Taking Chianti Classico seriously

This is the first in a series of articles this week on Tuscan wines. See here for the tasting notes that complement it and see Guide to Walter's Tuscan week for links to all the other articles.

Chianti Classico comes in two versions, a normale, which can be sold from the first of October of the year following the harvest, and a Riserva, which needs at least 24 months of ageing, so the Collezione Chianti Classico, the large annual tasting in Florence, always presents at least two consecutive vintages. However, year after year, the range of vintages gets broader and...