Italian wines have no lack of praise amongst vinophiles, from Barolo to Barbaresco, to Pinot Grigio, Amarone, Valpolicella, sparkling Prosecco, and dozens of other esteemed varieties. But none more universally reflects Italy’s robust red-wine persona than Chianti, the beloved Tuscan wine from its Chianti growing region. Produced primarily from Sangiovese grapes, Chianti wines span the popular palate with their deep ruby hues and medium-bodied, earthy, tart, dry, and savory flavors with notes of cherries, red plums, and spices.
Chianti is a go-to for classic food and wine pairings, especially with Italian red-sauce pastas and wood-fired pizzas. However, Chianti wine isn’t quite as singular as it sounds. In fact, the Chianti family tree branches very specifically into carefully cultivated categories formed over many decades. And one of them cradles what’s considered the best Chianti wine you can possibly buy: the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. The two over-arching primary designations into which all Chianti wines cluster are the Chianti DOCG and the Chianti Classico DOCG.
That DOCG acronym refers to “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita,” the Italian wine classification system translating in English as “Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin.” It guarantees a certain quality based on Italian geographical growing regions, but further distinguishes wines by individual characteristics such as alcohol by volume (ABV), the percentage of Sangiovese grapes, and the number of months the wine ages (plus, how many of those months, if any, it is aged inside the bottle). These nuances are what distinguish Chianti Classico wines, including its most lauded member, the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione.
The best Chianti wine is carefully cultivated
First of all, any bottle contending for the “best of” honor amongst Italian Chianti wines inevitably comes from the Chianti Classico DOCG. It’s a much more regulated category that became its own separate appellation in 1996, and now produces highly regarded wines that are enjoyed across the globe. But even within that prestigious Chianti Classico DOCG, three further designations exist. The first two are known as Annata and Riserva, and the third, added in 2014, is the coveted Gran Selezione.
It’s worth noting that although Gran Selezione is considered the best-quality Chianti wine, it’s still a category rather than a specific brand made by a specific winery. To land in the esteemed Gran Selezione group, the winery must use 80% Sangiovese grapes, maintain an ABV of at least 13%, and age the wine for 30 months. Three of those aging months must occur inside the bottle. Even more important, and one of the major distinguishing factors, is that Gran Selezione Chianti wines must only come from vineyard estates.
This means that the grapes are grown exclusively in vineyards owned or controlled by the winery, and all aspects of the wine production takes place in-house (this is what “estate-bottled” means when you see it printed on a wine label). As for the all-important taste of the wine, it varies slightly per winery, but Chianti Classico Gran Selezione in general brings a delightfully deep complexity and texture to your wine experience, highlighted by Chianti’s well-known ripe cherry flavor and accentuated by notes of dried figs, balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, and more.
