I have been to my fair share of wine trade events in the past few years and most of them have followed the same format. However, I did not expect what was in store for me when I attended the Chianti Classico Grand Tasting event at Ai Fiori in New York City, a few weeks ago. If you have never attended a trade event, they can be a bit overwhelming at times. One is spoilt for choice and if you want to leave the event, being fairly in control of your faculties, you need to be able to pace yourself. With that in mind, I had done my research, picked the wines I wanted to try, and was all set to check each one off my list.
What I wasn’t prepared for, was the wonderful surprise that greeted me when I ascended the stairs of Ai Fiori, one of my favorite restaurants in New York City. Right by the entrance, there was a section dedicated solely to an extensive lineup of 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione wines. Many of the wineries in attendance had donated their 2016 vintages to allow for a horizontal tasting, organized by UGA or Unita Geografiche Aggiuntive (more on that in a bit). Of course, this had to be my first stop on the tour; my meticulous planning could wait.
For those of you who are new to this, a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is the pinnacle of quality in the Chianti Classico classification pyramid. The wines need to satisfy a multitude of very strict standards to qualify as a Gran Selezione. Namely, the grapes need to come from a single estate, contain a minimum of 90% Sangiovese, and go through at least 30 months of aging prior to release. To have the privilege of tasting the 2016 vintage from 19 different wineries was a delightful and fortuitous surprise. Each of the wines were organized by UGA (one learns something new every day!). There are 11 UGAs or geographically segregated areas in the Chianti Classico zone primarily used for Gran Selezione wines. However, the use of UGA on a label does not automatically imply that the wines are necessarily of superior quality. If put on the label, it is used to designate the area of origin of the grapes. Each of the wines were ordered according to UGA, and being able to sample these wines and compare differences in taste and flavor profile was as exciting and thrilling as it could get for an oenophile like me!
I won’t detail all 19 of course, because this could very well turn into a research paper on Gran Selezione wines, but here are a few that really took my breath away.
Carpineto and Castello di Querceto Il Picchio – Both wines from the same UGA, but couldn’t be more different. Whereas the Carpineto was mature and ripe and showcased the typical tertiary notes and rich, luscious flavors of a well aged Sangiovese, the Castello di Querceto was funky and still a bit young! Now this might confuse you but it had a barnyard, sweaty hay sort of smell. However, the taste was very pleasant and fresh. This is a stellar example of a wine that is trying to playfully tease your senses and manages to successfully confound them at the same time!
Vecchie Terre di Montefili – My absolute favorite among all the 2016 Gran Selezione wines! Exquisite bouquet of red fruits, floral notes, a deceptively young spirit in a not so young wine, it was so well balanced, I could just drink this throughout the day. The tannins were so polished with a fresh acidity, that there is no way I would have known it’s a 10 year old wine. Really well done, Serena Gusmeri!
Felsina Colonia and Castello di Verrazzano – This was an interesting comparison. Both these wines were from different UGAs, but somehow tasted similar. The wonders of terroir never cease to amaze me! Both had similar notes of bright red fruit, some blood orange quite prominent on the nose, smokey with a refreshing minerality, and a balanced acidity that brought some freshness to the wines. The tannins however, were somewhat different. While Felsina Colonia had slightly bolder tannins, the Verrazzano was a bit smoother. Both wines are drinkable now but if I had to pick, I’d say the Verrazzano is ready but the Felsina probably could do with a little bit more time.
Sergio Zingarelli and Ruffino – These wines were from the same UGA but again, distinctly different. While the Sergio Zingarelli seemed remarkably young and fresh, the Ruffino had definitely aged very gracefully. The Zingarelli had notes of bright red fruit and rose petals hit distinctly on the nose. The wine was nicely tannic with a fresh acidity and had a good, long aging potential. The Ruffino on the other hand showed such complexity that it took me completely by surprise. The wine was a beautiful garnet color, with red fruit aromas, stunning floral bouquet and extremely well balanced tannins. The earthiness, mushroom, forest floor and wet leaves really enhanced the flavor profile of the wine. I would drink so much more of this if I could, and if it was readily available!
This was such a fun experience and the horizontal tasting of the Gran Selezione wines was unprecedented in more ways than one. I cannot wait to do this again! Until then, I hope you learned something new and here’s to many more wonderful, exciting and memorable wine encounters!
Cheers! ~ Ipshita
