Chianti vs Chianti Classico Wine (What's the Difference?)

hi everybody this is agnes from no sediment and today we're going to talk about the difference between chianti and chianti classico wines [Music] i think that some names and terms of the wine world can be confusing not only for those who are just starting to learn the wine but even to those who already have deeper knowledge for example there is a big difference between montepulciano dia bruto and vino noble de montepoliciano same goes for chianti and chianti classico so what is the difference between canti and chianti classico are they different in quality production and grape composition and should we really think of these wines as two separate styles both chianti classico and chianti are separate and independent appellations within region of tuscany and italy they both have docg status chianti docg is quite large consisting of seven sub-zones to label their wine's chianti grapes must be grown and harvested within these boundaries chianti classico docg on the other hand is much smaller wine region located between florence and siena and is considered to be the heartland of chianti wines for wine to be labeled as chianti classico grapes must come exclusively from this area what is very important since 2010 it is forbidden to make chianti wines within chianti classical wine region but let's say i don't intend to age it as much as required or i want to make wine with higher proportions of other grapes than allowed by regulations does that mean i have to declassify my wine down to tuscana egt it seems so [Music] many wine lovers will argue that sangiovese is the greatest italian red grape variety and both wines chianti and chianti classico must be made predominantly or completely from it chianti wines must constitute minimum seventy percent of sanjoy's grapes while for chianti classico the minimum is eighty percent both wine styles can also be made from one hundred percent sanjavezi something that we see more and more done by producers nowadays one of the biggest differences i think is that chianti allows up to 10 addition of white grapes such as trebiano toscano and malvasia bianco some criticize it harshly by saying that it is diluting the wine while others will argue that it adds freshness and makes wine more approachable in its youth for chianti classico this practice was forbidden with 2006 vintage [Music] there is specific quality hierarchy for both wine styles for chianti docg we have the regional chianti superior and reserva chianti sperrior is subject to lower yields higher potential alcohol and must be aged for at least one year prior its release chianti reserva represents the highest quality of chianti docg the minimum aging in the cellars must be 24 months and these wines should show higher fruit concentration well integrated oak aging and flavor intensity chianti classico docg also has three tier quality hierarchy with chianti classico vintage chianti classico reserva and gran selezione at the top chianti classico wines will be aged for a minimum of 12 months and usually will be the freshest and most fruit-driven style of these three candy classic code is out of a must be aged for 24 months out of these at least three must be in the bottle and finally comes chianti classico gran selezione which must be aged for at least 30 months wine also must be made from only estate-owned vineyards of the highest quality even though it is believed chianti classical wines are superior to those produced in the larger chianti region it is not necessarily so there are many great producers in chianti making beautiful wines having quality in their mind while there also are not that great chianti classico winemakers meaning that land and soil alone does not guarantee the quality however it is important to note that chianti classical wines are subject to stricter rules such as lower yields and higher minimum alcohol than that of chianti wines this means that chianti wines will often be lighter in style and more approachable in their youth while chianti classico has always strived for premiumization age worthiness and separation from chianti a region with very similar name kanthi wine region is divided into seven sub zones and each of these can appear on the wine label these are chianti cola aratini chianti cola fioretini chianti colisanessi chianti colin pizana chianti montalbano chianti montespertolli and chianti rofina if one of these sub-regions appears on the label it will usually mean stricter winemaking rules such as release dates and aging requirements depending on the sub-region there also might be stricter rules regarding percentages of other grapes added chianti classico on the other hand has recently allowed their wine labels to show additional geographical unit or uga though currently only on their gran seleccione bottles these are recognized 11 different geographical units that were created in order to emphasize the versatility of chianti classical wine region and allowing consumer to have more information on where the grapes were actually sourced from so let's see chianti and chianti classico are two distinct wine regions in tuscany both with their own independent docg status while these wines are largely based on the same grape variety which is san giovesa their styles are actually quite different chianti classico usually being the most concentrated and focused while chianti wines are linked with more easy drinking and fresh red fruit driven style both wine styles have unique quality hierarchy that emphasizes different values let me know in the comments if i have missed something and also if you have other two wines or wine styles that i should do comparison of meanwhile if you want to have a deeper insight into chianti classico i have made a separate video about it here [Music] [Applause]

Channel: No Sediment

Views: 21,512

Keywords: Chianti, Chianti Classico, Chianti wine, Italian wine, Red wine, Italian red wine, Tuscan wine, Chianti vs Chianti Classico, Sangiovese, Chianti wine tasting, Chianti region, Best Italian wines, Best Chianti wines, Chianti review, Chianti Riserva, Chianti Gran Selezione, Chianti DOCG, Chianti Classico DOCG, Sommelier, Agnese Gintere, No Sediment, Wine Youtube, Wine education, WIne education for beginners, Chianti UGA, Chianti Classico vs Chianti

Id: -lBvvo1Gizg

Length: 7min 10sec (430 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 11 2022