DOCG Red

Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva

Marchesi Antinori
Denomination
Chianti Classico DOCG
Region
Tuscany
ABV
14%
Body
Full
Drink
Now–2032

Antinori's Sangiovese-led Chianti Classico Riserva, made since 1928 and aged about 18 months in large oak and small barrels. Cherry, rose and liquorice, silky tannins, a long savoury finish. Around £24 to £34 from eight UK shops.

Best price
£24.00

2023 · 75cl · checked 9 Sep

Prices read daily from 9 UK retailers. We earn a commission on some links; it never changes the order.

Where to buy Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva

£24.00 best price · 8 retailers in stock · checked 10 Sep 2026

Stock is shown where the retailer publishes it, offers are sorted by price, and unavailable offers can’t be clicked.

Xtrawine Best price 2023 · 75cl · checked 9 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£24.00 £32.00/L
Quierovinos Best price 2023 · 75cl · checked 10 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£26.97 £35.96/L
Vinatis Best price 2021 · 75cl · checked 10 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£28.18 £37.57/L
Vino Best price 2023 · 75cl · checked 10 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£29.30 £39.07/L
Millesima Best price 2023 · 75cl · checked 10 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£29.80 £39.73/L
Majestic Best price 2022 · 75cl · checked 10 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£30.00 £40.00/L
Millesima Best price 2022 · 75cl · checked 10 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£30.80 £41.07/L
Thebottleclub Best price Not stated · 75cl · checked 10 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£31.99 £42.65/L
Cellier Best price 2022 · 75cl · checked 10 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£33.99 £45.32/L
Xtrawine Best price 2022 · Magnum 150cl · checked 9 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£50.00 £33.33/L
Vino Best price Save 20% 2022 · Magnum 150cl · checked 9 Sep
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£54.00 was regular price £67.50 £36.00/L
Unavailable (1)
Vinissimus Best price 2022 · 75cl · checked 10 Sep
Out of stock
£34.40 £45.87/L
Out of stock

Stock status is read from each retailer’s page once a day and may lag. Case and magnum listings show a per-bottle or per-litre equivalent and sit outside the best-price figure.

Tasting Notes

Tasting Villa Antinori Riserva 2023, from Antinori's cellar note to the crowd

Antinori's own note on the 2023 lists marasca cherry, candied orange, vanilla, rose petal and liquorice. Over 9,000 Vivino drinkers mostly mention oak, cherry and leather. James Suckling calls it lush and ripe.

Tasted by
ItalianWines editorial (drinker consensus)
Tasted on
10 September 2026
Vintage in glass
2023
Source
Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
Taste profile
Body Light / Full
Tannins Smooth / Grippy
Sweetness Dry / Sweet
Acidity Soft / Crisp
Nose

Antinori's cellar note on the 2023 lists marasca cherry and candied orange first, then vanilla, rose petal and mallow, with liquorice and cedar behind. James Suckling found black cherry, pressed violets and black pepper in the same wine. Across 9,000 Vivino reviews the words that come up most are oak, cherry and leather.

Orange peelOrange peel
Rose petalRose petal
CherryCherry
PlumPlum
TobaccoTobacco
LeatherLeather
Black pepperBlack pepper
LiquoriceLiquorice
VanillaVanilla
Palate

Rich on entry, then fresh Sangiovese acidity keeps it moving. The tannins are silky rather than grippy, which fits the short 10 to 14 days on the skins and the ageing mostly in large oak that Antinori describes. The small share of complementary grapes, Cabernet according to the merchants' sheets, adds a darker plum note under the cherry.

Finish

Long and savoury, with the toasted, slightly smoky edge from the small-barrel share and a return of liquorice.

Overall

The estate Riserva of Italy's best-known wine house, made since 1928 and priced well under the Marchese Antinori Riserva from Tenuta Tignanello. Drinkers rate it 4.1 to 4.2 on Vivino across recent vintages: the praise is smoothness, the gripe is oak when young. Drink 2025 to 2032.

Drink now Best by 2032
Live UK pricing

Eight UK shops sell Villa Antinori Riserva: what £24 to £34 buys

The 2023 starts at £24 at Xtrawine and the 2022 at £30 at Majestic. Magnums run £50 to £67.50. Wine-Searcher's average is about €23 before tax, so the UK bottom end is a fair price.

Best price · 75 cl £24.00 at xtrawine
Price spread £24.00 - £54.00 Across 8 UK retailers tracked
Retailers tracked 8UK 11 in stock
Vintages live 2023 · 2022 · 2021 Current release: 2023
Per-litre (75 cl basis) £32.00 Per-litre price for the lowest current offer
Last checked 10 Sep 2026 Refreshed once every 24 hours
Wine fit score

How Villa Antinori Riserva scores for food, value and the cellar

Strong for food and for beginners: a classic Sangiovese profile with smooth tannin at £24 to £34. Cellar and occasion scores are middling on purpose; this is a wine for the table.

Best with food 8.8/10

Medium tannin and fresh Sangiovese acidity, the food-friendly shape: 80 to 95 band, placed high for the silky tannin Antinori describes.

Best value 8.2/10

No category price row exists; £24 to £34 for a Riserva that critics score 91 to 93 (Suckling, Wine Enthusiast) and Wine-Searcher averages at about €23 before tax is strong value for money.

Best intro to this style 8.0/10

A classic Sangiovese Chianti Classico from the best-known Italian house, smooth tannin, mid price: the 75 to 90 band.

Best for cellar 7.2/10

DOCG Riserva with 24 months minimum ageing, 14% alcohol and a critic's 'drink or hold': the 70 to 90 band, at its lower end because this is an estate blend, not a single-vineyard wine.

Best for an occasion 7.0/10

DOCG Riserva from a famous name at a mid price: dinner-party rather than celebration territory.

Best everyday bottle 4.5/10

Inverse of the cellar score with the price-band penalty above £20 applied.

Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our Wine Fit Score methodology.

Denomination Compliance Snapshot

Chianti Classico in five fields

A compact view of what the Chianti Classico denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.

Allowed grapes
1 varieties listed
This bottle: Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot.
Minimum ageing
12 months minimum
No oak ageing required.
Region / area
Firenze · Siena
Source: Disciplinare.
Style
DOCG · Chianti Classico
Minimum ABV at this colour: 12.0%.
Classification
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita)
Vintages

2021, 2022 and 2023 Villa Antinori Riserva: which to open and which to keep

2021 was a cool, classic Chianti Classico year and made a firm, bright wine. 2022 was hot and dry and shows ripe plum. 2023 had a wet spring; Antinori picked small berries from late September.

2023 Current release
Lowest price
£24.00
Retailers
4 in stock
ABV
14.0%
Window
Drink now through 2032

A wet spring and early summer in Chianti Classico, then a drier August. Antinori picked small, loose bunches from late September. James Suckling calls the wine lush and ripe: drink or hold.

2022 Previous release
Lowest price
£30.00
Retailers
5 in stock
Window
Drink now through 2031

A hot, dry year that gave a ripe, plummy Riserva. James Suckling scored it 93 and found fresh roses, black cherry and plum. Round enough to drink now.

2021 Previous release
Lowest price
£28.18
Retailers
1 in stock
Window
Drink now through 2034

A cool, classic Chianti Classico year with firm tannin and bright fruit. Suckling found berries, walnuts and cedar; Wine Spectator and Robert Parker both gave 92. The vintage to keep longest.

NV Non-vintage
Lowest price
£31.99
Retailers
1 in stock

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.

The disciplinare, the place, the label

The Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva rules behind Villa Antinori

A Chianti Classico Riserva must be at least 80% Sangiovese and age at least 24 months, three of them in bottle, and the law caps how much fruit each vineyard may yield. Antinori kept the 2023 in oak until spring 2025.

01

DOC, DOCG, IGT: what the badges mean

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.

02

The denomination rules, in detail

  • Allowed grapes. 1 varieties listed in the disciplinare
  • Yield ceiling. 7.5 tonnes per hectare
  • Minimum ABV. 12.0% vol
  • Minimum ageing. 12 months total
  • Tasting panel. Mandatory pre-release tasting commission
03

Region and area context

Chianti Classico falls within Tuscany, covering Firenze · Siena. The denomination is further divided into 11 sub-zones.

Chianti Classico DOCG zone The producer Wine route in the zone

Made at Marchesi Antinori, Firenze. Directions

Wine route in the zone: Strada Chiantigiana SR 222.

04

Reading the label

  • Marchesi AntinoriProducer / estate
  • Cabernet Sauvignon · Sangiovese · MerlotGrape varieties
  • Chianti Classico DOCGGeographic indication and quality tier
  • 2023Vintage (year of harvest)
  • 14.0% vol · 75 clAlcohol by volume and bottle size
05

What sits behind the price of Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva

Tracked from
£24.00
Direction
Mostly cost up
Drivers
3 up / 2 down
Main factor
Riserva ageing: oak until spring 2025 for the 2023, then bottle before release
  1. 01

    Riserva ageing: oak until spring 2025 for the 2023, then bottle before release

    Cost up

    Antinori holds the wine in large oak and small barrels for about 18 months, then bottles it. The DOCG Riserva rule of 24 months in total ties up cellar space and money before a bottle is sold.

  2. 02

    UK duty and VAT on a £24 to £34 bottle

    Cost up

    At 2026 rates a 14% still wine pays £2.67 of duty per 75cl bottle, and VAT is a fifth of the shelf price: on the £24 Xtrawine offer that is about £6.67 of tax.

  3. 03

    Volume: one of Chianti Classico's largest Riserva bottlings

    Cost down

    Villa Antinori has been made since 1928 and is in eight UK shops at once. That scale keeps it well under the Marchese Antinori Riserva from Tenuta Tignanello, which starts at about £40 here.

  4. 04

    A DOCG cap on yields and a tasting panel before release

    Cost up

    The Chianti Classico rules cap how much fruit each vineyard may produce and require a panel tasting before release, so a vineyard makes fewer bottles than a plain Toscana IGT.

  5. 05

    Stainless-steel fermentation and mostly large oak

    Cost down

    Fermentation in steel at 28 to 30 degrees C and ageing mostly in large barrels, as Antinori describes, cost less than the all-barrique route used for the house's flagship wines.

01

Riserva ageing: oak until spring 2025 for the 2023, then bottle before release

Cost up

Antinori holds the wine in large oak and small barrels for about 18 months, then bottles it. The DOCG Riserva rule of 24 months in total ties up cellar space and money before a bottle is sold.

Perfect Pairings

Dishes that go with this wine

Food Pairing

Sangiovese acidity, gentle Tuscan tannin: dishes that suit Villa Antinori Riserva

The wine's fresh acidity and silky tannin want fat and savoury depth: steak on the bone, ragù, lasagne, porcini. Vivino drinkers pair it most with beef, veal and pasta.

Tannin softening Strong match

Steak on the bone and roast beef

Beef fat and char soften the wine's tannin, and the silky texture Antinori aims for means it never turns harsh next to rare meat. The cherry fruit reads brighter after each bite.

Try with: Fiorentina steak · Sunday Roast Beef · Ribeye steak

Acidity matching Strong match

Slow-cooked ragù and baked pasta

Tomato and slow-cooked meat carry the same fresh acidity as Sangiovese, so neither side tastes sour. The wine's liquorice and tobacco notes sit well with browned meat and a baked cheese crust.

Try with: Ragu alla bolognese · Lasagna · Pasta arrabbiata · More pairings →

Aromatic bridge Good match

Porcini, roast pork and roast chicken

The earthy, leathery side that Vivino drinkers keep mentioning meets the woodland smell of porcini and the herbs on a porchetta. Lighter roasts work because the tannin is gentle.

Try with: Porcini mushroom risotto · Porchetta · Roast chicken · More pairings →

Fat cutting Good match

Roast lamb and lamb shank

Lamb fat coats the mouth; the wine's acidity and its 14% body cut through it and leave the palate clean. Rosemary on the lamb picks up the cedar and pepper in the 2023.

Try with: Lamb shank · Leg of lamb · Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce · More pairings →

Salt balance Good match

Aged pecorino, porchetta and slow braises

Salty hard cheese and cured or braised meat make the fruit taste sweeter and the tannin softer. This is the wine's home ground: a Tuscan table with pecorino and something braised.

Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · Porchetta · Ossobuco alla Milanese · More pairings →

Avoid Clash

Sweet, hot or raw-fish dishes

Sugar makes a dry Riserva taste thin and sour, chilli heat makes 14% alcohol burn, and raw fish turns the tannin metallic. Keep it for meat, mushrooms and cheese.

Skip with: Sweet and sour pork · Szechuan beef · Nigiri Sushi · Oysters · Pairing guide →

Drinking + cellar

Cellaring Villa Antinori Riserva: eight to ten years, no rush

This is an estate Riserva made in volume, not a collector's single-vineyard wine. James Suckling's 'drink or hold' on the 2023 is about right: enjoy it over eight to ten years, and keep the 2021 longest.

Drinking window
2025 → 2032

Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.

Decanting
h1

A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.

Cellar potential
High

DOCG Riserva with 24 months minimum ageing, 14% alcohol and a critic's 'drink or hold': the 70 to 90 band, at its lower end because this is an estate blend, not a single-vineyard wine.

Buy now or wait?
Buy now

£24.00 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.

Sources & trust

Sources behind this Villa Antinori Riserva page

Prices & stock

Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 10 Sep 2026, 01:43 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.

Confidence · High
Tasting notes

Drawn 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 · Medium
Appellation rules & ageing

From the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.

Confidence · High
Why it costs what it costs

Our 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 · Medium
Drink window & cellar potential

Style guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.

Confidence · Medium
Related

Where Villa Antinori Riserva sits: Antinori, Chianti Classico, Sangiovese

Common Questions

Mostly Sangiovese, with a small share of other grapes that Antinori does not name on its site. Italian merchants' sheets put it at about 90% Sangiovese with Cabernet. Chianti Classico rules require at least 80% Sangiovese.

The grapes ferment in stainless steel at 28 to 30 degrees C, with 10 to 14 days on the skins. The wine then ages in oak, mostly large barrels with some barriques; the 2023 stayed in oak until the end of spring 2025. Riserva rules require 24 months of ageing, three of them in bottle.

No. They are two different Chianti Classico Riservas from the same house. Villa Antinori is the estate wine, made since 1928 and sold here from about £24. Marchese Antinori comes from Tenuta Tignanello and starts at about £40.

Eight to ten years from the vintage is a safe window. James Suckling says 'drink or hold' of the 2023. The firm, bright 2021 is the vintage to keep longest.

Steak, roast beef, ragù, lasagne, porcini and aged pecorino. Vivino drinkers pair it most with beef, veal and pasta. Avoid sweet and sour dishes, hot chilli and raw fish.

At the time of writing, £24 to £34.47 for a 75cl bottle across eight UK shops, with the 2023 cheapest at Xtrawine and the 2022 at £30 from Majestic. Magnums run £50 to £67.50. The offer table on this page is refreshed by our crawl.

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Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva