By Eric Asimov
I could not have imagined, 10 years ago, that I would be extolling the virtues of Chianti Classico Riserva. But times have changed and here I am, doing exactly that.
I had long been a huge fan of Chianti Classico. I still am. It’s one of the world’s most undervalued, underappreciated wines. But until recently I did not often enjoy the Riservas, Chianti Classico’s denser, more structured, more expensive sibling.
Too often, it seemed, producers sought to justify the presumed higher status of the Riservas by subjecting the wines to what they saw other expensive wines around the world receiving: aging in small barrels of new French oak. This treatment gave the wines a flamboyant polish and sheen that in my mind overwhelmed the gorgeous purity of the sangiovese grape.
This was not a practice restricted to Tuscany, the home of Chianti Classico. All over the wine world in the 1990s and 2000s, producers imagined that their best wines had to be powerful and oaky. Finesse and subtlety were too often sacrificed for muscle, brawn and ostentation. Wines like these were marked by garish winemaking practices of the cellar rather than the sense of place that comes from the vineyard.
For a long time, my advice was save your money. The less expensive wines, rarely subjected to the same heavy-handed regimen, were often much better.
But in the last decade, producers around the world have throttled back, softening their approach, letting vineyards and wines speak for themselves. The result has been a vast improvement. The greatness of wines like Chianti Classico Riserva, once concealed under layers of makeup, is now apparent. It’s a wonderful thing. I found nine bottles from recent vintages that I highly recommend.
Let’s clarify some of these terms. The Chianti Classico appellation includes three categories of wine. The first, Chianti Classico, is often referred to formally as Annata, or vintage, and informally as normale. These wines must be aged at least 12 months before they can be sold.
Riservas, the second, must be aged at least 24 months, including three months in bottles, before release. The third is Gran Selezione, which must be aged 30 months, including three in bottles, and can only be made from estate-grown fruit, not purchased grapes.
Here are nine excellent Chianti Classico Riservas, in order of price.
Lamole di Lamole Chianti Classico Riserva Lareale 2020, 14%, $35
Lamole (pronounced LA-mo-lay) is a sub-zone within the commune of Greve-in-Chianti in Chianti, where the high elevation encourages wines of finesse and elegance. This bottle, from Lamole di Lamole, is straight and to the point, a little more concentrated than a Chianti Classico normale and delightful to drink but simpler than some of the better bottles. (Santa Margherita USA, Miami Beach)
Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2019, 14%, $40
This fragrant, medium-bodied wine comes from the Barberino Tavarnelle region on the western part of the appellation. It is fine, well-balanced and relatively lean, especially compared with wines from the south like the Fèlsina, but it’s intense and lightly tannic. (MW Imports, White Plains, New York)
Monte Bernardi Chianti Classico Riserva Sa’etta 2020, 13.5%, $43
As Riservas go, this one is fairly easygoing. It’s dense and concentrated but with light, fine tannins. It’s pure, earthy and balanced, made entirely of sangiovese that was biodynamically farmed in the commune of Panzano. Like most wines from Monte Bernardi, this one is typically elegant with plenty of minerality. (T. Edward Wines, New York)
Caparsa Chianti Classico Riserva Caparsino 2019, 13.5%, $53
This 100% organically farmed sangiovese from Caparsa is superb. It’s a bit old school, that is, dense, concentrated and tannic, but it is pure and expressive, with earthy, nuanced floral and mineral flavors. You can drink this bottle now, but it will continue to evolve and improve for at least a decade. (Artisan Wines, Norwalk, Connecticut)
Poggerino Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna Bugialla 2021, 14.5%, $53
Poggerino farms biodynamically in high-altitude vineyards in Radda-in-Chianti. It’s rich, concentrated and quite tannic, yet it is pure and beautifully aromatic, with plenty of energy. Give this bottle a few years before uncorking. (Fleet Street Wine Merchants, Moorestown, New Jersey)
Fèlsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 2020, 14%, $60
Fèlsina, in Castelnuovo Berardenga on the southern edge of the Chianti Classico zone, tends to produce denser, richer wines because the vineyards are lower in altitude and warmer. Yet they are still characteristically fine and focused. The 2020 Rancia, 100% sangiovese, is luscious and supple, fruity yet fine. (Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, New York)
Val Delle Corti Chianti Classico Riserva 2019, 13.5%, $64
This bright, gorgeous wine is made entirely of organically farmed sangiovese from vines grown at high altitude in Radda-in-Chianti. The altitude contributes to the wine’s lightness and elegance. It’s a classic example of intensity without weight. (PortoVino, Buffalo, New York)
Istine Chianti Classico Riserva Levigne 2020, 13.5%, $65
Angela Fronti of Istine is one of a vanguard of women who have taken over family estates that in earlier times habitually went to sons and sons-in-law. Her wines continue to get better and more distinctive each year. The Levigne is characteristically bright, vibrant and energetic, yet relatively light, elegant and gorgeously aromatic. (SoilAir Selection, New York)
Monteraponi Chianti Classico Riserva Il Campitello 2019, 13.5%, $84
From its first bottling in 2003, Monteraponi has become one of Chianti Classico’s great estates. Each year Michele Briganti and Alessandra Deiana turn out brilliant wines, generous yet precise. The 2019 Il Campitello, 90% sangiovese and the rest a blend of canaiolo and colorino, all grown organically, is concentrated yet light on its feet and delicious to drink right now. (Grand Cru Selections, New York)
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