Chianti Classico Riserva
Chianti Classico Riserva strikes a harmonious balance between aging and vibrancy, revealing a rich fruit and herbal profile with added depth from oak aging, ideal for those appreciating a more mature yet lively expression of the region.
Chianti Classico Riserva Tasting Notes
This aged style of Chianti Classico, made with at least 80% Sangiovese, matures gracefully in oak to bring forth flavors of cherry, fig, baking spices, leather, and vanilla. With the high Sangiovese content, expect pronounced acidity and tannins, leading to a complex and lingering finish.
Chianti Classico Riserva Food Pairing
The structured and deeper profile of Riserva pairs excellently with robust dishes, such as grilled beef steak, game meats, or rich pasta sauces. Its complexity also complements aged cheeses.
Wines aging is a key element of the winemaking process. Photo by: Rocca di Montegrossi in Gaiole
How to Find Chianti Classico Riserva
Look for “Riserva” on the label which indicates a longer aging process (minimum of 24 months), often with significant time in oak barrels, distinguishing it from Annata.
Why is Chianti Classico Riserva richer and more complex? Its extended aging period allows for a more intricate development of flavors and a smoother integration of tannins and acidity.
Should you age Chianti Classico Riserva wines? While enjoyable upon release, these wines have great aging potential, often maturing beautifully over several years, enhancing their complexity and depth while developing dried fruit and leather aromas.
Winemaking Information:
- Minimum Aging: 24 months, with at least 3 months in bottle
- Minimum Alcohol: 12.5%
- Minimum Extract*: 25 g/L
*Extract is all the stuff in the wine that isn’t water or alcohol, like tannins and flavor compounds. For reference, a light bodied red wine would have about 18g/L of extract.
Selected Chianti Classico Riserva Wines
Selected Chianti Classico Riserva Wineries
Ricasoli is the most representative wine producer in the Chianti Classico area. With its gentle hills, velvety valleys and thick woodlands of oaks and chestnuts, the 1,200 hectares of property include almost 240 hectares of vineyards and 26 of olive groves. This creates a continuous succession of colors and hues around the Brolio Castle, which is located within the town limits of Gaiole in Chianti. Since 1993, Baron Francesco Ricasoli has been guiding this central Tuscan company in innovative challenges. This has been done with the deepest respect for his renowned ancestors who have made this territory great, Bettino Ricasoli first and foremost. Francesco Ricasoli, current owner and President of the company, has generated new ideas and concepts to render the vineyards sustainable. The ongoing study of soil types and the clonal selection of the Brolio Sangiovese are among his greatest passions, and he has totally renovated the vineyards and completely mapped them. The new wines are therefore the expression of research carried out with the same scientific rigor of his illustrious ancestor but with a contemporary spirit, like a runner receiving the baton and carrying it forward with renewed energy.
