De Atramentis - Chianti

De Atramentis Chianti - ink drop

Today, I’m featuring Chianti from De Atramentis’ Wine series. My last De Atramentis review was Montepulciano from the same series, and like their namesake wines, these inks differ significantly. In this series, the inks are made with the actual wine. The inviting scent is unmistakably chianti!

De Atramentis Chianti - beautiful shades of red!

While Montepulciano showed a hint of plum, Chianti is a brighter, lighter, medium red. I’ve included a swatch card comparison of the two in the final image below. There’s more sunshine here, with influences that make it almost a cranberry red. Like the wine, this red is a crowd-pleaser. It's a very easy-to-like red.

De Atramentis Chianti’s dark edges and contrast

Chianti is a nice writing ink. Overall, it performed well with a smooth, comfortable flow on five test papers. There were tiny hints of spread on some uncoated papers. However, on coated papers it was sharp, and well-defined with a slight darkening on stroke edges. It took a bit long to dry, but it’s a fairly wet ink. I think it would pair well with a drier, narrower nib and feed.

De Atramentis Chianti - swatch card and drying

I like De Atramentis Chianti. It performs pretty well and has a lovely, fresh feel in appearance. I also love the concept of a series of inks made with the actual wines. However, with twenty inks, the series does feel repetitive. Of the twenty, nineteen are reds. I suggest choosing one or two that catch your eye. Like a good class of wine, they’ll make you smile!

Comparison of De Atramentis Chianti and Montepulciano