Chianti Classico soars on markets: sales climb, Black Rooster prices stable

Chianti Classico, one of the oldest and most prestigious Italian wine territories, is still growing strong. Up to today, 2019 has recorded an 8% increase in sales for the Black Rooster wines, while the maximum growth is at the top of the quality pyramid - Gran Selezione - which has grown +16%, and now represents 6% of production. Further, together with the Riserva typology, it “weighs” for 37% of bottles produced, and 50% of the turnover.

The Chianti Classico Consortium revealed these figures in the same year the 2016 vintage has been put on the market, which falls on the 300th anniversary of when Cosimo III de’ Medici established the boundaries of the Denominations. The territory is in great health, therefore, as prices of bulk wines also confirm. Giovanni Manetti, president of the Consorzio, pointed out that from December 2017, there have been no fluctuations in price, thereby confirming stability and an average of 300 euros per hectoliter. These numbers are in line with the program objectives that Manetti set up during his mandate, which moreover indicates “a fair and stable compensation for the entire supply chain that is an indispensable factor for corporate planning in the medium-long term. It is also a fundamental element in the growth process of the global value of the denomination. Our declared goal is a higher positioning of the Chianti Classico product in terms of value: quality, price, visibility”.

The goal seems well underway, thanks to the combined effort of the wineries towards quality, but it is still far from being achieved. “Attention to the compatibility of viticulture with the ecosystem of the Chianti Classico region is key to ensuring a long life to a highly suitable territory. The territory will be further enriched through the activities of the Rural District of Chianti and the Application for UNESCO Landscape”.