Winemaker Notes
Ruby red with purple highlights. Delicate yet persistent violet notes typical of Sangiovese wines. Deep fruity plum flavors with intense sweet cherry leading to a lightly spicy finish. Medium-bodied and easy to drink, this wine presents a harmonious balance of freshness and a lingering finish.
As a young Sangiovese, this wine pairs beautifully with a wide variety of traditional Tuscan and Italian dishes, such as ravioli, Margherita pizza, or beef carpaccio. Its low alcohol and bright acidity make it a great pairing for international favorites such as a classic hamburger or tacos.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Chianti DOCG is one of the most basic and famous wines worldwide. When the moment calls for red wine, this is one of the best choices. TASTING NOTES: The 2017 Ruffino is ripe, soft, and smooth. Its fruit-forward aromas and flavors of red cherries and mild earthiness should pair well with basic grilled hamburgers. (Tasted: July 30, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its food-friendly, approachable red wines and their storied history, Chianti is perhaps the best-known wine region of Italy. This appellation within Tuscany has it all: sweeping views of rolling hills, endless vineyards, the warm Mediterranean sun, hearty cuisine and a rich artistic heritage. Chianti includes seven subzones: Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Rufina, Montalbano, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Colli Aretini and Montespertoli, with area beyond whose wines can be labeled simply as Chianti.
However the best quality comes from Chianti Classico, in the heart of the Chianti zone, which is no longer a subzone of the region at all but has been recognized on its own since 1996. The Classico region today is delimited by the confines of the original Chianti zone protected since the 1700s.
Chianti wines are made primarily of Sangiovese, with other varieties comprising up to 25-30% of the blend. Generally, local varieties are used, including Canaiolo, Colorino and Mammolo, but international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah are allowed as long as they are grown within the same zone.
Basic, value-driven Chianti wine is simple and fruit-forward and makes a great companion to any casual dinner. At its apex, Chianti is full bodied but with good acidity, firm tannins, and notes of tart red fruit, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic and tobacco. Chianti Riserva, typically the top bottling of a producer, can benefit handsomely from a decade or two of cellaring.