Antinori's single-vineyard Gran Selezione: 100% Sangiovese grown around the abbey of Passignano, aged in French and Hungarian oak. Firm, fine tannins and bright acidity frame ripe cherry, violet and leather. Built to cellar, made for red meat.
Antinori draws this Gran Selezione from 100% Sangiovese grown around the 10th-century abbey of Passignano, aged in French and a small part Hungarian oak. Across 4,572 Vivino reviews drinkers return to oak, vanilla and tobacco, ripe cherry and earthy leather, the same profile critics describe.
Ripe red and black cherry lead, lifted by violet, dog rose and dried tobacco. Sweet vanilla and a hint of sandalwood come from the French and Hungarian oak Antinori uses in the abbey cellars. With air, leather and earth emerge, the earthy register Vivino drinkers flag most after oak and red fruit.
Violet
Cherry
Plum
Tobacco
Leather
Oak
Liquorice
VanillaMedium to full-bodied, with the firm, fine tannins and bright acidity that mark Sangiovese off these limestone-rich clay soils at 300 metres. Ripe cherry and plum carry green spice and a smoky, leathery edge, framed by oak rather than buried by it. The 2021 drinks fuller and more structured, the 2022 juicier and more floral.
Long and savoury, closing on leather, licorice and a touch of white chocolate over fine-grained, persistent tannins.
Antinori's flagship single-vineyard Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, sitting above the estate's Riserva. Critics are consistent: 95 points from Vinous for the 2021, 95 from Wine Spectator for the 2019. Vivino drinkers rate it around 4.2 and praise its oak-framed depth, though some note it needs a few years to soften. A wine to cellar and pour with red meat.
Two vintages are stocked now, the 2021 and 2022, at around 49 pounds a bottle from UK and Italian retailers. The 2021 carries a 95-point Vinous score; the 2022 is the fresher current release. Prices, stock and retailer details below are tracked from live listings.
A confident, classic Sangiovese: outstanding with food, built to cellar and a natural occasion bottle, though its 49-pound price and grip make it a special-occasion red rather than an everyday pour.
Sangiovese's bright acidity and firm tannins make this one of the most food-friendly reds, classic with Tuscan red meat, game and aged cheese.
Antinori's flagship single-vineyard Gran Selezione, top of the Chianti Classico hierarchy, with 95-point critic scores to match: a genuine occasion bottle.
A DOCG Gran Selezione with firm tannins and structure; the 2021 will cellar into the mid-2030s and rewards several years of patience.
At about 49 pounds it is priced for the Gran Selezione tier; the 95-point Vinous 2021 makes it fair among prestige Chianti Classico, though not a bargain.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Chianti Classico denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.
The warm, dry 2021 is the standout, full-bodied with firm, fine tannins and named by Vinous one of the best editions of this wine. The 2022 is fresher and more floral, with marasca cherry and silky tannins for earlier drinking.
The 2022 is fresher and more floral than the 2021, with marasca cherry, dog rose and lavender over silky, vibrant tannins and a long finish. Approachable now, it will hold into the early 2030s.
A warm, dry 2021 gave Antinori a full-bodied Gran Selezione with firm, fine tannins; Vinous rated it 95 points and called it one of the best editions of this wine. Give it a couple of years, then drink through the mid-2030s.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Gran Selezione is the highest tier of Chianti Classico DOCG, above Riserva. This bottling is estate-grown around the abbey, aged in the 10th-century cellars below it and held in bottle before release: what sits behind the 49-pound price.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Chianti Classico is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Chianti Classico falls within Tuscany , covering Tuscany. The denomination is further divided into 11 sub-zones.
Fruit is selected from estate vineyards at 250-300m on limestone-rich clay around the 10th-century abbey, not blended from bought-in grapes, raising the cost base over a basic Chianti.
As the top DOCG tier, it spends months in French and a small part Hungarian oak in the abbey cellars, then ages in bottle before release, tying up barrels and stock.
A six-century Tuscan house plus 95 points from Vinous (2021) and Wine Spectator (2019) command a premium over anonymous Chianti Classico.
UK still-wine duty of 2.67 pounds a bottle (under 15% ABV, 2026 rates) plus 20% VAT account for several pounds of the roughly 49-pound shelf price before margin.
Around 100,000 bottles a year and broad UK and Italian availability mean it is not allocation-scarce, holding the price below cult single-vineyard Sangiovese.
It sits in Chianti Classico DOCG rather than pricier Brunello di Montalcino or Super Tuscan tiers, which caps what the market bears at around 49 pounds.
Dishes that complement this wine
The firm tannins and bright acidity of Sangiovese were made for Tuscan red meat. Bistecca alla fiorentina, brasato and lamb ragu all meet the wine's grip, while aged pecorino echoes its savoury, leathery edge.
Sangiovese's bright acidity mirrors the acidity in tomato, so a wine that can taste austere on its own turns juicy against a tomato-led ragu. The match keeps both wine and sauce fresh.
Try with: Agnello Ragu Lucano · Pappardelle al ragu · Tagliatelle al ragu · More pairings →
The firm, fine tannins Vinous noted need protein and fat to soften. A rare, charred bistecca alla fiorentina binds those tannins and lets the wine's cherry and leather come forward.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Tagliata · Grilled ribeye · More pairings →
The wine's acidity and grippy tannin cut through the fat of slow-roast pork, refreshing the palate between rich, herb-crusted bites of porchetta.
Try with: Porchetta · Roast pork · Sausage and lentils · More pairings →
The medium to full body and savoury, leathery depth of this Gran Selezione stand up to long-braised beef and game, matching them weight for weight without overwhelming the dish.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Venison stew · Wild boar ragu · More pairings →
Acidity and ripe fruit balance the salt and crystalline savour of aged pecorino, while the tannins find grip against the cheese's richness.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · Aged pecorino · Parmigiano · More pairings →
Firm tannins and oak clash with chilli heat, which amplifies the wine's grip and alcohol. Delicate white fish and sushi are flattened by its structure and savoury weight. Save those for a crisp Italian white such as Vermentino.
Skip with: Vindaloo · Sushi · Sweet-and-sour pork · Thai green curry · Pairing guide →
The 2021's firm tannins and structure reward patience: drink from 2025 into the mid-2030s, with a peak around 2030. The 2022 is more approachable, suited to drinking from release through the early 2030s.
Peak around 2028. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
A DOCG Gran Selezione with firm tannins and structure; the 2021 will cellar into the mid-2030s and rewards several years of patience.
£48.90 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 15:14 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumIt is 100% Sangiovese, grown in the Badia a Passignano vineyards around the medieval Vallombrosan abbey in the heart of Chianti Classico. Antinori bottles it as a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, the top tier of the DOCG.
Yes. Gran Selezione is the highest classification of Chianti Classico DOCG, ranking above Riserva and reserved for estate-grown selections held to a stricter ageing and tasting standard. Antinori ages this wine in French and a small part Hungarian oak in the 10th-century cellars beneath the abbey, then bottles it on the estate.
Expect ripe cherry and plum with violet and dog rose, plus leather, tobacco and sweet vanilla from oak. The palate is medium to full-bodied with firm, fine tannins, bright acidity and a long, savoury finish. Across 4,572 Vivino reviews drinkers most often flag oak, red cherry and earthy leather.
Its acidity and grippy tannins suit Tuscan red meat: bistecca alla fiorentina, brasato, porchetta and lamb ragu, plus aged pecorino. The tannins cut through fat while the acidity refreshes the palate between rich bites.
The 2021, rated 95 points by Vinous as one of the best editions of this wine, drinks well from 2025 into the mid-2030s. Give it a couple of years for the firm tannins to settle, or decant it now alongside red meat.
5 retailers
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£35.91
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Marchese Antinori
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£46.96
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£67.24
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£23.53
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