This started from an Eric Asimov column.
Asimov is the New York Times' wine critic. We don't have the same palate, but we share a love of Chianti Classico. It's the perfect red wine for a pasta-based dinner: complex enough to stay interesting, while refreshing enough to cleanse the palate.
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Asimov still does the hard work of finding affordable wines to recommend; his 20 Bottles Under $20 is always worth reading. I did a column like that every two weeks early in my career and I can tell you it's a slog. There are true gems, but you taste a lot of dreck to find them.
In January, Asimov wrote: "In the many years that I’ve been making such recommendations, the range of available bottles has shifted entirely. At one time, certain Burgundies and cru Beaujolais were among the great values. Nowadays, hardly ever. Oregon Pinot Noirs? Chianti Classicos? Rarely." He also recommended a Chianti because, he wrote: "My favorite region, Chianti Classico, has largely left the $20 category behind."
Ouch! He's not wrong, but he kinda is. I deeply respect Asimov, who is arguably the best wine critic in the US today. But he has an editorial stance of avoiding big producers and seeking out obscurities. This is part of what makes him great to read, but just try finding his recommended wines outside (or even inside) Manhattan.
Fortunately, there are still Chianti Classicos at $20 and under, and I'm here to help you find them.
"To me, wine is still an every day thing," Badia a Coltibuono proprietor Roberto Stucchi Prinetti told Wine-Searcher. "It needs to be affordable. It's a bit of a curse for the producer, to be value for money, but it does keep wine by the glass on restaurant menus."
Asimov's statement about Chianti Classicos was on my mind in February when I made my annual pilgrimage to Anteprima Toscana, a gigantic tasting for the world press of new-release wines from Tuscany.
Asimov actually buys (and hopefully expenses) the wines he reviews, whereas at the Anteprima, I sit in a big hall for two days and summon any of 1000 or more Chianti Classicos via app, and a sommelier appears to pour them. It's a taster's dream, but the downside is that most of us there are divorced from the reality of the wine shop. In past years I have fallen in love with tiny-production wines and single-variety oddities (Chianti Classico must be at least 80 percent Sangiovese.) Example: a colleague and I really dug a 100-percent Canaiolo made in an amphora, but it does not appear to exist anywhere online.
This year, inspired by Asimov, I decided to do what newspaper folks call "reader service". I made a list of every Chianti Classico that is available somewhere in the US for $20 or less. Then I tasted all of them. Now I am going to recommend the best of them, all of which I personally gave 90 points or more.
Don't @ me if the wine is $23 in your local store: these were available somewhere for $20 in February. This method forced me to ignore many of my favorite brands, while getting me to taste the big brands that give Asimov the hives. But I think if he tries these wines, he'll like them, because another thing we agree on is the greatness of the good. In other words, a wine that goes with dinner need not punch you in the face with its awesomeness, but instead is best judged by whether or not the bottle is empty at the end of the night.
Thanks for the inspiration Eric, and keep up the slog so I don't have to.
The wines
Please note that vintage matters a lot: 2022 in Tuscany was hot and dry, while 2023 was rainy. The '22s in most cases will be heavier and lower in acidity than the '23s. Whether that's a good thing or not is up to you.
2023 Capraia Chianti Classico Appealing red berry aroma with floral and tobacco notes. Lip-smacking freshness, bright cherry fruit, good length.
2023 Castello di Querceto Chianti Classico Dark cherry and tobacco-leaf aroma that is slightly shy. It's also light on the palate, but has characteristic flavors and is flawless. I suspect this bottle would empty while everyone talks about other wines.
2023 Castello Vicchiomaggio Guado Alto Chianti Classico Lively cherry with a savory note and aromas of earth and tobacco leaf. Good length. Has the brightness but also the seriousness that you want from Chianti Classico.
2023 Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Smells like potting soil with notes of dried cherry and wood. That makes the bright cherry up front a pleasant surprise. Thicker tannins call out for protein; the wine has a long finish.
2023 Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico Very nice aroma of ripe cherries with notes of earth and tobacco leaf. Lively cherry fruit with nice balance on the palate; elegant finish. A lot of Chianti Classicos need food, but this one you might also enjoy drinking alone.
2023 Viticcio Chianti Classico Nice freshness, with bright cherry fruit and an earthy aroma. A nice dinner wine.
2022 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Earthy aroma with dried cherry and herbs. The product of a hot summer, this has richer cherry and is less savory on the palate than you often see from this winery, which is a longtime favorite of mine.
2022 Castello di Radda Chianti Classico Earthy aroma with cherry, dried chile and a violet note. It's lighter than most in a hot year, probably as a result of the higher elevation, cooler Radda terroir. For fans of lighter wines; you know who you are.
2022 Dievole Petrignano Chianti Classico Nice aroma of cherry with unexpected stone fruit and some fresh herb. Lively cherry up front with a hint of apricot. A lip-smacking wine with good complexity. Delightful.
2022 Fattoria di Petroio Pretty aroma of cherry with floral notes from the inclusion of 5 percent Malvasia Nera. Dark cherry on the palate with a violet note; tannins are well-managed. Could use a touch more acidity, but the flavors and aromas are very nice.
2022 Vallepicciola Chianti Classico Cherry, dried chile and black pepper aroma. Fresh cherry up front with an elegant though short finish. A classic of the form.
2021 Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva Most Riservas are too expensive to make this list. This is exactly the kind of wine Asimov would never taste: not only is it from a big company, but it includes 5 percent Merlot. It's a solid, widely available wine with dark cherry fruit and soft tannins. We wine writers don't praise big companies often enough for doing a good job when, for many Americans, this will be their introduction to the category, and perhaps even to wine itself.
2021 Cecchi Valore di Famiglia Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Similar to the above, Gran Selezione is the highest category of Chianti Classico and most are $50 and above, but this big-company wine can be found for $20. It delivers bright cherry and drinkability. If you put it up against other Gran Seleziones, it isn't in the same league, except for the smoothness of the tannins. But in the $20 and under category, it holds up nicely. I'd drink it.
