WHAT IS CHIANTI? An inexpensive red wine in a straw-covered bottle, sort of sharp, sort of thin, and not very interesting? Or is it one of the historic wines of Italy, which is now seeing a renaissance in quality along with a string of stellar vintages? If you think it’s the first, welcome to the 1970s; enjoy your disco-and-mood-ring existence, my friend. If you think the second, you are exactly right.
Chianti is divided into seven subzones, the most famous (and arguably the best) of those being Chianti Classico. Basic Chianti wines (designated annata) tend to be crisp, fresh, and straightforward, made for drinking now. As you head up the aging pyramid, the wines gain depth and complexity. Rules vary in each subzone, but in Chianti Classico, for example, Riservas…