Selvapiana Chianti Rufina 2024

Selvapiana Chianti Rufina

Region: Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Vintage: 2024

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Sangiovese

ABV: 12.5%

Ruby red in colour. This wine has bright notes of cherry and flowers on the nose, with a hint of spice. The palate is generous and true to the estate's classic style of silky tannins and a long finish.

The grapes for this wine are grown on the ancient Selvapiana estate, which covers 60 hectares. The vineyards are mostly west/north-west facing and are situated at an elevation of 150-200 metres above sea level, on clay and limestone soils. Vine density varies from 3,200 per hectare – for the older vines planted in the late 1970s, to 5,200 per hectare – for the younger vines planted in the early 2000s. All vineyards are farmed organically with an average yield of 35-40 hectolitres per hectare.

All varieties were harvested both by hand and machine. Upon arrival at the winery, they were fermented separately in stainless-steel tanks, at controlled temperatures of between 28-30°C. Maceration on the skins lasted 25 days with daily pumping over, to extract both flavour and tannins. Following fermentation, the wine was aged for around 12 months in a mixture of 25-30 litre French oak barrels and cement tanks, then finally blended and bottled.

Rufina is the smallest of Chianti’s subzones, comprising only 600 hectares of vineyards, yet it is also one of the most special. Here, the cool breeze that blows down the Sieve Valley creates exceptional wines with a finesse and definition that few others in Chianti Classico can match. There is no better producer in Rufina than Selvapiana, which has been in the family of Francesco Giuntini since 1827.