Wines from Tuscany | Chianti

The name tells a story: Barco Reale means "royal enclosure" and refers to the historic Medici hunting reserve, which was established in 1626 – a ring of walls over 50 kilometres long surrounded the area where Sangiovese, Cabernet and Canaiolo thrive today. Barco Reale Rosso is the younger, more accessible version of Carmignano DOCG, was awarded its own DOC status in 1994 and epitomises the elegance of this small but important Tuscan appellation. Tenuta di Capezzana has been run by the Contini Bonacossi family for five generations and represents over seventy per cent of the entire Carmignano production. The first documented mention of Capezzana dates back to 804, and as early as the 16th century, Caterina de' Medici had Cabernet cuttings brought to Carmignano from Bordeaux – centuries before the Super Tuscans discovered this idea for themselves. The winery has been certified organic since 2009.

Il Bianco is Brancaia's fresh white wine made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc – grown on loamy soils around Castellina in Chianti, at an altitude of 230–400 metres above sea level with south to south-west exposure. The cool hill winds and the day/night temperature gradient keep the profile clear and fragrant. Pale straw yellow in colour with a greenish tinge. Juicy citrus fruit, green apple and white peach on the nose, with a hint of sage and wet stone. Lean and precise on the palate, with lively, well-integrated acidity, a fine yeasty texture and a salty, mineral finish. Organic-certified, very clear Toscana Bianco with character: ideal with seafood, vegetable tempura or simply as an elegant aperitif. SUPERIORE.DE

Swiss precision meets Tuscan elegance in this characterful Supertuscan, which has embodied the Widmer family's DNA for over four decades. The name has a double meaning: three grape varieties and three terroirs, which Barbara Widmer combines with inimitable finesse to create a harmonious cuvée. This 70% Sangiovese composition comes from the vineyards of Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Maremma, refined with 15% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The continental Chianti vineyards at an altitude of 230-400 metres with their clay and galestro-interspersed soils meet the Mediterranean Maremma terroir with its sandy clay soils, which give the wine its characteristic depth.

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.

Monti in Chianti, on the southern tip of the Chianti Classico region, seven kilometres south of Gaiole. Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi has been cultivating the same slopes here for generations – the family's history dates back to the Lombard era, and its winemaking tradition is almost as old. The estate has been certified organic since 2010. The Rosato is made from the same Sangiovese vineyards that also supply the grapes for the Chianti Classico and the Gran Selezione San Marcellino. Hand-harvested, with a short maceration period of 40 to 50 minutes, must clarification at low temperature, around one month's fermentation in stainless steel tanks, followed by three to four months sur lie. The result is not a light summer rosé, but a Rosato with substance: lively acidity, salinity and subtle minerality.

The classic from the heart of Chianti Classico: Brolio combines the excellent drinkability of a young Chianti Classico with a complex, complete structure. The vineyards grow on the historic Castello di Brolio between 280 and 480 metres above sea level on five representative soil types – from sandstone to galestro and marine sediments. Intense ruby red colour. Fresh, floral nose with notes of chinotto, violets and mimosa, leading to fruity nuances of black cherries and sweet mint. Velvety and complex on the palate with great harmony, elegant structure and a long, mineral final. A textbook Chianti Classico from a historic terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

A new day, a new vintage – and the first wine of the year to leave the winery each year. While the red wines are still slumbering in their barrels, "New Day" already brings the message of the new 2025 vintage: freshness, joie de vivre and anticipation of what is to come. 100% Sangiovese, harvested by hand and gently pressed. Fermentation takes place at a low temperature in stainless steel, followed by a few months of ageing on the fine lees.

Sparkling, bright salmon pink colour. Delicately fragrant nose of fresh peach, white flowers, some cherry fruit, underpinned by light spice. Very juicy, clear on the palate, with a cool fruit centre and well-integrated acidity. This incredibly racy rosato dances in its slender purity from the first to the last glass. SUPERIORE.DE

The owner of Selvapiana, Francesco Giuntini, and the owner of the Petrognano winery, Cecilia Galeotti Ottieri, have been friends for a long time. Their small winery on the border between Tuscany and Emilia Romagna is located in the centre of the Pomino DOC, which was first mentioned in a document in 1716 and is one of the first four protected appellations in Tuscany (alongside Rufina Classico, Carmignano and Valdarno Superiore).

Laura Bianchi's Monsanto Rosso is a 100% Sangiovese and comes from the vineyards in the south-western part of the estate, where Galestro (friable marl) combines with a marked concentration of tufa, a volcanic seabed that releases fossils from the Cretaceous period over time. These soils, which are particularly rich in phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and limestone, give the wine greater complexity and a more characteristic flavour, beautifully articulated fruit and wonderful freshness. SUPERIORE.DE

Pietra nera – black stone. This is the name of the introduction to the world of Piaggia, the small winery in Carmignano founded by Mauro Vannucci in the 1970s and now run by his daughter Silvia. Carmignano, the forgotten DOCG at the gates of Florence, where Cabernet has been permitted in blends since the Medici era – centuries before the Super Tuscans were invented. Pietranera shows this tradition in small format: 80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Franc. Fermented with natural yeasts, eighteen to twenty days on the skins, then only three months in used barriques – just enough to smooth the edges, not enough to let the wood taste.

The name says it all: Due lame – two terraces – refers to the extreme altitude range of the vineyards between 420 and 655 metres. These are the highest Sangiovese vineyards in the whole of Tuscany, arroccati on the mineral-rich steps that gave the village of Lamole its name. The ochre-coloured "Macigno Toscano" soils, interspersed with Galestro and Alberese, give the wine its characteristic sharpness and elegance. The winery in the heart of Chianti Classico has been part of the Santa Margherita Group (Herita Wines) since 1993 and vinifies in the historic cellars of a Castello dating back to 1350. The grapes undergo optical selection, ferment in stainless steel with 7-10 days of maceration and mature on the lees until late winter. A short maturation in large oak barrels rounds off the process.

Castelnuovo Berardenga marks the southernmost tip of the Chianti Classico, where the gentle hills of the historic centre merge into the austere beauty of the Crete Senesi. Here, on south-facing slopes at an altitude of 280 metres, the Sangiovese finds the warmth that gives it fullness without losing its lively acidity. Poggio Bonelli presses its Chianti Classico as a genuine expression of this grape variety: 90 per cent Sangiovese, supplemented by a small proportion of other red varieties. After temperature-controlled fermentation and ten days of maceration, the wine matures for ten months in French oak barrels.

In 1966, Vernaccia di San Gimignano became the first wine in Italy to be awarded DOC status. This was followed by DOCG status in 1993. A long history for a grape variety whose name derives from "vernacolo", meaning "local" or "native to the area": A grape so deeply intertwined with a place that it bears its name. Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara is situated on the San Donato hill, at an altitude of 250 to 360 metres, on sandy soils rich in stones and fossilised marine organisms: a fossilised sea beneath the Tuscan sky. Organically farmed, 5,000 vines per hectare, hand-harvested in the third week of September.

A Chianti Classico born of the fusion of centuries-old tradition and modern winemaking techniques: Organically farmed since the 1980s, the vineyards of Monti-in-Chianti and Vitignano (situated slightly below) – with their clay-loam and limestone soils – strive for character and balance. The vines (90% Sangiovese, complemented by a little Colorino, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo) are planted at altitudes of between 250 m and 330 m above sea level.

In the divine valley – the translation of Dievole – has been cultivating vines since 1090, twelve kilometres north of Siena. Since the takeover by Alejandro Bulgheroni in 2013 and organic certification in 2017, the traditional estate has experienced an impressive renaissance. The classic blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino matures for 13 months in large, unroasted French oak barrels, which gives the wine its characteristic elegance.

When a princess decided to bottle wine in 1958, she didn't do it just like that, but with ambition. Eleonora Ruspoli Berlingieri, who brought the historic Lilliano estate near Castellina in Chianti into family ownership back in 1920, was the first to recognise the oenological potential of this location. At her side: Giulio Gambelli, legendary Sangiovese guru and one of the great interpreters of Tuscan wines. Today, the brothers Giulio and Pietro Ruspoli carry on the legacy – the family still resides in the historic Palazzo Ruspoli in the heart of Rome. The Chianti Classico, which is named after them, comes from around 40 hectares of vineyards on calcareous, stony Alberese soils, which delay the ripening of the grapes at an altitude of around 300 metres and thus preserve acidity and aromatic freshness. The organically farmed vineyards produce a cuvée of 90 per cent Sangiovese, supplemented by five per cent each of Colorino and Merlot – a classic blend that complies with the DOCG statute and emphasises the typicality of the zone.

In May, when the iris – tuscan "giaggiolo" – the vineyards of Lamole are bathed in violet light, the soul of this wine is revealed. The name Maggiolo was born from the fusion of flower and month: a Chianti Classico that expresses the sunny generosity of the altitudes between 420 and 655 metres in liquid form. Unlike the purist Duelame, Maggiolo is a blend of 80% Sangiovese with 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. After visual berry selection, the grapes ferment separately in stainless steel. The Sangiovese matures for 18 months in large oak barrels, the international varieties in barriques – a marriage that combines structure and suppleness.