2019 San Vito Darno Chianti Colli Fiorentini
Blend: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo
From: Tuscany, Italy
Taste: Completely organic viticulture, a deep ruby color, and a luminous, rich nose leads the way to a palate that’s richly textured and full of flavor but still medium in body. Sweet red cherry, wild flower, red-plum compote, herbs, leather, and hunger-inducing dried spices are rounded out by soft-grained tannins that make this perfect for anytime drinking or pairing with your favorite Tuscan meal.
Pairing: Sangiovese pairs with a wide range of foods because of its medium-weighted body and savory character. Use Sangiovese’s savory nature as a congruent flavor with herbs and tomatoes. This will bring out more fruity flavors in the wine. When pairing Sangiovese wine with vegetarian fare, be sure to work with lipids like butter and olive oil so that the richness in the fat helps cut through the wines’ tannins. Also, use less sugar on braised or roasted veggies as it’ll let this wine shine like a diamond.
Tomato-Lentil Soup With Goat Cheese
By Ali Slagle
About: Chianti Colli Fiorentini is one of several regions for chianti production and has been classified since the 1930s, making it one of the earliest to be officially recognized. It is also the only DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, Italy’s highest quality designation) classified region for Chianti production that can include “Firenze” (Italian for Florence) on the label. As such, the wines from Colli Fiorentini are very popular in Florence itself and are a source of pride among locals.
Like in many areas of Tuscany, grapes have been grown in Colli Fiorentini for a long time, and wines from the region have a reputation for being approachable and drinkable fairly early after release.
Now, thanks to a new generation of owners (like San Vito) working to increase awareness and extend their reach in the marketplace, The wines for Chianti Colli Fiorentini are also starting to gain a reputation outside the region.
The denomination Chianti Colli Fiorentini Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita (D.O.C.G./D.O.P) is one of the seven sub-zones of Chianti D.O.C.G. This production zone is located in and around Florence and the Arno river valleys. Like its other six cousins, Chianti Rufina, Chianti Colli Aretini, Chianti Colli Senesi, Chianti Colline Pisane, Chianti Montalbano and Chianti Montespertoli (fun fact: Chianti Montespertoli used to be a part of Chianti Colli Fiorentini; San Vito is located just six miles away), producers can chose to use the denomination or not. The area was defined in 1932. With DPR 290 of July 2, 1984, the Chianti Colli Fiorentini area was officially granted DOCG recognition; The Chianti Colli Fiorentini Consortium was founded on September 20, 1994.