If you have driven around Tuscany hopefully you took the time to make a pilgrimage to Badia a Coltibuono. The ancestral home of the Stucchi family is world renowned for its olive oil, its cooking classes, their fine hotel and restaurant, and most of all, for their wines.
In the last generation, cookbook author and chef Lorenza dé Medici di Ottajano was the company’s matriarch, while her son, Roberto Stucchi, has taken over the winemaking tasks. Like many of the more popular Chiantis, Stucchi’s can reach stratospheric prices, but luckily you can still score a bottle of their wonderful wines for under $20.
The wine in question is Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico ($19), a delicious Sangiovese and Canaiolo blend. The wine is a gentle reminder of the Tuscan countryside with flowers, black pepper, and red berry aromas. Try it with any tomato-sauced pasta along with whatever protein suits you. Enjoy a fun comparison by trying one of the various vaunted Texas versions of Sangiovese. Many of the Texas versions cost far more than Badia a Coltibuono’s, which is one of the lowest cost Chianti Classicos from a premium Tuscan winery. The price differential is amazing given the fact that it is made from organic grapes that are hand-picked in the vineyard and then shipped half way around the world.
This article appears in March 29 • 2019.
