Castellani Chianti DOCG

One of NZ’s very own wine buffs Steve Bennett, a qualified Master of Wine, always keeps his ear (or is that nose?) to the ground for little gems from around Europe and he sure as hell has found one in Castellani Chianti DOCG.

Wine Enthusiast magazine raved about these guys in an article not so long ago. “Castellani have been prominent members of Tuscan wine community for nearly a century. Today under the guidance of the latest Castellani generation in the person of Piergiorgio (Castellani) this ancient family company is jockeying for a position as one of the top producers of Italy.”

If you love this world famous style of Italian red you’ll love its bright red fruit, wild cherry, herby flavours. If you’re a total novice when it comes to Chianti you’ll find it hard not to love the pure drinkability of this medium bodied, juicy, fruity style red that has a fresh herb element going on in there too.

Pronounced “key-an-tee” – strict Italian wine laws mean grapes must be sourced entirely from one of the 8 Chianti regions and must be made with least 75% of the Sangiovese grape (this one has 90%). Deciphering Italian wine labels can be a mission, which is why they have a handy three-tier system of quality. DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) is at the top so you know it’s the flash stuff!

Bust out this Italian gem with your favourite Italian pizzas, pastas, lasagnes and cold cuts like salami!