, nuances and food matching in my book. Accordingly, Italians have been known to fervently argue about the many dimensions of their dear wines for decades.
Whereas France, in an effort to classify and clarify wine quality for consumers formally ranked them in 1855, Italy embarked upon a similar charting in 1963 with its wine laws. To refresh our collective and sometimes addled memories, Italian wines back then were classified into the following basic categories: DOC, DOCG and IGT. Basically, DOC wines are the baseline of quality, and DOCG reflect a step up into the next strata. Consequently, most carry an attendant pink ring at or around the neck, a sort of Good Housekeeping seal of approval, not a cancer statement. IGT is yet another classification in which the wines must meet rules regarding the area of production, grape varieties, yield, etc. These rules also allow a winemaker to indulge in a bit more renegade creativity and thereby create some of Italy’s most prized and unusually haunting wines, like some Amarones and Campoforin, one of my favorites.
What should we as mortal consumers buy? Wearing my renegade hat, I still tend to lean toward IGT wines, but my overall money is on DOCG wines if they are affordable and the quality, as indicated on the label, justifies the price. Then again, I always recommend relying on the good counsel of a quality wine merchant like Consumer Outlet Beverage Center in Hales Corners, Discount Wines, Downer Wines, Sendik’s in Mequon or Waterford Wines on Brady Street.
I recently sampled a clutch of Chiantis with a guest appearance of a Pinot Noir from California in order to add a touch of dimension. Here are my notes and scores, using my normal “A”-“F” scale:
1. 2007 Castello D’Albola Chianti Classico DOCG, $15.99: Medium ruby color with medium body. Rich, heady nose of plums and complex, deep fruit. In the mouth, it strutted nice body with dandy notes of earthy fruit. B+
2. 2007 Castello Di Brolio, Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico DOCG, $19.99: Deep red color with heavy body. Dark, brooding nose with swirling notes of intense fruit. Deeply fruity middle in the mouth with intense finish. Definitely justifies the higher price over wine No. 1, and for those of you who like to cellar wine, it would benefit from five to 10 years of gentle rest. A+
3. 2008 Piccini Chianti, DOCG, $7.99: Clear, dark red robe. Its light to medium body led to a teasingly fruity nose. In the mouth it was joyously fruity with dancing notes of raspberries. As it eased into its light and pleasing finish, I almost felt that it was a kissing cousin of a nice Beaujolais or Zinfandel. A-
4. 2008 Querceto Chianti Classico DOCG, $14.99: Dark ruby color with heavy body, then deeply intense, almost tarry fruit. Richly fruity and complex in the mouth with a smooth, round finish. When I revisited this entry in a half hour, it had only improved. A
5. 2009 Querceto Chianti DOCG, $7.99: Clear and brilliant medium red color with medium body. The nose revealed medium fruit with some depth and intensity, and it tasted pleasingly fruity with a graceful, clean finish. Nice! A-
6. 2008 Row Eleven Pinot Noir, Graton, Calif., 3 Vineyards, $18.99: Sourced from vineyards in Sonoma, Santa Barbara and Monterey, this guest showed a pleasingly light color typical of many West Coast Pinot Noirs, with a light body to boot. Lightly elegant nose with gentle notes of cherry. In the mouth, it displayed medium fruit with nice complexity and a finish that pleased the tongue. (Note: This is on the wine list at restaurants like Bacchus and Sanford, and I recommend it). A
Today’s clear winner was the 2007 Castello Di Brolio, Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico DOCG.
The Price/Value king was the Querceto Chianti, closely followed by the Piccini.
