Under the Tuscan sun

Don't screw your nose up at Chianti. Splash out a little and get a Tuscan with true character, writes JOHN WILSON

FOR MANY OF us, Tuscany epitomises all that is great about Italy. It is certainly one of the best areas to visit on holiday. The beautiful towns and cities may be mobbed with tourists during the summer months and many of the houses are now owned by wealthy foreigners, but Tuscany still boasts incomparable views out over steep hillsides, dotted with ancient houses, olive groves and slender cypress trees.

There is a timeless quality to it all; it can seem as if nothing has changed for centuries. Above all, it has a wonderful quality of light, particularly in the early morning and late evening. Those with an interest in horticulture will know that it also has some of the finest historic gardens. The food, too, is excellent, relying on the very finest ingredients cooked with restraint and taste.

The most famous and oldest wine name in Tuscany is Chianti. Chianti is Italy's Bordeaux, its Rioja, although still not always understood. But it certainly is trendy; many of the great names in fashion and industry own large estates here. Part of the great city-state of Florence, it was one of the first wine regions to be officially recognised in 1716, although wine has been produced there for far longer.

Until recently, the recipe for Chianti included a stipulation that a percentage of the inferior white malvasia or trebbiano grapes be included, which made for many inferior, insipid wines. It also lead ambitious producers to eschew the name Chianti altogether, hence the appearance of so-called "Super Tuscans", wines that were far better (and more expensive) than most Chianti.

Thanks to a change in the regulations, Chianti has improved out of all recognition over the past decade or so. Gone are the cheap anorexic wines sold in straw-covered bottles. Modern Chianti is serious stuff, one of the world's great wines.

Tuscany has plenty of other wines too. Historically, the greatest names were Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. There has been an influx of foreign grape varieties to the fashionable coastal regions of Bolgheri and Maremma, and cabernet sauvignon is traditional in Carmignano. The fame of Tuscany however lies primarily with one grape: sangiovese. The style may vary depending on the soil and local climate, but sangiovese forms the backbone of all three traditional areas. Brunello is usually hideously expensive, and an acquired taste. Chianti Classico is the heart of Chianti. The surrounding areas of Chianti di Colli Senesi or Chianti Rufina can sometimes rise to the greatness of Classico; there are eight sub-zones in total.

Simple Chianti is far riskier. Stories abound of wine being shipped up from the south to fill out scrawny cheap Chianti. More modern versions are better, but beware of the cheap stuff. Quality Chianti, from any of these regions, is a wonderful combination of perfume and elegance, savoury dark fruits and acidity, firm and angular. It is not the easiest wine to take to at first, but well worth making the effort.

A Chianti Classico from one of the best producers usually costs €20-30 a bottle. I still find them good value. You get the real character of sangiovese without the expense of the riservas or other premium wines. Most improve for a year or two (up to a decade in the best vintages). Drunk with plainly grilled red meats, beef, lamb or game, possibly with a green salad dressed with a genuine Tuscan extra virgin olive oil and some fresh tomatoes, this is simple food and sophisticated wine at its finest.

Bottles of the week

Poggerissi 2010, IGT Rosso di Toscana, 13%, €9.99-€10.99This is not the most Tuscan of the wines here, lacking the tannic bite of sangiovese. However, it does have plenty of delicious, ripe, juicy fruits and a seamless finish. Great value all-weather wine to drink on holiday or at home. Stockists: Listons, Camden St; On the Grapevine, Dalkey; No 1 Pery Square, Limerick; Morton's, Salthill; PoppySeed, Clarinbridge; Cabot Co, Westport, Co Mayo.

Chianti Classico 2009, Castellare, 13.5%, €18.99Textbook Chianti Classico. Medium-bodied with bright, ripe, dark cherry fruits, good balancing acidity and a clean finish. Delicious wine that would go perfectly with most red meats. Stockists: Wines on the Green, Dawson St; McCabe's, Blackrock; La Touche Wines, Greystones; Red Island Wines, Skerries.

Rosso di Montalcino, Gianni Brunelli, 2010, 13.5%, €24.99This is a wine that improved with a little air. On opening, it was a little reticent showing some sangiovese character with light cherries and tea, good acidity and some dry tannins on the finish. However, after an hour or so, it opened up wonderfully to reveal a gentle, sophisticated, graceful elegance. Refreshing yet balanced, it went perfectly with food. Rosso di Montalcino is the kid brother of Brunello, often more approachable and always less expensive. Stockists: Mitchell Son, Glasthule, CHQ and mitchellandson.com; McDaniels, Brittas Bay; Myles Doyle, Main Street, Gorey.

Fontodi, Chianti Classico 2008, 14%, €24.99Fontodi is one of my favourite producers in Chianti Classico. The wines combine power and elegance with authentic Tuscan sangiovese character. The 2008 is still young, but already shows lovely, lightly spicy, dark cherry and blackcurrant fruits, and good tannic length. Harmonious wine with real substance. The reserve wines, if you can afford them, are superb. Stockists: 64 Wine, Glasthule; UnWined, Swords; Drink Store, D7; The Vineyard, Galway; Fallon Byrne, Exchequer Street; Wicklow Wine Co; Harvey Nichols, Dundrum; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; thewineshop.ie.