Chianti Classico sub zones are here! That’s the message from members of the Consorzio Chianti Classico who represent the more than 500 wine producers of the area. Chianti Classico is located in Tuscany, the most romanticized region in Italy. Known for its rolling hills with their towering cypress trees and majestic castles, it is the home to some of Europe’s most beloved wines.

The expression Chianti Classico suggests the oldest and most genuine area of the Chianti region. Few wines trigger such nostalgia and garner as much fierce loyalty.

Chianti Classico stretches between Florence and Siena and includes 14 municipalities that are best known and appreciated for their wines. Wine has been produced in the region for at least 2000 years.

Why the Black Rooster? Legend has it that 13th century kings decided to settle a dispute over the borders of their land with a horse race. The route taken by two knights who left respectively from Florence and Siena when the rooster crowed at dawn would mark the new boundaries.

As with all well-laid plans, there was a glitch. On the day of the race, the rooster crowed much earlier than dawn in Florence, thus, when the two knights met, with the Sienese rider progressing only about 20 miles outside the Siena walls. Since then, the black rooster has been the symbol of Chianti, first of the Chianti league in the 13th century and then of the Chianti Classico Consortium in the modern age.

Chianti Classico celebrated the success of the newly introduced UGA classification system with a recent celebration in the US. To highlight the differences in climate and soil type of the 11 villages of the region, 60 producers poured their wines at tables which grouped wineries from each of the UGAs together.

The event also featured two educational seminars, “No Wine is an Island, hosted by renowned Italian Cartographer Allesandro Masnaghetti. His presentation explained how the project developed and how the UGA’s reflect different expressions of the Chianti Classico territory. The seminar was accompanied by a tasting of 11 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, representing each of the 11 UGA villages.

“The introduction of the additional geographical units (UGA) that divide the Chianti Classico territory into more specific areas represents an epochal turning point for the denomination. This represent a change in perspective that leads producers and their wines to be no longer single actors, but expressions of a territory in relation to each other. This is a decision destined to leave its mark. “ Masnaghetti said.

The new classification system, approved in June 2021, applies only to the Gran Selezione (GS) category. The 11 villages are identified based on such criteria as oenological recognizability, historical authenticity, and significance in terms of volume produced.

Also on hand was Consortium President Giovanni Manetti. “The UGA project was received with great enthusiasm. Chianti Classico is a truly unique territory. This is why it is so important to preserve its environmental context and landscape in order to better communicate this to the consumer.” Look for the Black Rooster on the label. For more, visit chianticlassico.com.

Here is a listing of the wines presented at the educational seminar:

  1. Castello di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Fonterutoli 2016, $64
  2. Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto il Poggio 2016, $63
  3. Castello di Querceto Chianti Classico Gran Selezione La Corte 2018, $52
  4. Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Coltassala 2016,  $94
  5. Conti Capponi – Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Bastignano 2016, $57
  6. Dievole Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna di Sessina 2016, $63
  7. Fèlsina Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colonia 2016, $70
  8. I Fabbri Chianti Classico Gran Selezione i Fabbri 2018, $59
  9. Le Cinciole Chianti Classico Gran Selezione A Luigi 2016, $40
  10. Principe Corsini – Villa Le Corti Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Don Tommaso 2016, $70
  11. Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto San Marcellino 2016, $55