Italy: Chianti
2016 Gold: 1 Silver: 6 Bronze: 5 Commended: 5
2015 Gold: 3 Silver: 7 Bronze: 2 Commended: 4
Chianti is in an odd place at the moment. On one hand, it’s probably the only Italian wine style that your average man in the street could recognise, on the other, a growing number of restaurants no longer see it as a must-stock. It made its name as a source of cheap, not always good, glugging wines, yet increasingly in this competition we see smart, high-quality wines in a variety of styles – and at top-end prices.
There were a lot of good medal winners here this year (albeit fewer Golds and Silvers than in 2015), but only two or three of them could realistically make it on to a list under £40. That said, there was an appreciation of the new(ish) gran selezione classification, which genuinely seemed to represent a step up in quality.
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘Chianti is a region where there is still value to be found, even at the top end.’ James Hocking, The Vineyard Group
‘In the past there’s been a lot of volatility and rusticity in the Chianti Classicos, but there were some pristine examples today and very smart winemaking – lovely wines.’ Annette Scarfe MW, team leader
‘I was looking for fruit, wild flowers and youth with classicity and length.’ Mauro Pirovano, New Street Grill
‘People don’t ask for Chianti – it is a hand sell. It has gone out of fashion and I don’t know why. People need to reconnect with it, especially the younger generation. Older people know it but had a bad experience, so we need a new [audience].’ Laurent Richet MS, Restaurant Sat Bains
“The Gran Selezione meant something.” Laurent Richet MS, Restaurant Sat Bains
“Great quality, very reflective of where they come from. This flight exceeded my expectations.” Luca Campi, Plateau Restaurant