Wines from Tuscany | Chianti

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.

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.

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 ranging from 250 m to 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 in 1958 to start bottling wine, she didn't do it just any old way, but with a high standard of quality. Eleonora Ruspoli Berlingieri, who brought the historic Lilliano estate near Castellina in Chianti into the family's ownership as early as 1920, was the first to recognise the oenological potential of this site. At her side was Giulio Gambelli, the legendary Sangiovese guru and one of the great interpreters of Tuscan wines. Today, 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 named after them comes from around 40 hectares of vineyards on limestone-rich, stony Alberese soils, which, at an altitude of around 300 metres, delay the ripening of the grapes and thus preserve both acidity and aromatic freshness. The organically farmed vineyards produce a cuvée comprising 90% Sangiovese, complemented by five% each of Colorino and Merlot – a classic blend that complies with DOCG regulations and highlights the typical character of the region.

With the 2024 vintage, Tolaini is revamping its Chianti Classico range: the former Vallenuova Annata is being upgraded to Riserva, and this entry-level wine – named after the estate itself – takes its place. The grapes come from the vineyards surrounding the estate in Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southernmost corner of the Chianti Classico region, where silty-clay soils intermingled with limestone and stones shape the character of the Sangiovese.

Where the Lombards once built their fortress and Frederick II held court, Marco Ricasoli Firidolfi now cultivates his vines – a descendant of Bettino Ricasoli, who invented the Chianti formula in the 19th century. Monti in Chianti, situated at an altitude of 340 to 510 metres, is considered one of the best vineyards in the entire region. Limestone soils, organic farming and three-phase manual harvesting form the basis for this classic Chianti: 90% Sangiovese, supplemented by Canaiolo from our own selection. Matured for twelve months in Allier oak, bottled unfiltered.

The owner of Selvapiana, Francesco Giuntini, and the owner of the Petrognano winery, Cecilia Galeotti Ottieri, have enjoyed a long friendship. 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). For some years now, the two have been linked by the "Villa Petrognano" project, under which Selvapiana produces one of the most authentic and best Pomino Rosso wines in the region.

A circular forest sits enthroned on the highest point of the vineyard, and inside it rests an Etruscan tomb – over 2,500 years old. Al Passo, "at the passage", is what they call this place, from where the view extends as far as the Torre del Mangia in Siena. Here, where past and present meet, the estate's most popular cuvée is created: equal parts Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, grown on the silty-clayey limestone soils of Castelnuovo Berardenga. Double selection, 20 days on the skins, then 14 months in French oak – six of which on the fine lees, which gives the wine its silky texture.

A Sangiovese cru that demonstrates the philosophy of single-vineyard viticulture to perfection. Sergio Zingarelli and his team recognised early on the extraordinary potential of the clay-dominated soils of Sant'Alfonso – plots with minimal skeleton content, which create the ideal conditions for concentrated, aromatically complex wines. Sangiovese clones were specifically cultivated here, which harmonise with the clay-rich structures and develop the highest phenol concentrations.

Barbara Widmer’s Chianti Classico has for years been characterised by clarity and terroir: 100% Sangiovese from plots in Castellina and Radda (230–400 m), on limestone- and clay-rich soils with a south to south-west aspect. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged for around twelve months in stainless steel and cement tanks on the fine lees – deliberately without the use of wood, to allow the grape variety to express itself purely and precisely.