Selvapiana Vigneto Bucerchiale Chianti Rufina Riserva 2022

Selvapiana Vigneto Bucerchiale Chianti Rufina Riserva

Region: Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Vintage: 2022

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Sangiovese

ABV: 14%

This wine shows deep colour and intense aromas. The palate is powerful, with ripe raspberry and spicy cherry supported by a touch of herbs and violet. Silky, supple tannins carry the wine to a long, fine finish, a hallmark of Selvapiana.

The Sangiovese grapes come from the 12.5-hectare Bucerchiale vineyard at Selvapiana, located at the foothills of the Apennine mountains. The oldest vines were planted in 1968, the youngest in 2001. The vineyard faces south/south-east and lies at 250–300 metres above sea level, on predominantly clay and limestone soils. Older vines, now 20–25 years old, are planted at 2,500 vines per hectare, while the younger vines are planted at 5,200 per hectare, using the Guyot system. The vineyard is cultivated organically, with cover crops.

Grapes were hand picked and selected both in the vineyard and at the cellar on sorting tables. Fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks at 30°C and lasted 35 days, with no selected yeasts. Pumping over took place daily to extract both colour and tannins. After a short period of maceration, the wine was pressed off the skins and malolactic fermentation took place. In the January following harvest, the wine was transferred to medium-sized oak casks and French oak barriques (of which 10% were new) and was matured for 15 months before bottling.

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.