A Chianti of a different kind

So tonight, something super cool. While making pasta, I decided to snag a bottle out of the cellar and unwind. Tonight, it was a Chianti. Now, you might think "Chianti...super cool...not so much". However, this is not your typical chianti. This is from a specific region in Tuscany named Colli Fiorentini. Colli Fiorentini is one of the rival sub regions of Chianti Classico, both located in the larger DOCG of Chianti (and people wonder why Italian wines are confusing...). One of the best parts about this region is the fact that it is close to Florence, marked by the "Firenze" on the bottle. Instead of the black rooster that is used to represent Chianti Classico, Colli Fiorentini is represented by a black lion with a glass of wine, as seen above. One of the top wine makers of the region is famous for saying that "one day, the black lion will eat the black rooster, and the whole world will know of Colli Fiorentini". Gotta love that kind of confidence.

With Fattoria di Lucignano, they might be a lot closer than one might think. This wine is lush with bright berries, plums, light baking spices from from oak aging, and the acids and tannins are soft and give it just enough complexity to leave you wanting more. Seek one of these out to see how cool this region is.

Here is a bit more information on this wine: Fattoria di Lucignano

A little taste of Italy

From a tasting done yesterday at Ripple:

Brunello and Sagrantino, two tastes of epic tradition in Italy. Now most people know about Brunello. It is one of the most lauded wines made in Tuscany, and for a good reason. It's elegance is unrivaled and the flavors as almost haunting. They typically have wonderful cherries and figs, mixed with earth and an amount of baking spices that feels almost like a chef put them there. The La Poderina exemplifies all of that.

One thing to know about it: the 2006 is heralded as on of the best vintages in recent memory because of the ability to drink now, or hold and drink later. This wine shows of all of the qualities of Brunello, but is also light enough that is can do without food and be a great sipping wine on its own. Below is the link for wine searcher about the wine:

La Poderina Brunello 06

And then, there was the Sagrantino. This in one of my favorite wines from one of my favorite regions. Sagrantino is one of the main grapes in Umbria's region of Montefalco. This region makes a lot of different wines, but red wise is known for two different ones: Rosso di Montefalco and Sagrantino di Montefalco. The Rosso is usually a blend involving Sangiovese and Sagrantino. Sagrantino on it's own is a hugely bold wine, with intense tannins, ripe fruits, and gritty earth. When blended with the softer Sangiovese, the fruits become lush, the finish velvety and soft, and the tannins are fare less intense. In other words, it makes the wine a lot easier to drink on its own.

The Colpetrone Sagrantino was a huge wine, perfect for the current cold weather in DC. It screams for food such as lamb and is perfect for a warm stew and a fire. If you like big wines that grab your attention, or want something interesting to set down for a while, this wine is the perfect one.

Here is the link for the Colpetrone 2007 from the tasting:

Colpetrone Sagrantino 2007

Chile Tastings and Tours

All of the different tastings we did throughout the trip. Over 300 wines...insane amount but wonderful to see the difference in every part of Chile. It really was eye opening.

Chile Trip Entertainment Video

Video of all of the food we ate and things we did besides the wine tastings. They feed us WAY too much that trip!!

Summary of the Chile Trip

This is of everything we did on the trip.

Chile Tours Video

Video of the tours we took through Chile. This will give you an idea of exactly how many places we went that trip and how insane it was.

End of Chile Video

The wine video taken at the end of my Chile Trip. Hopefully the one from Montes with my interview will be up soon too. Enjoy!