Whom You Know: Champagne Wishes: Santa Cristina Chianti Superiore 2009 Highly Recommended by Whom You Know

Friday, May 20, 2011

Champagne Wishes: Santa Cristina Chianti Superiore 2009 Highly Recommended by Whom You Know

VINTAGE
*Mild temperatures and heavy rainfall during the winter and spring provided ideal conditions for budbreak and fruitset.
*The rainy weather continued through June and July. The availability of water encouraged abundant vegetation growth, which necessitated careful management by the vineyard team to maintain a proper ratio of fruit production to vegetation.
*Dry weather in August allowed the grapes to ripen properly.
*Harvest began with the Merlot in the second week of September. The harvest for the Sangiovese started in the third week of September, concluding in mid-October.

HISTORY
*The Chianti Superiore DOCG was created to distinguish wines from the Chianti zone, by establishing an increased quality standard.
*As this DOCG was only recently introduced (1996), it is less familiar than other traditional Tuscan appellations. The grapes used are the typical, traditional varieties of the area: very high percentages of Sangiovese (75% minimum) blended with international varieties, such as Merlot.
*The DOCG rules impose strict and precise regulations regarding the aging period which must last at least 9 months, including at least 2 months in bottle.
*Chianti Superiore represents the most typical expression of Tuscan character. It stands alongside the ‘classic’ Santa Cristina 60 years after its creation, to confirm and reiterate the rich Santa Cristina tradition.

VINIFICATION
*The grapes were picked at different times and fermented separately to extract their best features.
*The Merlot grapes were harvested first, undergoing maceration for 7-8 days to extract soft tannins and fruity aromas before fermentation.
*After a soft crushing, the Sangiovese experienced a slightly longer maceration period of 10-12 days in order to increase the complexity of flavors extracted.
*The wine was aged partly in oak and partly in stainless steel tanks for a total of nine months before aging in bottles for two additional months.

Origin
Chianti Superiore DOCG

Blend
95% Sangiovese
5% Merlot

Alcohol
13%

Item #102 © 2011 Imported from Italy by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Ltd., Woodinville, WA 98072

Winemaker’s Notes
Ruby red color with purple hues. Ripe red fruit aromas, particularly cherry and redcurrant, dominate the nose, while hints of vanilla from the oak aging develop as the wine breathes. The palate is well-balanced and complex, with sweet tannins and ripe red fruit notes upfront, and more savory flavors lingering on the finish. The Champagne Wishes panel raves:

Velvety smooth finish? Check. Subtle berries and florals? Check. Subtle flavor. No way! Santa Cristina's Chianti is robust flavor that doesn't hit you over the head, yet unwraps like a lovely wrapped present. You start with the great berry scent and flavor, which gives way to a fantastic floral bouquet. I found this wine smooth and fantastic to drink. The color is like beautiful garnets which make you feel warm as soon as you take your first sip. As most people know, Chianti is a fabulous companion to food, so you really cannot go wrong (of course keeping in the red-sauce variety will always pay off)! I paired on a cool evening with veal parmesean and found them to play off each other with perfection. Check this bottle out now, before cool spring evenings give way to warmer summer nights and you will not be disappointed.

Chiantis seem so festive to me. When I am planning a great dinner party, I put a lot of thought into what wines to serve. I tend to always have a solid Chianti available for my guests. As I have enjoyed some of the other wines from Santa Christina, I was excited to try their Chianti. There prices are very fair and they tend to produce wines that exceed my expectations. For this reason I find their wines a great value. Ruby in color, with an intense bouquet of dark berry fruits. Silky and smooth going down. The blend is harmonious and I find it hard to put my glass down. The intense yet soft flavors are very pleasing. This is a wine that is going to make a great addition to my everyday table wine.

I have always heard some of my friends talk about how much they enjoy Chianti, but I've always been a bit nervous to try it. I think it's because I tend to stick with what I know when it comes to wine and I don't like to venture outside of that in fear of getting something I won't like. I was so glad I tried the Chianti. With a ruby red color to it, I knew right away this would be a wine I loved. Dark red wines are ones that tend to fill my wine cabinet. This wine had a nice cherry and redcurrant aroma to it. It had a finish of red floral notes to it. I couldn't believe how well this wine paired with everything I paired it with. Cheese, Italian, or alone, this wine was one that no matter how I drank it, it didn't let me down. It was another perfect wine to enjoy at the end of a hard day at work. I will definitely keep this wine stocked in my wine cabinet.

www.santacristina1946.it

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