Chianti & Chianti Classico

Brolio Riserva is the flagship of Italy's most traditional winery – a wine that bears the signature of the Ricasoli family year after year and at the same time captures the extraordinary diversity of the Brolio terroir. The 100% Sangiovese grapes come from the five characteristic soil types of the estate between 280 and 480 metres above sea level – a terroir mosaic of sandstone, Galestro, Alberese, marine and fluvial deposits that lend the wine exceptional complexity. After controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks with 12 to 16 days of maceration, the wine matures for 18 months in first and second passage tonneaux before resting for a further three months in the bottle. Intense ruby red in colour with garnet reflections, the bouquet combines ripe black cherry, spicy notes and an elegant hint of vanilla. A generous fullness unfolds on the palate, supported by silky tannins and lively freshness – a harmonious, multi-layered Chianti Classico that perfectly balances tradition and international elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

What distinguishes a Riserva from an Annata? Time. Time to select the best Sangiovese grapes from the estate's twelve plots. Time for a 25-day vinification process that is conducted with the utmost respect for tradition. And time for at least 21 months in French oak barrels, followed by further bottle ageing before the wine leaves the estate.

A name rises: Vallenuova, previously the estate's entry-level Chianti, will become a Riserva with the 2023 vintage. The vineyard, which surrounds the winery like a natural amphitheatre, bears the place name – still the official address of Tolaini in Castelnuovo Berardenga. What has changed is the time: instead of ten months, the Riserva now matures for much longer in a triad of Tuscan, Slavonian and Austrian oak before resting in the bottle for another few months. The base is now also clearly defined: 100% Sangiovese from silty-clayey soils with limestone and stones. Double selection – by hand in the vineyard, visually in the cellar – 20 days of maceration on the skins, temperature-controlled fermentation.

Two names characterise this Riserva: Il Corno and Poggio Selvale. The Sangiovese grapes from which Castello di Radda creates its classic Riserva style come from these two top vineyards, situated between 350 and 450 metres above sea level. The clayey-calcareous soils with their high proportion of Galestro and Alberese – the characteristic limestone slate of the region – give the wine mineral depth and structural complexity. In this coolest zone of the Chianti Classico, where dense forests surround the vineyards and the temperature fluctuations between day and night are particularly pronounced, the Sangiovese reveals its most elegant side. After manual harvesting, the grapes are destemmed and fermented in 50-hectolitre stainless steel tanks. Maceration on the skins lasts three to four weeks – a luxury that only fully ripe grapes from top vineyards allow. Malolactic fermentation takes place in wood before the wine begins its 20-month maturation: in French second and third passage tonneaux and in 20-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels. A nine-month bottle maturation completes the development.

Multi-layered aroma, lots of dark cherry fruit, delicate herbal spice and cedar flavours. Juicy dark wild cherries on the palate, ripe, perfectly integrated tannins, elegant and delicate, fine mineral spice, surprisingly full-bodied and animating. A representative of the appellation that opens up beautifully and hits the right notes, like something out of a picture book! SUPERIORE.DE

This exceptional Chianti Classico comes from the golden basin of the Conca d'Oro near Panzano and bears the pioneering achievements of the di Napoli family. As early as 1975, Alceo di Napoli was one of the first in the Chianti region to venture into planting Cabernet Sauvignon – a vision that was to revolutionise the traditional Sangiovese profile and is now part of Castello dei Rampolla's DNA. The grapes thrive on 42 hectares of limestone-rich soil at an altitude of around 360 metres, where Sangiovese (90%) blends with small proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to create a harmonious cuvée. The estate has consistently followed biodynamic principles since 1994 – long before they became a trend. The vineyards are home to a living ecosystem: flowers and herbs grow unhindered between the rows of vines, naturally oxygenated water nourishes the vines, and only copper, sulphur and bee propolis are used to protect the vines.

Lamole. Giovanni Manetti has long regarded this zone as one of the most distinctive in Chianti Classico. At an altitude of 620 metres, far from the heart of the region, a few plots of old Sangiovese vines survived the wave of deforestation in the 1970s. Giovanni took cuttings from these Alberello vines from the 1920s to grow his own vines in Panzano: the foundation for Fontodi's quality. This wine is made from seven hectares of Macigno sandstone, whose loose, permeable structure ensures elegance and finesse. Cool nights, long growing season, south-south-west exposure. The sandy soils give the Sangiovese a lightness that is clearly different from the powerful wines from Panzano. Vinification in concrete, certified organic.

Castello di Monsanto's Chianti Classico Riserva is a fabulous wine that punches well above its weight. Dark cherry, plum, liquorice, spice, leather, lavender and tobacco run through this wonderfully nuanced and vibrant Riserva. It is surprisingly expressive and open even at a young age and will continue to drink well for over 15 years. Sweet floral notes extend the finish of this medium-bodied, graceful and well-structured wine. Interesting Storage potential! SUPERIORE.DE

In 1966, when the Italian wine world was at a crossroads, Domenico Poggiali took the bold step of acquiring the then neglected lands of Castelnuovo Berardenga. His son-in-law Giuseppe Mazzocolin, the humanist professor and friend of Luigi Veronelli, subsequently turned this adventure into a legend. Together with the young OenologistFranco Bernabei, they created the first Berardenga in 1967 – a Sangiovese that epitomises the true essence of south-eastern Chianti Classico. The vineyards extend over the geologically heterogeneous terraces between 320 and 420 metres above sea level, where quartz-rich sandstone and calcareous Alberese in the upper areas meet sandstone and clay towards the Crete Senesi. This "Terra di Confine" – the borderland between Chianti Classico and the Colli Senesi – characterises the unmistakable character.

Wine has been made here since 1051 – first by monks, and since 1846 by the Stucchi Prinetti family, now in its seventh generation. Badia a Coltibuono, the "Abbey of the Good Harvest", was the first leading winery in Chianti to switch completely to organic cultivation. The Riserva comes from massalselection of Sangiovese and historical complementary varieties such as Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo, grown on the highest hills near Gaiole. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, three weeks of maceration, then 24 months in French and Austrian oak barrels. The 2021 vintage benefited from a cool year with late frost – lower yields, but concentrated quality.

Between the hills of Gaiole and Radda in Chianti, at an altitude of 460 to 525 metres, lies one of the most extraordinary wine estates in Tuscany. Since 1982, Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebasti have shaped the fortunes of Castello di Ama – a winemaking couple who have helped Chianti Classico achieve worldwide recognition. "Ama" was created in 2010 with the introduction of the Gran Selezione as an independent line and represents the essence of the estate's younger Sangiovese clones. Made from 96% Sangiovese and 4% Merlot, the wine comes from densely planted vineyards on chalky, clayey soils. The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand, fermented spontaneously with natural yeasts and matured for twelve months in second-use barriques.

In 1090, while Leif Erikson was discovering America and the first universities in Europe were being established, two friends of Abbot Rolando paid "two capons, three loaves of bread and six silver denarii from Lucca" for the annual lease of a vineyard in the divine valley of Dievole. Nine hundred (Novecento) years later, in 1990, this wine was created as a reminiscence of the incredible journey through the centuries. The grapes thrive between 300 and 420 metres above sea level on stony soils of marl, limestone and galestro. The vines, which are on average 15 years old and cultivated organically as in the early days of this domain, undergo a 14-day spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in cement vats before maturing for 18 months in large, unroasted French Allier oak barrels.

The organically certified Sangiovese grapes for this Chianti Classico are grown in the legendary Conca d'Oro south of Panzano, that amphitheatrical Golden Valley with its unique microclimate of warm days and cool nights. Giovanni Manetti, president of the Consorzio Chianti Classico, vinifies exclusively hand-picked grapes in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts on the chalky Galestro soils of his 170-hectare Tenuta. After three weeks of maceration, the wine matures for 18 months in French oak barrels of various sizes.

While the Chianti Classico Ruspoli Annata shows the accessible, fresh side of Lilliano, the Riserva reveals the depth and maturity that lie dormant in the estate's best parcels. Selected only in outstanding years and from the Tenuta's best vineyards, it represents the potential of the Sangiovese grape on the chalky Alberese soils of Castellina in Chianti. The 2020 vintage is considered exceptional in Tuscany: balanced temperatures, moderate rainfall and a long, warm autumn allowed the grapes to ripen perfectly. The cuvée of 95 per cent Sangiovese and five per cent Merlot is fermented in small stainless steel and cement tanks after selective hand-picking before the wine matures for 14 to 15 months in large French oak barrels – a conscious decision in favour of traditional ageing, which gives the Sangiovese structure without dominating it. A further six months of bottle ageing round off the development.

Cellole Gran Selezione impresses with its usual elegance and sophistication. Its masterfully balanced flavour profile of wild berry and blackberry with cassis, blueberry and candied rose is fantastic. On closer inspection, the wine reveals orange peel, rosemary and iron ore. It is a silky and elegant wine with some firm tannin, lots of bright fruit and a hint of crisp acidity. Undoubtedly a great wine with great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

A commitment, not a compromise: while other Chianti producers have long favoured international varieties, Castellare di Castellina sticks to the authentic formula. No Cabernet, no Merlot – only Sangioveto and Canaiolo, as tradition demands. The grapes for this Riserva ripen in a natural amphitheatre near Castellina, on limestone and galestro between 350 and 400 metres above sea level. Fifteen months in French oak, a further fifteen in the bottle – time enough to mould character without disguising origin.

The 2022 marks a significant transition: it is the last vintage that Paolo de Marchi characterised before Emanuele Reolon took over as technical director. But the signature remains unmistakable. Since the 1980s, de Marchi was one of the first in Chianti Classico to plant high-density vineyards with low-yielding Sangiovese clones on poor Galestro soils at an altitude of 400 metres – a revolution in quality. The cuvée of 90% Sangiovese, supplemented by 10% Canaiolo, ferments for twelve days in stainless steel using the characteristic délestage method, which de Marchi has been refining since 1996. Seven months of ageing in barriques of different sizes give the wine complexity without dominance.

Bright ruby red colour. Warm, balsamic bouquet of black cherry, some plum and blackcurrant syrup, then firm, complex and spicy on the palate, the fruit beautifully present and with a wonderfully long finish with notes of leather and sweet tobacco. The well-structured tannins perfectly round off the overall picture of a serious red with personality and character. The 20/24-month ageing in French oak barrels (25-35 hl), followed by a further year in the bottle, enriches the aromatic complexity of the wine with a clear focus on balance and elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

In the dizzying heights of Lamole, one of the highest appellations in Chianti Classico, the Sangiovese grapes for this exceptional Riserva grow at 470 to 655 metres. The historic terraces of local Macigno del Chianti – the characteristic sandstone that stores the sun's heat during the day and releases it again at night – create a unique microclimate for this organically certified wine. Lareale combines grapes from two of Lamole's best vineyards: "Il Prato" and "Le Masse". 95 per cent Sangiovese, supplemented by five per cent Canaiolo Nero, produce a Chianti Classico of remarkable elegance and oysteriness after optical berry selection and two weeks of maceration. Maturation in oak barrels for over two years gives the wine additional complexity and structure.

Federico Giuntini-Antinori runs the area's most traditional estate, whose family tree can be traced back to the 15th century. Rufina is the northernmost district in Chianti, where the vineyards grow around the Villa di Selvapiana and in the vineyards of San Martino a Quona, Pian de' Marroni and Cerbognole. Mainly Sangiovese with small additions of Canaiolo, Colorino and Malvasia Nera are harvested between the end of September and the beginning of October, partly by hand. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in steel tanks at 28-30°C with a 25-day maceration period. Maturation lasts 12 months in 25-litre French oak barrels and concrete vats.

Cultus is Latin for "cultivation, care and veneration". The name says it all: this wine honours tradition by reinterpreting it. Where the house's classic Riserva relies on tried and tested structures, Cultus dares to take a longer breath. Forty days of maceration instead of the usual three weeks, Sangiovese supplemented by the historical companions Colorino, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo – all from massalselection of the estate's oldest vines. The vineyards are located at an altitude of 250 to 330 metres, on clayey loam over limestone, organically farmed since 1995 and certified since 2003. The 2019 vintage brought ideal conditions: early budding in the warm spring, balancing rainfall into the summer, then perfect ripeness.