In episode IV, we're off to the western side of Chianti Classico visiting the commune of Castellina in Chianti. You'll see that in the village (remember that each commune is a village as well as a larger surrounding area) most of the fifteenth and sixteenth century architecture still survives, but today Castellina is as much a wine as historical destination.
Fattoria Nittardi is our first stop and we hear from owner/managing director Leon Femfert. Nittardi makes two Chianti Classico wines: Casanuova di Nittardi and Nittardi Riserva, bottled only in the best years and from selected grapes from one vineyard only. Like most producers in Chianti Classico, the majority of their land is devoted to sangiovese, though Nittardi does have a small plot of merlot.
Leon gives us his comparison of Chianti Classico and Burgundy. Many (including producers already featured in the series) cite Burgundy as a good example of a subarea delimitation that works and that could be a good example for Chianti Classico to follow. Yet as Leon argues, there is not nearly as much uniformity within say Castellina as within, for example, the Côte-d'Or, one of Burgundy's most illustrious appellations. He concludes that the most important move for the region should be working to increase quality first, and then moving on to explaining the commune to the consumer later. Ultimately, it's about what's in the glass.
Next to take center stage in episode IV of Chianti Classico diaries is Alessandro Cellai, chief winemaker of Castellare in Castellina. This is an e state that's gone one step further than Nittardi and exclusively (plus organically) farms indigenous varietals – sangiovese, cannaiolo, ciliegiolo and colorino.
Whilst Alessandro maintains that not using international grape varieties should be something of great importance for the region, he acknowledges that even a clone may come across differently in a wine if planted in another area of Chianti Classico. Ultimately, says Alessandro, it's all about the differences in microclimates and soils between each area in Chianti Classico, and this is best summed up by the division of each commune.
-JMS
