Selvapiana

If there is one winery that has put Chianti Rùfina on the global wine map, it is Selvapiana. Rather than its long history (the estate was established by the Giuntini family in 1827), it is the Bucerchiale bottling that catapulted Selvapiana into icon status. Debuting with the 1979 vintage, the wine was among the first quality-driven, rule-breaking 100% Sangiovese wines in the greater Chianti area - along with Montevertine’s Pergole Torte and Fontodi’s Flaccianello.

Bucerchiale has always hailed from the same plot – a southwest facing slope at 220 metres. Winemaking, however, has swung quite drastically during Federico Giuntini Masseti’s 30-plus-year tenure - from ultra-tradition to hyper-modern. Today the pendulum has settled elegantly in the middle without sacrificing its savoury and commanding soul. Federico’s oldest son Niccolò, who took over winemaking in 2019, seems committed to staying the course.

Launched with the 2016 vintage, Vigneto Erchi hails from a warmer south facing expanse at slightly lower altitudes. The calcareous limestone soil rich in iron gives a denser, more muscular expression. This has been selected for the new Terraelectae category which now sits at the top of the denomination’s quality pyramid.

The stalwart annata Chianti Rùfina generally offers great back for the buck.