Ruffino Chianti

Ruffino's Chianti is a Sangiovese-led Italian red at 13.5% ABV. The flavors to expect are fresh cherry, strawberry and red plum, the bright red-fruit profile that Sangiovese is known for. Wines in this style usually run medium in body with lively acidity and moderate, fine-grained tannin, and they tend to finish dry and savory rather than sweet or heavily oaked. Chianti can include a small share of white grapes in the blend, which is one reason the wine often comes across as lighter and more open than a pure-Sangiovese Chianti Classico. That acidity is the key to using it at the table. It cuts through tomato, cheese and cured meat, which is why Chianti handles red-sauce pasta, pizza and salami sandwiches so well, and it holds up just as easily with simpler fare like a burger or a plate of baked pasta. Grilled sausages, roasted vegetables and hard cheeses such as pecorino or aged Parmigiano also suit it. Rich, heavily sauced dishes will tend to overpower it, so keep it with food that has some tomato or salt to meet its brightness. Serve it lightly cooled, around 16 to 18°C (60 to 64°F). Twenty minutes in the refrigerator before opening is usually enough to bring a room-temperature bottle into range, and serving it too warm makes the fruit taste flat and the alcohol more noticeable. Decanting is not needed. Pull the cork and pour into a standard red wine glass with a moderate bowl, which gives the cherry and plum aromas room without exaggerating the alcohol. This is a drink-now bottle. Chianti at this level is made for freshness and generally loses vibrancy within a few years rather than improving, so the youngest vintage you can find will show the most fruit and energy. Buy it to open soon, not to cellar.