A great Tuscan meal, set perhaps al fresco beside cypress and pine trees, is about bread, steak, and olives. For that you need sangiovese and a kick of canaiolo, the quintessential Chianti.
The Chianti Classico DOCG came to be when the old restrictions on the Chianti name were lifted in 1932, prompting an explosion of new Chianti producers, some better than others. This 2018 Riserva celebrates the old ways – 30 months in Slavonian oak, indigenous yeast, hand harvested organic grapes. You should see the vineyard. The vines bathe in full sunshine on a steep slope with sweeping views of southern Tuscany (cool nights keep the ripening slow and steady). Close your eyes and picture it as you take your first sip. 93 points (James Suckling). Drink now till 2033.
