Chianti has gone through more changes in the last 40 year than almost any other important wine.  Invariably, wine drinkers have many diverse opinions about Chianti, but we would all agree that it remains one of the most well-known red wines in the world.    When people tell me that they don't like Chianti, I believe that it is for one of the following reasons: 1) they don't enjoy very dry, tannic, rather high-acid wines; or 2) they haven't tasted a very good Chianti lately; or 3) the only Chianti they've ever had was some cheap swill, perhaps many years ago.

Actually, for me, good Chianti--and I'll give you my recommendations as to what producers I believe are still making the good stuff--remains one of the best-value, serious red wines in the world.  When I dine in Italian restaurants, which is frequently, my wine of choice is often Chianti, because it's good and it's affordable.  I usually will not spring for a Barolo or a Brunello because both are too expensive on restaurant wine lists, and the recent vintages that most restaurants carry are invariably too young to really enjoy.  A great thing about Chianti: you can enjoy it in its youth, although it does age well, at least in the good vintages.  Also, Chianti goes well with so many foods: pasta, pizza, chicken, pork, lamb, or beef. 
   
Sangiovese, the main grape variety of Chianti, is one of the most difficult grapes to work with in the world.  Although it grows in a few other regions in Italy, in California, Argentina, and other areas, it really only performs well in the rolling hills of Tuscany, and even there, not every year!  Although Sangiovese is used in other Tuscan wines, its primary use is in the huge Chianti region in central Tuscany.  Of the eight Chianti sub-zones, the best is the oldest, the Chianti Classico area, in the heart of the Chianti region.  Another really good sub-zone is Chianti Rufina

A brief history will help you understand where Chianti is today.  Back to the 1960s.  Most Chianti wines were not very good; they were frequently thin and too acidic, wines that had been made from overcropped vineyards.  Another problem then: Italian wine regulations at that time insisted that a certain percentage of white grapes, such as Trebbiano, go into Chianti (The law mandated a minimum of 10 percent white grapes, plus Sangiovese could make up as little as 50 percent of the blend!).

By the 1970s, Chianti had a reputation--at least abroad--for low quality wines.  Producers found themselves stuck with wines that they couldn't sell.  An uncle of the Antinori family, Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta, had created what became known as the first "Super-Tuscan" wine, Sassicaia (made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) in Bolgheri, a warmer region on the western Tuscan coast.  Piero Antinori began marketing Sassicaia for his uncle in the 1970s, and, noting its success, released his own Super-Tuscan wine, the 1971 Tignanello, in 1978.  Tignanello (today a blend of 80 percent Sangiovese and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon) was a big hit, and led to a string of other Super-Tuscan wines.
 
Super-Tuscan wines varied in style and in varietal composition; some were 100 percent Sangiovese, others were blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot with Sangiovese, while some Super-Tuscans utilized only international varieties.  But most of the Super-Tuscan wines were of high quality, and received much attention from the press, even though they often sold for two or three times the price of Chianti.  The Super-Tuscan movement went a long way toward restoring the reputation of Tuscan wines, and instilled new confidence in Tuscany's wine producers.

During the 1980s, Chianti wines began to improve greatly.  Advances in winemaking technology and improvements in the vineyards brought new richness and concentration to wines that had been too attenuated.  The Chianti Classico consortium undertook a huge research project to discover the very best Sangiovese clones.  Regulations changed, allowing producers to make Chianti entirely from Sangiovese if they wished, or to add up to 25 percent other grape varieties--such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, or indigenous Italian varieties such as Canaiolo, Colorino, or Malvasia Nera; also, the old mandate for ten percent minimum of white grape varieties in the blend was eliminated.

Chianti's Golden Age began with the magnificent 1985 vintage and continued through the late 1990s; other fine vintages in this period included the 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997, and 1999.  But events taking place within the last eight years or so have once again effected changes in the style of many Chianti wines. 

One unavoidable situation has been nature itself.  Many wine regions in Europe have been experiencing very warm vintages, Tuscany included.  Chianti wines from what had been considered good vintages at the time, 1990 and especially 1997, proved to be too ripe and imbalanced, and faded rather quickly.  The 2000 and 2003 Chianti vintages are following the same road.

Events that seemed like a good idea at the time might have backfired.  For example, clonal research done by the Chianti Classico 2000 group, although well-intentioned, may also be yielding results which are changing the nature of Chianti.  The clones that have been promoted for use tend to produce wines which are richer and fleshier than before.  Also, vineyards are being planted with very high density, leading to low yields and more concentrated grapes.  As in other regions, optimal grape ripeness is now the goal in the vineyards; Chianti wines, previously containing 12 to 12.5 percent alcohol, now typically range from 13 to 14.8 percent.

The problem is that Sangiovese--clearly the heart and soul of Chianti wines--is not a variety which is rich in anthocyanins (the coloring matter in grapes, which also adds fleshiness), unlike anthocyanin-rich Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.  In other words, you can't force a variety to be something it's not, without paying the consequences in taste and in texture.  I have noted that many recent Chianti wines have been not only higher in alcohol, but also riper, fleshier and lower in acidity, without the edge, the nervosity, that makes them uniquely Chianti.  Too many Chianti wines today taste very similar to other red wines throughout the world; in short, they no longer resemble Chianti as I knew them.

Other factors have played a role in the "globalization" of many Chianti wines: the addition of up to 25 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot (especially Merlot), and, in many cases, aging the wine in small oak barrels (barriques), a practice that imparts a vanillin, oaky flavor to the wines.  I recently attended a tasting of Tuscan wines at a Master of Wine function in London.  The Chianti wines I liked the least invariably contained Merlot; many of my favorites were made entirely from Sangiovese.

Rumors have also circulated that some Chianti producers have illegally added grapes or juice from Southern Italy--from regions such as Puglia--to deepen the color of their Chianti wines.  This might explain a recent movement from some producers to drop the DOCG Chianti appellation for the more liberal IGT Toscana appellation, so that their wines won't be so closely scrutinized by various Chianti regulatory organizations.

And yet there are still many very good Chianti wines being made.  Many of the best still come from the Chianti Classico sub-region.  Most producers making a Chianti Classico also produce a Chianti Classico Riserva.  Riservas, which are sometimes bottlings from a single-vineyard, are aged longer, are mainly aged in barriques, often have Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot in the blend, and usually cost about 50 to 100 percent more than Chianti Classicos.  Riservas usually are made from riper grapes, have a bit more alcohol, and are typically fuller-bodied and more concentrated than Chianti Classicos. 

I typically prefer Chianti Classicos to Chianti Classico Riservas because they are not so over-ripe or over-oaked, and are often made without Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot in the blend.  On a recent trip to Tuscany, I asked Paolo Di Marchi, proprietor of Isole e Olena, a winery I greatly admire in the Chianti Classico district, why he doesn't make a Chianti Classico Riserva (Paolo produces a 100 percent Sangiovese single-vineyard wine with an IGT Toscana appellation called Cepparello, his version of a Super-Tuscan wine--although much less expensive than most Super-Tuscans such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia--along with a standard Chianti Classico).  Paolo explained, "I don't use the Riserva appellation because too many producers have hurt its reputation with the type of Riserva wines that they're making."  I agree with Di Marchi, but there are always exceptions.  Good Chianti Classico Riservas do exist, but generally speaking, I stick to Chianti Classico when I'm buying Chianti.  They're less expensive, and they're a safer bet to be the kind of Chianti that I want to drink. 

Producers making Chianti Classico wines that I admire include the following: Castello dei Rampolla, Isole e Olena, Castello di Fonterutoli (basic Chianti Classico only), Fontodi (his Vigna del Sorbo Classico Riserva), Marchesi Antinori (his Badia a Passignano Classico Riserva and Tenute Marchesi Riserva), La Massa, Il Palazzino, Ruffino Riserva Ducale (Gold Label) and Santedame Estate, San Giusto a Rentennano, Castellare, Riecine, Riseccoli, and Dievole.  From Chianti Rufina, I like the wines of Frescobaldi (Nippozano Riserva) and Selvapiana.  Another Tuscan producer I admire--who chose to drop the Chianti appellation almost 30 years ago, but who produces 100 percent Sangiovese wines--is Montevertine (also the producer of the fine Super Tuscan wine, Le Pergole Torte).  Recent Tuscan vintages to look for are 1999 and 2001.

The following are some of the Chianti wines that I have enjoyed recently:

Fattoria di Felsina, Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) "Rancia" 2001 ($38, Domaine Select Wine Estates): Deep, penetrating aromas of tart, dark fruit, with very good concentration.  Framed in oak, but done well.  A brilliant wine.  93

Antinori, Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) "Badia a Passignano" 1999 ($35-$38, Rémy Cointreau USA):  A bit ripe and fleshy, but with delicious tart cherry fruit.  This is Antinori's best Chianti.  92

Castello di Fonterutoli, Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($25, William Grant & Sons): Lots of concentration, good depth, dark, tart cherry fruit flavors, with judicious use of oak that does not dominate.  Well-done, as usual, from this producer.  92

Ruffino, Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) "Riserva Ducale" (Tan Label) 2001 ($24, Southern Wines & Spirits):  Good depth, with flavors of tart cherry and dry earth.  A very classic Chianti.  The more expensive Riserva Ducale Gold Label seldom disappoints, but the Ducale Tan Label has done very well in 2001!  92

Frescobaldi, Chianti Rufina Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) "Castello di Nipozzano" 2001 ($19-$21, Folio Wine Company):  Rich, with ripe tannins, good acidity and fruit.  Well-balanced, and a good value.  91

Il Palazzino, Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy) "Grosso Sanese" 2001 ($27, Michael Skurnik Wines): Formerly a Super-Tuscan wine, but now a Chianti Classico DOCG.  Bright, fleshy fruit, soft tannins, but with good acidity and a lengthy finish.  90

Machiavelli, Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy) Riserva "Vigna di Fontalle" 2001 ($20, Frederick Wildman and Sons) Concentrated cherry fruit, good acidity, and well-balanced.  The 2001 Vigna di Fontalle is Machiavelli's best effort of late.  90

Selvapiana, Chianti Rufina Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) "Bucerchiale" 2000 ($35, Winebow, Inc): Very ripe and rich, with ripe tannins and high alcohol typical of this vintage.  Flavors are already developed, somewhat leathery, and concentrated.  A very good 2000 Chianti.  90

Fattoria La Massa, Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) "Giorgio Primo" 2001 ($60, Martin Scott Wines):  Dark fruit flavors, classically made, dry-textured.  89

Riecine, Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($27-$28, Michael Skurnik Wines): Dark, concentrated fruit flavors, with fine-grained tannins.  89