Wine Review: The bottle may have changed, but Chianti still great

I was once asked, if I were on a spaceship to Mars, what wine would I take? Without any hesitation, I answered Chianti.

The asker was astounded that I did not mention any of the world's great wines or vintages but settled for a rather commonplace wine. I was then asked, “Why Chianti?” My answer reflected my opinion of what I consider to be the “happiest” wine in the world – a wine that is not to be gently sipped but to be enjoyed with friends in great gulps.

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when the room decor of a college-age student would be incomplete without a candle-wax-encrusted, straw-basketed bottle of Chianti in plain sight as a candle holder. That bottle was also an indication that the person who lived there had passed the mystical rite of passage of the 18th birthday and could now be considered an adult.

As time passed and economics took precedence over fun and history, the familiar bulbous-basketed Chianti bottle gave way to more modern conventional packaging, and the straw basket was promptly discarded. The only thing remaining of the beloved historic Chianti was that the wine of old was unchanged but was now being presented in a 21st century bottle.

The finest of the Chianti wines come from an Italian region that has been declared by the Italian government as the Chianti Classico district. Going one step further, if a bottle of Chianti wine carries the emblem of the black rooster, it is a Classico. It also attests to the fact that the grapes for this wine came from the officially designated Chianti wine grape-growing district and adhered to strict government regulations. Those regulations call for a minimum of 80% sangiovese grapes, an alcohol content of 12% and the display of the Chianti Classico signature emblem of the black rooster.

Cultusboni RS 2022 Chianti Classico ($18)
This bold wine spent years in oak before it was released to allow for the marriage of all the elements and to add an elegant smoothness. The aroma stresses violets, raspberries and cranberries, with oak and vanilla lying quietly in the background. As with all premium Chianti wines, this wine has a long, smooth and elegant finish. The Cultusboni RS 2022 Chianti Classico is a grand and regal wine and will prove what a Chianti is capable of.

Banfi 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva ($42)
This wine strays away from the true classical grape varieties formerly associated with Chianti Classicos and concentrates on the primary grape, the sangiovese. The color is typical of a Chianti Classico, a deep ruby red with garnet tones around the edges. The aroma is kaleidoscopic, alternating between cherry and blackberry with hints of tobacco, leather and cedar. These aromas continue into the flavor where they merge with warm spice and fruit. The finish is equally interesting, fruity and complex. The Banfi 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva is as impressive as it is elegant. It is a wine to drink right now or put away to gain greater complexity over the next decade.

Badia Coltibuono 2015 Vin Santo Del Chianti Classico ($46)
This is a Chianti wine of a different color. It is a wine whose color departs from the traditional deep amber and presents itself as a vibrant, crystal-clear reddish brown. Contrary to its distinguished forebears, it is a sweet dessert wine, and it was made from trebbiano and malvasia grapes that were dried to raisins before being fermented. After fermentation, the finished wine was aged in casks for six years, bottled and then allowed to rest for three months before being released. The wine exhibits a floral aroma, with a hint of oak and red fruits that follow through to the flavor and then to a memorable finish. While this wine is not the traditional dry Chianti style of the black rooster wines, it is one that I found to be very enjoyable.

Wine columnist Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.