Marchesi Antinori's single-vineyard Gran Selezione, 100% Sangiovese from the Badia a Passignano cru on calcareous Chianti Classico slopes, aged in the abbey's medieval cellars. Marasca cherry, dog rose and supple tannin lead a long, savoury finish.
Antinori's Badia a Passignano is 100% Sangiovese from a single Chianti Classico cru at around 300 metres on limestone and clay. Expect marasca cherry, dog rose and lavender over supple tannin, with cocoa and a savoury, iron-edged finish. Vivino drinkers rate recent vintages around 4.1 to 4.3.
Marasca and ripe red cherry lead, lifted by blackcurrant and floral dog rose, violet and a note of lavender. Recent vintages add a sweet touch of vanilla from ageing in French and Hungarian oak beneath the Passignano abbey.
Lavender
Rose petal
Violet
Black cherry
Blackcurrant
Cherry
Liquorice
Vanilla
CocoaMouth-filling on entry, then fresh and vibrant: Sangiovese's bright acidity and supple, velvety tannins reflect the cool nights and calcareous, clay-rich slopes at around 300 metres. Cocoa and sweet spice fill out a wine of about 14% ABV.
Long and persistent, closing savoury with a fine iron and balsamic edge that marks the Badia a Passignano cru.
The single-vineyard peak of Antinori's Chianti Classico range, aged in the cellars under the 10th-century abbey. Vivino drinkers rate recent vintages around 4.1 to 4.3 across thousands of reviews, prizing it as an elegant, ageworthy Tuscan red for a special table.
Three vintages are listed in the UK right now: the 2015 from Vinatis near 47 pounds, the 2022 from Millesima around 52 pounds, and the 2021 from Laithwaites at 55 pounds. All are standard 750ml bottles of this Gran Selezione, the top tier of the Chianti Classico pyramid.
A food-first, occasion-leaning red. Classic Sangiovese acidity makes it one of Italy's most versatile partners for meat and tomato dishes, while the Gran Selezione tier and Antinori name make it a wine for a set-piece dinner rather than a midweek pour.
Classic high-acid, supple-tannin Sangiovese is one of Italy's most food-friendly reds, cutting fat and matching tomato, grilled meat and aged cheese.
The top tier of Chianti Classico from Antinori, a single-vineyard wine with the prestige and depth for a special-occasion table.
A Gran Selezione built for ageing: structured tannin, 14% ABV and bright acidity carry the best vintages 10 to 15 years.
A textbook, approachable Sangiovese expression, though the Gran Selezione price and structure make it a step up from an entry Chianti.
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.
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Antinori calls 2021 one of the best Chianti Classico vintages ever, a long even season giving power and elegance. The 2015 earned 94 points from Wine Advocate and 93 from Wine Spectator, while the warm 2022 leans on freshness held by cool August nights.
A hot, dry season rescued by cool mid-August nights that preserved freshness. Marasca cherry, dog rose and lavender with refined tannins and a savoury close; approachable young but will hold a decade.
Antinori rates 2021 among the best Chianti Classico vintages ever: a long, even season giving power and elegance. Ripe cherry, violet and a vanilla edge over intense, supple tannins; built for the cellar.
A classic, even Chianti Classico season that earned this wine 94 points from Wine Advocate and 93 from Wine Spectator. Ripe red and spirit-soaked cherry with a balsamic lift; drinking well now through the early 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 apex of the Chianti Classico classification, made only from a producer's best estate fruit. Antinori sources this wine solely from the Badia a Passignano vineyard and ages it in the cellars beneath the 10th-century abbey that gives the wine its name.
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 comes only from the named 65-hectare estate vineyard, not blended across Chianti Classico, which limits volume and lifts cost.
Gran Selezione demands longer ageing than Annata or Riserva; Antinori uses French and a little Hungarian oak, tying up barrels and cellar space for years.
One of Tuscany's benchmark houses commands a premium over lesser-known Chianti Classico estates of similar quality.
The wine is bottled on the estate and held back to mature before sale, adding holding cost the buyer ultimately pays.
About 2.67 pounds of still-wine duty plus 20% VAT, roughly 11 to 12 pounds of tax on a 52 pound bottle, before the retailer's margin.
Even at Gran Selezione level the appellation trades below comparable Tuscan reds, keeping this around 50 pounds rather than three figures.
Dishes that complement this wine
Badia a Passignano's bright acidity and supple tannin are built for the Tuscan table. It cuts through a charred Fiorentina steak, balances tomato-led pasta and pizza, and stands up to herb-roasted porchetta and aged pecorino.
Sangiovese's firm but supple tannin binds the protein and fat of a charred T-bone, softening on the palate while the wine's acidity refreshes between bites.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Porchetta · Agnello Ragu Lucano · More pairings →
Chianti Classico's high acidity mirrors the acidity of tomato sauce, so neither the wine nor the dish turns sour. Sangiovese's savoury red fruit echoes slow-cooked ragu.
Try with: Lasagna · Pizza Margherita · Pizza Marinara · More pairings →
The wine's acidity and fine tannin cut through the fat of porchetta and salumi, while its savoury, balsamic edge bridges to the herbs and the roast.
Try with: Porchetta · Cotoletta alla bolognese · More pairings →
Medium body and structured tannin sit level with slow braises, matching weight for weight without overwhelming the meat, while the acidity keeps rich, gelatinous sauces lively.
Try with: Ossobuco alla Milanese · Agnello Ragu Lucano · More pairings →
Sangiovese's earthy, iron-tinged savouriness bridges to the umami of mushrooms and truffle, while its bright acidity lifts their richness.
Try with: Tagliatelle al tartufo di Acqualagna · Porcini mushroom risotto · Truffle risotto · More pairings →
Capsaicin heat amplifies tannin and alcohol and leaves the wine harsh, while oily, flaky fish clashes with Sangiovese's grip and turns metallic. Keep it to the meat course.
Skip with: Crispy chilli beef · Lamb bhuna · Szechuan beef · Sweet and sour pork · Pairing guide →
This is a Sangiovese built to age. The 2015 is drinking well now and holds to around 2035, while the structured 2021 and 2022 reward five years or more in the cellar and run toward the late 2030s.
Peak around 2030. 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 Gran Selezione built for ageing: structured tannin, 14% ABV and bright acidity carry the best vintages 10 to 15 years.
£46.96 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
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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 · MediumYes. Badia a Passignano is Marchesi Antinori's Gran Selezione, the highest tier of the Chianti Classico DOCG pyramid, made only from a single estate vineyard rather than blended across the appellation.
It is 100% Sangiovese, grown on the Badia a Passignano vineyard at roughly 250 to 300 metres on limestone-rich, clay-bearing soils in the heart of Chianti Classico.
Expect marasca and ripe cherry, blackcurrant, and floral dog rose and violet, with cocoa and sweet spice. The palate is fresh and mouth-filling with supple, velvety tannins and a long, savoury finish.
Its Sangiovese acidity and fine tannin suit Tuscan classics: Fiorentina steak, tomato-led pasta and pizza, herb-roasted porchetta, and aged pecorino. The acidity cuts fat while the tannin frames grilled red meat.
The 2015 is drinking beautifully now and will hold to around 2035. The structured 2021, rated one of Chianti Classico's best vintages, and the 2022 can both cellar into the late 2030s.
Recent UK listings run from about 47 pounds for the 2015 to 55 pounds for the 2021, with the 2022 near 52 pounds. Prices sit below comparable Tuscan icons like Brunello di Montalcino and Bolgheri reds.
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