Tuscany

Chianti Classico

The home of Sangiovese sits smack bang in the middle of Tuscany.

To confuse the matter Chianti Classico DOCG is surrounded by an array of Chianti DOCG’s.

You’ll see the famous ‘Gallo Nero’ Black Rooster on all bottles of Chianti Classico.

The history of Chianti Classico is explored on the Consozio’s site.

Chianti Classico has around 7,000Ha (2020) of vineyards covering 11 Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive, UGAs. These UGA will soon begin appearing on wine labels of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, hopefully, they’ll appear on bottles of Chianti Classico shortly thereafter.

The 11 UGAs are listed below. Each is linked to the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico site that has an incredible visual resource exploring each UGA:

The UGA are broken down into sub-units recognising geographical and geological difference within each UGA.

The Chianti Classico DOCG requires a 80-100% Sangiovese and 0-20% other varieties in the blend including international varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah.

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione was established in 2014 with the aim, perhaps yet to be fully realised, of establishing a higher classification.

The Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 90-100% Sangiovese and 0-10% native varieties only in the blend.

The grapes that may contribute to the blend must be recorded in the national register of vine varieties of MIPAAF authorized by the Region of Tuscany, starting from native varieties, such as Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Colorino, Fogliatonda, Malvasia Nera, Mammolo, Pugnitello, and also major international varieties, such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah.

It was only in 1996 that wines made with 100% Sangiovese were permitted and Chianti Classico was recognised as independant DOCG from Chianti with its own production regulations.

In 2005 white grapes were banned from use in Chianti Classico.

Fèlsina's Divine 2021 Chianti Classico

Fèlsina Chianti Classio DOCG ‘Beradenga’ 2021

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Castelnuovo Berardenga UGA

The Perfect intro to the Fascinating Chiantis of Fèlsina! I have to agree with Galloni, the 2021 shows a welcome level of refinement and sophistication. Dark and brooding spice with sour cherries, lovely tannins. A lot going on here. Layered, with excellent drive and energy. Fine acid. It’s the intensity with the finesse, the richness yet elegance. It seems almost a wine in two parts. Lovely shape to the palate, linear yet with some excellent mid-palate generosity. This is the perfect frie

$64

$61ea in any 3+

$58ea in any 6+

Fèlsina Chianti Classio Riserva DOCG ‘Rancia’ 2017

Sangiovese | Castelnuovo Berardenga, Italy

The 2017 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is incredibly polished and sophisticated. Silky tannins give the 2017 its racy, sleek personality. Over the last year, the 2017 has really settled into a gorgeous place. There is plenty of vintage 2017 intensity, but Rancia is distinctly medium in body and restrained. The wilder side of Sangiovese, one of the signatures of Rancia and Fèlsina more broadly, tastes a bit baked out. I can't wait to see how the 2017 develops over the coming years and decades.

$140

$135ea in any 3+

$130ea in any 6+

Fèlsina ‘Fontalloro’ IGT 2017

Sangiovese | Castelnuovo Berardenga, Italy

Fontalloro is exquisite in 2017. It is also such a contrast to the Rancia, as the two wines could not possibly be more different. Fontalloro is bright and vibrant, with more sweet red Sangiovese character than the darker Rancia. It is also incredibly delicious now, even though it clearly has the energy to age for many years. The 2017 is one of the finest Fontalloros I can remember tasting. Antonio Galloni

$155

$150ea in any 3+

$145ea in any 6+

Fèlsina Chianti Classio Riserva DOCG ‘Rancia’ 2016

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Castelnuovo Berardenga UGA

The layering of flavour, tannin in this is excellent! Everyone went nuts on the Fontalloro because of a couple of extra points, wow, this is stunning! Fèlsina have tamed the beast! While this is a powerful wine with incredible depth and length, it is beautifully balanced with excellent grape tannins. It will resolve and build sensuality over the coming years. Dark and incredibly complex there's a vitality to the mouthfeel. If you're going to crack one young give it loads of air in the morning a

$180

$175ea in any 3+

$170ea in any 6+

Cigliano di Sopra

Cigliano di Sopra Chianti Classico 2021

Tuscany, Chianti Classico

Harmony, balance, grape first, fun wine. Energetic fruit. Fine, long, linear tannins run the length fo the palate. Red fruit, sour cherry with an earthy twist. Juicy, crunchy, fresh, thirsty quenching with a nice bit of development. A bloody tasty expression of Sangiovese. It shows a hell of a lot of comfort and clarity of thought in their winemaking from this young duo. Buy a straight 6 pack we'll throw in a bottle of Cigliano EVOO while stocks last. I love the Cigliano di Sopra

$71

$68ea in any 3+

$65ea in any 6+

I feel like a new benchmark for fine wine is being set by Maddalena Fucile and Matteo Vaccari of Cigliano di Sopra in San Casciano Val di Pesa … I want to underline the sheer excitement I feel for these wines and this promising up-and-coming estate.

Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

Corzano e Paterno + Tenuta di Carleone

Tenuta di Carleone Chianti Classico 2020

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

Radda is one of the cooler parts of Chianti Classico and Sean has done the 2020 justice. Dominated by dark fruits with a pop of fresh red fruits layered with woody herbs, a little earthiness & faint lick of cigar. There’s harmony & flow in this seamless elegant Chianti. Finishing with a fine sweep of bitterness that cleanse followed by lingering flavours. A certain delicacy. The fine long tannins offer up a mouthfeel and flavour profile suggesting a longer maceration on skins. Bu

$71

$68ea in any 6+

$65ea in any 12+

Tenuta di Carleone ‘Il Guercio’ 2021

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

Named after a Tuscan word for "one-eyed rascal," the Tenuta di Carleone 2021 Il Guercio (in a bottle with a white wax capsule) is all Sangiovese with up to 40% whole cluster and as a much as five months of extended maceration in cement vats only. The wine delivers a very clear and variety-faithful expression with bright plum, wild cherry and iris root. You can taste the artisanal approach of this pretty wine. There are dusty limestone sensations that add to a cooling finish. Fruit comes from

$141

$136ea in any 3+

$131ea in any 6+

Brings Back Memories!

Corzano e Paterno Chianti ‘Terre di Corzano’ 2021

Red Blend | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

This wine, along with Corzano e Paterno’s top of the line 100% Sangiovese ‘I Tre Borri’ were two of the first Chianti’s that that piqued my interest and demonstrated the potential of this beautiful variety. Fresh zippy acid, red cherry, excellent tannins with a little playful grip and spice. Delicious. Grape first. Earthy profile with dark fruit of energy and vibrancy a little perfume floats over the top ~ violets me thinks. Layered delicious and vibrant an excellent comparison to

$49

$46ea in any 3+

$43ea in any 6+

Just Divine!

Corzano e Paterno Chianti ‘I Tre Borri’ 2020

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

Exceptional core of fruit, a beautiful 2020 with length and energy. Excellent mid-palate weight and persistence. As with the Il Corzano time will be required for this to resolve. Still quite tight with a little whole bunch grip. Earthy layers, dark and brooding with energy. Give this time and it will take us to a happy place. Already starting to open in the glass. Maceration notes of graphite, pencil shaving, heading to truffle. A little perfume dancing over the top. The faintest line

$107

$102ea in any 3+

$97ea in any 6+

Showing 30 Delicious Wines!

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Castello dei Rampolla ‘Sammarco’ 2018

Red Blend | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

Apparently I haven't been trying the right Cabernet based blends from Italy. I used to bag them. Now I'm finding so much pleasure with so many of them! Cabernet & Merlot power through in the Sammarco with Sangiovese playing a supporting role. A fascinating wine. Don't think of it as Cabernet from Bordeaux or Australia, think of it an excellent red wine. A lovely core of sweet black fruit is wrapped in playful, appropriately edgy tannins with just the right amount of grip. It's rustic, no I d

$153

$146ea in any 3+

$139ea in any 6+

Heavenly🎥👀

Monteraponi Chianti Classico Riserva ‘Il Campitello’ 2016

Red Blend | Radda, Italy

The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Campitello is dark, powerful and super-expressive. Black cherry, plum, spice, leather, licorice and menthol infuse this decidedly brooding, potent Riserva. A touch of new oak adds sweetness without being intrusive. Ample and strapping in feel, the 2016 could use a few more years in bottle to be at its best, but it is super-impressive, even today. Galloni As a winemaker watching the photo movie below I get some great insights. Vineyards look great, fruit

$154

$147ea in any 3+

$140ea in any 6+

Fèlsina ‘Fontalloro’ IGT 2017

Sangiovese | Castelnuovo Berardenga, Italy

Fontalloro is exquisite in 2017. It is also such a contrast to the Rancia, as the two wines could not possibly be more different. Fontalloro is bright and vibrant, with more sweet red Sangiovese character than the darker Rancia. It is also incredibly delicious now, even though it clearly has the energy to age for many years. The 2017 is one of the finest Fontalloros I can remember tasting. Antonio Galloni

$155

$150ea in any 3+

$145ea in any 6+

Fèlsina Chianti Classio Riserva DOCG ‘Rancia’ 2016

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Castelnuovo Berardenga UGA

The layering of flavour, tannin in this is excellent! Everyone went nuts on the Fontalloro because of a couple of extra points, wow, this is stunning! Fèlsina have tamed the beast! While this is a powerful wine with incredible depth and length, it is beautifully balanced with excellent grape tannins. It will resolve and build sensuality over the coming years. Dark and incredibly complex there's a vitality to the mouthfeel. If you're going to crack one young give it loads of air in the morning a

$180

$175ea in any 3+

$170ea in any 6+

San Giusto a Rentennano ‘Vin San Giusto’ 375ml 2015

White Blend | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

Production of this wine is a painstaking labor of love. If they made a white out of the grapes it would return 10 times the volume! Makes the price look pretty reasonable. The organic San Giusto a Rentennano 2015 Vin San Giusto (in a 375-milliliter bottle) opens to a dark chestnut color with brownish and copper highlights. This wine is viscous and quite thick with a contained 9.5% alcohol content. That low alcohol is a hallmark of this special dessert wine, as is its super rich, almost sy

$184

$177ea in any 3+

$170ea in any 6+

Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2018

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is quite possibly the most elegant, refined version of this wine I have ever tasted. It does not offer the immediacy or impact of either the 2015 or 2016, but, instead, impresses with its elegance, persistence and total class. Bright floral and spice notes add perfume to a core of red-toned fruit. The 2018 represents another move towards greater finesse at Fontodi. It spent a year in French oak barrel and a second year in cask. Antonio

$227

$217ea in any 3+

$207ea in any 6+

San Giusto a Rentennano Percarlo IGT 2019

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

One of the most celebrated expressions of Sangiovese on the market today is the San Giusto a Rentennano 2019 Percarlo. This organic wine has a hint of extra ripeness or richness that transcends the bouquet. You feel as if you can bite into the fruit, and indeed the 2019 vintage is recognized by its unique power and density (with a 15% alcohol content). It's a lot to take in, and there is enough lasting fiber and fruit power to fuel a long drinking window. This is one of the bigger and more opule

$227

$217ea in any 3+

$207ea in any 6+

🇮🇹Benchmark Sangio🍷

Isole e Olena ‘Cepparello’ 2019

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Barberino Val d'Elsa

Isole e Olena's top wine. Always a pleasure. Year after year they seem to be drawing even more delicious expressions of Sangiovese from this special parcel of fruit! 'Cepparello' is named after the valley where the vineyard is planted. The last bottle I had of this was a 2006 a month ago, thanks Chris. It was superb, great harmony poise and balance. A real generosity to the wine. Beautiful secondary characters. Looking forward to trying the 2019. "One of the icon wines of Tuscany, the Iso

$228

$224ea in any 3+

$220ea in any 6+

Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2020

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

‘The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is one of the most backward editions of this wine I can remember tasting. Dark and almost somber, the Vigna del Sorbo packs a ton of intensity in its deceptively mid-weight frame. In many vintages, Vigna del Sorbo is quite showy in its youth. That is not at all the case with the 2020, a wine that will require many years to be at its best. Hints of lavender, dried herbs, plum and graphite appear over time, but the 2020 is very clearly

$247

$237ea in any 3+

$227ea in any 6+

Castello dei Rampolla ‘d’Alceo’ 2016

Red Blend | Greve, Italy

From high density plantings of Cabernet and Petit Verdot. This show how good Bordeaux blends can be in Italy and just how different they are from their French counterparts! Jumping from 4,000 vines a hectare to 8-10,000. Grown as bush vines. Immediate oppulence and generosity on the nose. The structural element from the tannin are very different from the tannins of Bordeaux, edgy again in a good way. Such complexity with a layer of macerative characters and the perfume they can offer. Vibrant

$292

$282ea in any 3+

$272ea in any 6+

Castello dei Rampolla ‘d’Alceo’ 2018

Red Blend | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

This show how good Bordeaux blends can be in Italy and just how different they are from their French counterparts! Jumping from 4,000 vines a hectare to 8-10,000. Grown as bush vines. Immediate oppulence and generosity on the nose. The structural element from the tannin are very different from the tannins of Bordeaux, edgy again in a good way. Such complexity with a layer of macerative characters and the perfume they can offer. Vibrant acidity and flowers from the Petit Verdot. d'Alceo is a wo

$298

$288ea in any 3+

$278ea in any 6+

Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve 2020

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

‘The 2020 Flaccianello della Pieve is a blend of Fontodi's vineyards, mostly three main vineyards planted on sites with very dense, heavy rocks. Dark, pliant and inviting, the 2020 is so expressive today. Black cherry, plum, spice, lavender, licorice and mocha are seamless in the glass. The 2020 is a fine Flaccianello with a bright future. Most of this blend is sourced from three parcels in upper hillside vineyards close to town center. The 2020 spent a year and a half in barrique (40% new) an

$365

$355ea in any 3+

$345ea in any 6+

Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve MAGNUM 2020

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

‘The 2020 Flaccianello della Pieve is a blend of Fontodi's vineyards, mostly three main vineyards planted on sites with very dense, heavy rocks. Dark, pliant and inviting, the 2020 is so expressive today. Black cherry, plum, spice, lavender, licorice and mocha are seamless in the glass. The 2020 is a fine Flaccianello with a bright future. Most of this blend is sourced from three parcels in upper hillside vineyards close to town center. The 2020 spent a year and a half in barrique (40% new) an

$790

$775ea in any 3+

$760ea in any 6+

Marchese Antinori Solaia Toscana IGT 2018

Red Blend | S.Casciano Val de Pesa, Italy

This is going to be a fascinating vintage to follow at Antinori. There are so many Super Tuscans made from Bordeaux varieties that do my head in. Somehow, they just don't get it right. Solaia is not one of them. Antinori kick out some exceptional vino under this label! They continue to push and build silky tannins and finesse into the mouthfeel, with a focus on energy and vibrancy over the last few years. Seems everyone else agrees with me on this one too! Antinori have added another

$835

$815ea in any 3+

$795ea in any 6+