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A chance to compare a recent vintage with the same wine from 1979

Chianti Extravaganza with #ItalianFWT
This month our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group is digging deep into Chianti. Everyone knows about Chianti, but there is so much more to learn, even for enthusiasts. We hope you enjoy our exploration. Take a look further down in this post to find a dozen different takes on Chianti, the best known wine from all of Italy.

1979 vs. 2011 – Every older bottle of wine is both a time machine and a gamble

Aged Chianti: A Gamble and a Time Machine
I don’t usually think about putting aside Chianti for 20+ years. I  consider it as “ready to go” and not really a wine for aging. Chianti is enjoyable young, often with plenty of earthy aromatics even a few years out from vintage. However, I knew one of my favorite local shops had a small supply of truly old Chianti from a trusted producer and local distributor known for properly cellaring their wines.

Both are beautiful, 32 years apart

Chianti or not, every older wine purchase is a gamble, so many things can happen over all those years. Even a small flaw will be enhanced over time. Was the wine properly cellared? Did you know how to handle the wine even when you took it into your possession?

Color fades a bit and takes on a warmer tone as a red wine ages. Beautiful!

Where Were You in 1979?
On the flip side, an older bottle of wine is a mini-time machine. Where (and who) were you when those grapes were growing on the vine? In 1979, I graduated from college. I was a brand new Ensign in the US Navy. I was just finishing up Submarine Officer School and had been assigned to the USS Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN685), a submarine that today sits cut into pieces in a large scrapyard. I was young and in love, but I wasn’t married. My girlfriend at the time is now my wife of 34 years!

Rufina and Fattoria Selvapiana
Fattoria Selvapiana has a long and fascinating history under the stewardship of the Giuntini family for five generations since 1827. The current managers of the property are actually the adopted sons of Falesco Giuntini, being the offspring of the longtime facility manager from 1953-1990. That’s loyalty to your employees and associates! The property totals 250 hectares, with only 58 hectares under vine. The remainder are maintained with olives or left to forest.

The family’s mission over all these years has been to raise the reputation of the Rufina appellation to stand shoulder to shoulder with Chianti Classico. They farm organically and since 1992 have used long macerations and native yeasts in the cellar. The Rufina appellation is physically separate from the more famous Chianti Classico area. A map of the Chianti Rufina DOCG area here.

The moral of the story? When you’re looking for high quality Chianti from a historic source, you can look beyond the black rooster of Chianti Classico. Try some of the other villages, like Rufina!

A well made wine can last for many years. This was mature but still lively.

Fattoria Selvapiana Chianti Rufina Riserva DOC 1979 ($100 from Sunfish Cellars)
Eye: Clear, pale garnet with a definite wide warm brick edge.
Nose: Clean, medium- intensity. Leather, raisins, grandpa’s closet, dried cherries far in the background.
Mouth: 12% alcohol by volume (abv) Bone dry, medium+ acidity, medium- tannins, medium- body. Still lively and a bit astringent; lean and old school. Raisins, figs and sour cherries, spicy and leathery with a nice long finish. Particularly good with our Aglione Roast Chicken at dinner.

At 2011 this wine already has a few years under its’ belt.

Fattoria Selvapiana Chianti Rufina Riserva “Vigneto Bucerchiale” DOCG 2011 ($23 at Sunfish Cellars)
Since 1979, the Vigneto Bucerchiale, a single vineyard, has been elevated as the flagship wine of Fattoria Selvapiana. It’s made from 100% Sangiovese, from old vines surrounding the estate house.

Eye: Clear, pale ruby with a wide ruby edge. Only a littler darker than the older wine.
Nose: Clean, medium intensity. Cherries and leather. You can get a sense of the 30+ year old wine in the nose of the new wine. You can tell they’re related. Cool!
Mouth: This wine is 15% abv, although it carries it well. Dry, medium acidity, medium tannins, medium+ body. More tannic than the older wine, seems less brightly acidic. While not fruit forward, the fruit is highlighted more and stands in front of the other components.

Two Selvapiana Chianti Rufina’s with Aglione Roast Chicken
We paired our Chianti duo with a simple roast chicken stuffed with a fresh herb rub typical of north-central Italy. For an aged red wine, I wanted a dish with herbal interest but something that wouldn’t overpower the more delicate older wine. Our chicken did the trick! The herbal influence was gentle and allowed the older aromas and flavors of the wine to shine.

See What Our Italian Food, Wine & Travel Buddies Are Sharing
Join our Italian Food Wine and Travel group on Saturday Oct. 7 at 10am CDT on Twitter as we discuss our Chianti findings. We’ll all be posting and chatting, join us! Just look for the #ItalianFWT hashtag on Twitter Saturday morning!

See what our Italian Food Wine & Travel Enthusiasts have to offer:

• Jennifer at Vino Travels Italy shares “Chianti of Terricola with Fattoria Fibbiano”
• Nicole at Somms Table shares “Cooking to the Wine: Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico with Italian Meatloaf & Pasta Pomodoro”
• Jane at Always Ravenous shares “Classic Tuscan Ragù Paired with Chianti”
• Li at The Wining Hour shares “Chianti Superiore, A Wine with Many Faces”
• Jill at L’Occasion shares “Chianti Lessons”
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Rolling the Dice on a 1979 Chianti Rufina”
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “Experience Chianti Classico with Montefioralle”
• Katarina from Grapevine Adventures shares “Collaboration, Passion, and Tradition Makes You Stronger – Vignaioli di Radda”
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “A Glass of Chianti & Dreams of Porchetta”
• Gwen at Wine Predator shares “Chianti: Beyond the Straw Bottle“
• Susannah at Avvinare shares “Wines from Chianti Colli Fiorentini – Worthy of Our Attention“

Aglione ingredients for a flavorful rub