2015 Monteraponi Chianti Classico

Monteraponi is in a medieval hamlet in Chianti on land that was in the 10th century owned by the Marquis of Tuscany. He later donated the land to an abbey, and in the 12th century stone buildings were erected on the site. Today the ancient buildings house Monteraponi winery. Though the Braganti family has owned the estate since 1974, it was only in 2003 that Michele Braganti started using the grapes grown on the estate’s 30 acres of vineyards to make wine. For decades the grapes had been sold to other winemakers. Today Monteraponi makes a range of appellation specific wines, including Chianti. Vinous has noted that those “looking for under-the-radar, classically-leaning Chianti Classico will find that and more at Monteraponi…. Monteraponi is at or near the top of the list of properties that have the potential to enter the realm of the truly elite in Italy.”

Chianti is Tuscany’s most famous and historic wine district, and the Chianti Classico DOCG is the most prestigious Chianti appellation. Fittingly, it is located in the heart of the larger Chianti DOCG. Chianti’s wines were so esteemed during the Renaissance that the Medici princes of Florence designated several villages within the Chianti region as discrete production zones, setting up the first appellations in Italy. By the 20th century Chianti was Italy’s primary wine export. But the pizza parlor Chiantis sent to foreign markets were inexpensive, unremarkable reds presented in round-bottomed, straw-covered bottles. To upgrade Chianti wines and the region’s image, the Chianti Classico DOC was created in 1967, then upgraded to DOCG status in 1984, with additional modifications made in 1996. In the last 20 years a consortium of Chianti Classico producers have researched new Sangiovese clones, replanted vineyards, updated cellar practices and generally made Chianti Classico DOCG a world-class appellation. Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 75% Sangiovese. In the 2014 edition of its annual compendium of wine ratings, Gambero Rosso noted that Chianti Classico DOCG wines were noteworthy for their “significant return to a more defined style, true to tradition.”

This red grape is largely grown in central Italy. As the sole component or in a blend, it gives us Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino and Super Tuscans, among other favorites wines. The name is derived from the Latin for “blood of Jove.”