Chianti, 2019. Ferrante

In the early 1900s, Ferrante Castellani left his family wine business and brought his family to America to seek a fuller life. His journey was peppered with the usual obstacles travelling placed in one's way, but nothing which Ferrante couldn't overcome.

While the journey was quite a story, his descendants were intrigued by the family winery in Chianti. So much so, that they contacted them and discovered that it was, indeed, still owned and operated by a Castellani. There was no descent when the proposal of partnering and bringing these incredible wines to the country that Ferrante called his home. Chianti is one of the most sought after wines in the world. At one time, in the mid-1850s, Chianti was second only to Bordeaux in popularity. Today Chianti still enjoys popularity, but competition, even from its own country, has increased by leaps and bounds. Areas like Piedmont and especially Southern Italy and Sicily are now spoken in the same luxurious terms reserved for Bordeaux and Chianti.

Our selection hails from Colli Senesi, which borders the Classico region. When strict controls went into place in the 1870s, Chianti was divided into several sections. Classico was considered the best and the rest secondary. That has changed dramatically. Colli Senesi, especially, has skyrocketed in quality as this selection demonstrates. The blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo accounts for the lavish display of wild cherry and blackberry mixed with earth tones and leather. This scintillating spectrum of flavors begs for lamb shanks slathered in rosemary and garlic or linguini with sausage and peppers.

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