The Demystified Vine

The salmon and chard pasta was steaming on the plates for my guests, and a vividly green side salad was ready to be dug into. The bottle of Lamole di Lamole Chianti was uncorked, and poured into stemless glasses. At 15.5% alcohol by volume, I was expecting a heat punch to the tastebuds. However, what I discovered was beauty in its prime. This Chianti was ready to consume, and how we consumed it!

From a designated area in Tuscany, this Chianti has the DOCG status, which stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. It’s the Italian way of saying that the winemaker must guarantee the origin of the grapes and the stylistic authenticity of the wine. Quality is not included in these stipulations. That being said, whoever believes that you can’t find quality wine at a decent price is mistaken. This gorgeous ruby red liquid (purchased in Washington State for approximately $12.00 US) hit the spot. How can you resist the spot?

Now, for a history lesson. Pencils ready? Lamole, the town in Italy where this Chianti product came from, is actually named Pile e Lamole, just so we’re clear. The winery, Lamole, is one of the oldest traditional estates in the Classico region of Chianti. As if it doesn’t get better than that, Lamole di Lamole (as the winery is commonly referred to nowadays) has been around the block.  According to Rosemary George, a wine enthusiast who wrote Treading Grapes, Lamole was once an, “old barrel cellar, […] [and] once the storerooms of the castle of Lamole, for the village had been a Florentine lookout post in the fourteenth century” (56). Unfortunately, I was not aware of this piece of information when I was enjoying the infectious fruitiness in the bottle. If I had of known this tidbit of informazione, I probably would have made my meal a little bit more medieval to suit the historical context of the winery. That’s right, little would they have known, my guests would have eaten with their hands! Just kidding…maybe. <grin> I can only remember the clean, perfume-like essences of cherry, raspberry, and red licorice. The charming cherry and black peppery dance in my mouth was well-balanced enough to make me forget my dinner. Who needed salmon and chard over pasta when I had a full-bodied red in front of me? If you can get your hands on a bottle, I recommend exploring this wonderful Sangiovese creation by Lamole di Lamole.

Cheers!

Feel like some after blog lessons? Click here to find out more about Sangiovese, the main varietal of Chianti wine.