CHIANTI CLASSICO & NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO: 2007 DEEMED A “FIVE-STAR” YEAR BY THE CONSORTIUMS OF THESE TWO GRAND TUSCAN WINES… COMMENTS BY SECTOR EXPERTS

In the terroir of Chianti Classico and Nobile di Montepulciano, 2007 has been officially judged a “five-star” year. The consortiums for the two top Tuscan denominations have both given the highest rating for last year’s harvest.

The five-star rating assigned by the Chianti Classico Consortium was also approved by the judges and international press who attended the ‘Chianti Classico Collection’ event held recently in Florence. The approval of the 180 journalists from 26 different countries, who arrived for the premiere tasting of 316 Chianti Classico labels, leaves little doubt that the quality of ‘Gallo Nero’ wines has increased exponentially in recent years.

“The 2007 preview tasting of barrels” – commented Michèle Shah, a collaborator with some of the top Italian and foreign wine magazines – “promises an excellent vintage; the 2006 and 2004 reserve are exceptional. I’d say that the efforts of producers to make a ‘Gallo Nero’ that is increasingly more elegant and less ‘heavy’ has had great results. The return to Sangiovese is the right path to exalt the particularities of the territory”.

“Another great year for our wine,” – explained the president of the Nobile di Montepulciano, Luca Gattavecchi – “which also confirms the continuity of the excellent quality of Nobile di Montepulciano. The tasting commission, which met in the Hotel Parco dei Principi of Rome in the locality of Bibenda, was made up of various experts, among whom, four enologists, two professional sommeliers, and one consumer representative… This formula allows us to give more impartial judgments, giving space to the opinions of the different subjects who see wine from various points of view”.

The excellent quality of the 2007 Nobile has also been noted by enologist Lorenzo Landi and French colleague, Christopher Ollivier who conducted a “horizontal” tasting of the three samples from the 2007 harvest. According to the French expert, “this year will be characterized by intense aromas and great structure in the wines, which will be capable of undergoing long-term aging.