Ruffino is a long-lived name in the Italian wine industry. Two cousins, Ilario and Leopoldo, began the business in 1877, working as negociants (buying wine from other producers and blending it for sale) and making some wine from their own grapes. Although the property and the business were bought by the Folinari family in 1913, the name of Ruffino has remained on many of the Folinari wines, most of them of good quality. A recent tasting of four new releases offered a pleasant experience.
Chianti, once sold as a great bargain in flask-shaped, raffia-covered bottles in small Italian restaurants, has grown up into Bordeaux-shaped bottles and quality has grown, too, as the wine has improved to deserve its new bottles. The only problem is that small Italian restaurants no longer have old Chianti bottles to use as the candle-holders some of us remember, from both restaurants and from college-era bedrooms.
The wine that bears the name is a hearty red blend, composed mainly of Sangiovese grapes. Sangiovese is a grape whose juice has a naturally deep color, so some Caniaolo is added to provide a more desirable color, and a little flavor as well. A couple of white grapes, Malvasia Bianco and Trebbiano, may also join the blend, with the amount depending on the winemaker’s desire and taste.
So there are many Chiantis, though most have similar qualities.
We tasted a couple of bottles, a 2004 Chianti DOCG at about $9 and a 2003 Il Leo (from Ilario and Leopoldo, of course) Chianti Superiore, at about $12 and well worth the higher price. The former has a little more Canaiolo (about 10 per cent) and is considerably lighter, though there’s a hint of spice in the finish. The Superiore, aged five months in a combination of French oak and stainless steel, shows more resonant flavors and plummy aromas, plus depth and complexity that make it an excellent value.
A couple of whites also are pleasing accompaniments to light fare, like broiled chicken or a grilled trout.
Orvieto ($7) is a town and Lumina Pinot Grigio ($13) a grape, but they are delightful white wines, light enough to be an introduction to wine-drinking, and with cool, relaxing flavors. Orvieto, which stands atop a steep hill, a sheer 700 feet above the valley, also has a gorgeous cathedral, displayed on the label. It has beautiful mosaics, and just around the corner is an ice cream shop that is one of the best in Italy. Members of the Antinori family, also makers of fine wines, recommended it to us one day, and it was a highlight.
The 2005 Pinot Grigio, which is the same as the French Pinot Gris and translates to "gray pinot," is extremely fruity, and a very pleasant alternative to Chardonnay as a pre-dinner glass.
The Orvieto, also from 2005, is a blend of grapes grown in the area, and some or all of a half-dozen are combined to make the wine. Procanico, Verdello, Grechetto, Drupeggio, Canaiolo and Malvasia are among the grapes that come from the valley surrounding the mountain town of Orvieto, so wines from different producers will be a little different.
A solid quartet of Italian wines to accompany lunch or dinner.
-Joe