On February 16 and 17 the "Chianti Classico Collection" returns, as every year presenting the latest Black Rooster vintages to the wine press and trade at the Stazione Leopolda in Florence.

One hundred and forty wineries will be offering tastings of more than 350 labels and there will be 60-some barrel previews of the 2009 wines.

Registration is open! Sector operators wishing to attend one of the top wine-world events can simply go to www.chianticlassico.com to sign up for admission on February 17, beginning at noon.

In 2009 more than 200 journalists from all over the world and more than 1300 dealers came to a "Chianti Classico Collection" that despite the cold winds of recession scored excellent figures as well as kudos from the critics and the public for the "new vintages" then being presented.

This year the traditional two-day event devoted to the Black Rooster is being held on February 16 and 17, as usual in the lovely Stazione Leopoldo in Florence (Viale Fratelli Rosselli, 5), by now its customary venue.

This year’s "Collection" is born under the finest auspices, with recent praise from international critics that has placed Chianti Classico on the Olympus of world enology. Such as that from Wine Spectator, which gave fifth-place ranking among the world’s 100 finest wines to Chianti Classico Castello di Brolio (and rated another 5 Black Rooster labels among the top 35), or Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, which gave ratings of more than 90 points to 50 of the 2005 and 2006 Chianti Classico wines.

Results that reward the road to quality that Chianti Classico vintners took some time ago and that increase interest in the February presentation, featuring not only previews of a highly promising 2009 but also the latest vintages that have just gone on the market: the products of 140 wineries for a total of 350 labels and 60 barrel previews of the 2009 vintage will be presented for tasting.

The seventeenth edition of the Florentine event will also be an occasion for consortium members and attending journalists to take an in-depth look at the American market, provided by experts from overseas: on February 17 at 11 a.m. in the Sala Alcatraz there will be a round table on the U.S, market in the context of the cycle of conferences on "Chianti Classico and International Markets".

Again in the Alcatraz Room, at 2:30 p.m. the Carlo Cambi Editore publishing house will present the book "Tuscany. Soul of Wine, Obedience to the Land" by journalist Andrea Zanfi.

Keeping to tradition, the first day, February 16, will be devoted exclusively to the Italian and foreign wine press, while from noon on February 17 the event will also be open to sector operators, who can meet with producers and sample their wines until 8 pm.