JAMESSUCKLING.COM - Chianti Classico Diaries - Tavarnelle Val di Pesa and Poggibonsi

Of all the comunes of Chianti Classico, the two we'll meet in episode eight are without a doubt the least known of all: Tavarnelle Val di Pesa and Poggibonsi. Given their relative obscurity, we thought it a good idea to group them together. Most of the land in these two comunes isn't actually Chianti Classico at all, extending instead into the realms of just Chianti. Both also give home to the largest and most urbanised towns of the region.

Nevertheless, there are one or two excellent producers who fight against the odds. One is Johannes Davaz, a Swiss whose relatives still makes pinot near Lichtenstein. Today he owns his own small but first-class property in Tavarnelle Val di Chianti Classico called "Poggio Al Sole". He explains how it can be difficult making wine in an unknown area, especially since he feels his wines belong more to the much better-known comune of Greve.

For him, stressing the comune to the consumer is obviously not something he sets his hopes on. Instead, he hopes to differentiate himself more by bottling a selection of his wine in fiasco. Long associated with Chianti Classico by wine consumers, but today better known as a bottle for cheap, fruity and basic Chiantis, the fiasco is in fact the traditional bottle shape of the region. Johannes feels that bit by bit, the bad perception of Chianti Classico made in fiasco is waning, and that there could even be a profitable market for the old relic.

In the comune of Poggibonsi, there are only two serious wine producers. Cinciano is one of them, but as commercial director Angelo Dalbello explains, the comune has always been important for other reasons – back in medieval times it was an important stop on the ancient Via Francigena, one of the great ways of the ancient world.

Similarly to Tavarnelle, it's especially frustrating situation for Cinciano because their winery actually sits on a hill above the large town, where, as Angelo asserts, ventilation, exposure and soils are all top quality. Angelo is looking to promote his brand first and foremost. He makes a good point that when it comes to quality, ultimately it's up to the producer to prove his worth.