Winemaker Notes
Chianti Classico Riserva La Selvanella has a clear, dark, ruby color; full, complex bouquet with strong notes of red fruits, irises, and hints of vanilla. The flavor is full, generous, warm and savory with an elegant aftertaste of woodland undergrowth and toasted almonds. It can be kept longer than usual, and improves with time.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Balsamic-kissed cherry spreads generously across a palate freshened by searing acidity, while an array of floral tones and Mediterranean herbs adds layers of complexity.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Made from selection massale plantings of 1963 Sangiovese Grosso vines, at over 600 meters above sea level in the northern part of Radda, the 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva is attractive and refreshing with aromas of pure cherry liqueur, floral perfume, sweet sage, and fresh earth. Medium-bodied, it has a bright spine of acidity, with a focused and linear drive, fine tannins, and a good deal of focus. Drink over the coming 10 years.
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James Suckling
Overt yet precise red-cherry aromas dominate with fresh violets, leafy lightness and slight pepper. Very juicy and chewy on the medium-bodied palate with crisp acidity and tight, chalky tannins. Drink or hold.
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.
One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.
However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.
Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.