Wine of the Week 08/13/08
Aquila d’Oro Chianti 2007
(Ryan) It was a hot summer night in 1861 that birthed Bettino Ricasoli, a man who’s soberness and unquestionable integrity earned him the name Iron Baron. Ricasoli stands as a long forgotten champion of 19th century Italian unification, a prime minister who succeeded the beloved Count Cavour and preceded Urbano Rattazzi. Ricasoli’s austerity and his positioning within the Italian political spectrum would skew his 
reputation both in his day and throughout history. Ricasoli was a true nationalist being the first Italian prime minister to admit Garibaldi’s revolutionary volunteers into the regular army. He annulled the government-imposed exile of Italian patriot and philosopher Giuseppe Mazzini, and also worked to resolve issues with the papacy in hopes of seeding Rome back into the hands of the Kingdom of Italy.
During the tumultuous latter half of the 19th century, he was a man who helped an infant Italian nation stand against the unbridled expansiveness of French and Prussian states. The Iron Baron believed in the utmost quality of his nation’s government but also its exports, stamping his seal of integrity most avidly in the realm of wine production. As minister of Tuscany early on in his political career—and being a rather important wine maker himself—Ricasoli put forth the first standard grape recipe (70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia Bianca) for the Chianti region, thus establishing a tradition that would be nigh strayed from for over a century. Ricasoli pioneered the modern Chianti as a dry, varietal Italian wine, a spirit from which this week’s wine the Aquila d’Oro Chianti 2007 is in a way a part of.
The primary grape of any Chianti is the Sangiovese, deriving its name from the Latin phrase meaning “blood of Jove,” but to say that the Aquila d’Oro reaches to the heavens in quality would be quite a stretch. However, the Aquila d’Oro does succeed in being a very pleasant—if unmemorable—table wine; a wine that best compliments a Wednesday night pasta dinner or a pizza pie shared with friends before a night out. It is certainly not the wine for a romantic dinner at an upscale restaurant or a high-powered business lunch. The Aquila d’Oro does not impress but does manage to surprise especially considering its price 
point (under $5).
The Aquila d’Oro does not suffer from the expansion of traditional wine growing regions as last week’s Côtes du Rhône had; it instead offers a flavor with more depth than initially expected. At first taste I was apprehensive as the wine seemed slightly too acidic but as the bottle was allowed to open up it gave way to a light peppery feel coupled with a hint of blackberries that never overwhelmed the palette with sweetness. The wine harnesses a taste that could be drier but would never be mislabeled as sweet. The Aquila d’Oro very much invites you to continue drinking as its flavor permeates your taste buds, leaving me no reservations in indulging a second glass.
The Aquila d’Oro 2007 is a budget Chianti that would never be mistaken for its more luxurious brothers, just as Bettino Ricasoli’s accomplishments would not be confused with those of Garbaldi’s, but does that make their achievements any less great? This wine is a workhorse—an unsung hero—much like the Iron Baron, something that can be drunk often if with little fanfare.
-by ryan
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