A perfect wine for anything tomato-based since the acidity and fruit meld nicely together. Chianti is made predominantly from the sangiovese grape (at least 80 percent) and nowhere on earth does it produce better wines than in Italy's Tuscany. The Isassi moniker indicates the grapes originated from a single vineyard and the Classico part of this equation means the fruit comes from an area deemed "better" and must follow certain blending and aging rules. I've tasted plenty of basic Chiantis that kicked Classico's ass, but this one, well… it's pretty freakin' good.
This article appears in Mar 11-17, 2009.
