2018 San Giusto a Rentennano Chianti Classico

San Giusto a Rentennano is in Gaiole in Chianti, near Siena, in Tuscany. In medieval times the state was a convent, but in 1914 it was bought by the Martini di Cigala family. The family still owns and operates the 77-acre estate in the heart of the Chianti zone. The estate’s signature wines are its Chiantis, though it also makes a Merlot and a white blend. Gambero Rosso, Italy’s leading wine journal, calls the estate “one of the most classic producers in the zone, with a solid reputation based on rigorous authenticity and characterized by gutsy wines that make a point of flaunting their strong bond with the land.”

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.”