- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot
- 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.
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
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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
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.
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.
Long and savoury, with the toasted, slightly smoky edge from the small-barrel share and a return of liquorice.
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.
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.
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.
Medium tannin and fresh Sangiovese acidity, the food-friendly shape: 80 to 95 band, placed high for the silky tannin Antinori describes.
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.
A classic Sangiovese Chianti Classico from the best-known Italian house, smooth tannin, mid price: the 75 to 90 band.
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.
DOCG Riserva from a famous name at a mid price: dinner-party rather than celebration territory.
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.
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Perfect Pairings
Dishes that go with this wine
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.
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
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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.
Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
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.
£24.00 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Sources behind this Villa Antinori Riserva page
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 · 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 · MediumWhere 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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