2016 Tenuta di Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva was a perfect weekend evening wine for us with a price tag around $20. Let’s see what elements make it so good?
Chianti Classico
Did you know that Chianti is one of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited in the early 18th century?
So when you drink Chianti Classico and only Chianti Classico, you drinking wine from that historical region. If the bottle has only Chianti on the label, it means that grapes for this wine came from the outside the area defined over 300 years ago. In Italy, Chianti and Chianti Classico considered different wines, although they both based on the same Sangiovese grape. Just as in France, geography and terroir are the drivers of the quality.
Although both Chianti and Chianti Classico made with the same grape, in general, Classico is of better quality because the rules of production and quality requirements are more strict. It doesn’t mean that regular Chianti is a bad wine. It just that there’s a ton of mediocre Chianti, and Classico as a whole produces higher quality wine.
That’s why we picked 2016 Tenuta di Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva. Having “Riserva” on the label is another step up. When in doubt what to buy, choose Chianti Classico and, if available, look for Riserva or Gran Selezione bottle.
We were shopping for wine in a rural area, and the selection was limited in comparison with metropolitan stores. But following these rules helped us make the right choice with 2016 Tenuta di Nozzole.
Tenuta di Nozzole
The Tenuta di Nozzole estate located in the town of Greve in Chianti, in the heart of the Chianti Classico production area. Nozzole Chianti Classico is the offspring of what is historically one of the best-known farms in Chianti. It dates back to 1300. In 1971 estate was purchased by the Folonari family that’s been making wine for over two centuries.
2016 Tenuta di Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva Tasting Notes
Aromas
As expected from Sangiovese based wine, Tenuta di Nozzole had a distinct sour cherry aroma complemented by tobacco, underbrush herbs, cedar, and cured meats.
Flavors
On the palate, it started with ripe sour cherry and red currant, followed by baked red plum, dark chocolate, and smoke.
Overall
2016 Tenuta di Nozzole is an excellent example of the Chianti Classico region. The structure supported by sensible but well-incorporated tannins and acidity. The finish is filled with cherry, baked plum, and chocolate.
We had it with a classic Sangiovese pairing – duck breast in cherry sauce. Matching cherry with cherry always works! We also experimented by pairing it with a Korean barbeque short rib. It wasn’t as good of a match as duck breast but, surprisingly, soy glaze sauce worked well with fruit in the wine.
While Chianti Classico leads the way, Chianti and other regions of Toscana stepped up the game significantly. You can find excellent examples of Sangiovese based wines and good value from the different areas of Toscana but got to know the producers. If not sure, stick to Chianti Classico.
