More Old World thoughts...

Ok, as promised, a couple of recent bottles. I chose these not only because I enjoyed them, but also to do a little "skooling".

The first one I like to call "Pope Wine". It is a Chianti Classico (will explain in a moment) and has a member of the famous and powerful Medici family on the label. This guy managed to be named Pope in 1523, becoming Clemente VII. Hmmm, wonder how that came to be...Anyway, he resided in the area of Tuscany where this wine is made.

Chianti Classico as many of you know is not a grape, it is a region. Specifically, it sits between Florence to the north and Siena to the south. Chianti's lead grape is Sangiovese, and must comprise at least 70% Sangiovese. In the heart of the region, called Chianti Classico, Sangiovese must be 80%. It is Italy's most planted grape. Chianti Classico is ground zero for great Sangiovese (ok, Brunello too!).

This particular wine is very affordable and punches above its weight. Chiantis need food: they have very good acidity as well as noticeable tannins. Red fruits, roasted tomato, balsamic and herb notes can all be found. Handles spice and tomato sauces very well.

The "Riserva" designation means the wine has been aged at least 24 months, your indication of a wine with potentially greater complexity. The label on the neck that has the letters "DOCG" refers to the Italian quality regulations. DOCG is the highest tier, with only 75-ish regions in the whole country that have achieved this ranking.

When you are shopping for an Italian wine, always look at the neck of the bottle and see if it says DOCG or the next one down, DOC. Below that is IGT, but the only IGTs you should focus on are the Super Tuscans, which are forced to carry the IGT designation because of their non-Italian varietals.

Last comment on Chianti Classico: you know you are getting a Chianti Classico if you see a black rooster on the neck of the bottle. Not enough space or your attention to explain. You are on your own!

The other bottle is a Bordeaux. Again, as with all these Old World wines, a region, not a grape. Not going into a whole Bordeaux class here, other than to point out an important term on the label (all honor to Marie). The term "Cru Bourgeois" is part of Bordeaux's complex classification system. Wines with this designation all come from Medoc, the so-called "Left Bank". This category sits below the top Cru Classes, but represent a great quality/value proposition. Cru Bourgeois wines all come from one of the 8 Medoc appellations (Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, etc).

This wine had some bottle age. 2015 was a great vintage in Bordeaux (2016 too)! If you can find any, buy them! Bordeaux, particularly Left Bank, has a wonderful, tell-tale earthy fruit flavor. If you haven't explored Bordeaux, why not start now? Maybe look for a Cru Bourgeois!

All right, enough from me. Please comment with questions, suggestions, and recommendations from what you are drinking! 🍷

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