Wine route
Strada Chiantigiana SR 222
Full day, longer with tastings · 5 stops
Open the driveTuscany · DOCG
Chianti DOCG Tuscany's Sangiovese Family: Eight Sub-Zones and a New Rosé
Tuscany's most famous wine name, drawn across the hills of six provinces from Florence to Siena and Pisa. Chianti DOCG is the broad Sangiovese family. It has eight named sub-zones, tiers from Normale to Riserva and, since June 2026, an official Rosé. Cherry fruit, brisk acidity, wine built for the table.
81
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£3-£79
Price range today
24
UK retailers
Decode the label
What the label tells you
One denomination, 4 things it can say on the front. Colour first, then the qualifier.
On the label
Chianti
the Normale, no extra word
From 1 March after harvest, no minimum ageing
11.5% minimum alcohol
Released from the March after harvest. Bright cherry, brisk acidity: the midweek pasta pour.
In stock from £8.51 See the 47 bottles ↓On the label
Chianti Superiore
lower yields, longer rest
From 1 September after harvest
12.5% minimum, raised in 2026
A stricter cut of the same zone: 9.5 tonnes per hectare against the base wine's 11, for a rounder mid-palate.
In stock from £12.90 See the 8 bottles ↓On the label
Chianti Riserva
the cellar tier
24 months from 1 January after the vintage
12.5% minimum alcohol
Time softens the tannin toward leather and dried cherry. This is the tier that earns steak night.
In stock from £9.90 See the 23 bottles ↓On the label
Chianti Rosé
the 2026 newcomer
From 1 December of the harvest year itself
60% Sangiovese minimum, with 15 named partners
New in the June 2026 rulebook: pale, dry, fruit-led, and releasable from the first of December of its own harvest year. UK shelves have yet to catch up.
No bottles in stock right now
The boundary
Where it is
Everything on this page, the estates, the bottles, the sub-zones, sits inside this line.
Wine route
Strada del Vino Nobile
2 days · 7 stops
Open the driveWine route
Brunello and Rosso loop
Half a day to a full day · 4 stops
Open the drive
Estate 1
Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi
Visit →Firenze
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 2
Malenchini Wine Estate
Visit →Bagno a Ripoli
Book online
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 3
Bindi Sergardi
Visit →Vagliagli
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 4
Castellani
Visit →Pontedera
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 5
Ruffino
Visit →Bagno a Ripoli
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 6
Casanova della Spinetta
Visit →Terricciola
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 7
Castello Banfi
Visit →Montalcino
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 8
Castello di Camigliano
Visit →Montalcino
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 9
Marchesi Antinori
Visit →Firenze
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 10
Tenuta Sette Ponti
Visit →Castiglion Fibocchi
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 11
Tenute Silvio Nardi
Visit →Montalcino
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 12
Avignonesi
Visit →Montepulciano
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 13
Bibi Graetz
Visit →Fiesole
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 14
Campochiarenti
Visit →San Gimignano
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 15
Castello di Poppiano
Visit →Montespertoli
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 16
Castello Pomino - Marchesi Frescobaldi
Visit →Rufina
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 17
Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona
Visit →Montalcino
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 18
Fattoria Di Romignano
Visit →Terranuova Bracciolini
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 19
Guidi 1929
Visit →Barberino Tavarnelle
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 20
Il Valentiano
Visit →Montalcino
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 21
Isole e Olena
Visit →Barberino Tavarnelle
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 22
Ridolfi
Visit →Montalcino
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 23
Sesti
Visit →Montalcino
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 24
Tenuta Fanti
Visit →Castelnuovo dell'Abate
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Estate 25
Tenuta Torciano
Visit →Ulignano
Tastings available
Denomination
Grapes Used
Chianti DOCG zone
Estates you can visit Chianti Classico, its own DOCG Wine routes in the zoneOutside the zone
The zone wraps the central Tuscan hills in a broad horseshoe: from the Apennine foothills of Rufina north-east of Florence, down the Colli Fiorentini and Montespertoli, across the Colli Senesi south of Siena, east to Arezzo and west to the low Colline Pisane. The newest patch, Terre di Vinci, sits on the Montalbano's western flank around Leonardo's hometown. At the centre sits a hole: the Chianti Classico heartland between Florence and Siena, its own DOCG with its own rules.
Inside the zone
8
Named sub-zones
6
Provinces, Florence to Pisa
1716
First legal boundary
Click or tap a pin for its estate. The numbered pins match the estate cards below.
Towns worth knowing
Rufina
San Gimignano
Vinci
Montespertoli
Greve, Radda and Gaiole, the postcard Chianti villages, sit in the Classico hole at the middle of the map.
In the glass
What it tastes like, by style
One profile at a time, never blended into a single set of bars.
Black cherry
Violet
Forest berries
Liquorice
Blackcurrant
Strawberry
Raspberry
Rose petal
The disciplinare
The rules that define it
The same table on every denomination page, one row group per style here, because Chianti writes its rules per colour.
Grape & its role
Share of the blend
050100%
Chianti (red)
SangioveseThe lead; floor cut from 70% in June 2026at least 60%Other Tuscan reds (Canaiolo, Colorino, Ciliegiolo)Traditional softeners inside the 40% windowup to 40%Cabernet Sauvignon + Cabernet FrancJointly capped; 10% in Colli Senesiup to 15%
White grapes (Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia)Still legal, jointly cappedup to 10%
Chianti Rosé New 2026Introduced by the June 2026 revision of the disciplinare. Releasable from the first of December of its own harvest year, the earliest release in the family.
SangioveseSame backbone, pressed paleat least 60%15 named partners, white or red (Canaiolo to Vermentino)A short closed list, against the red's long registerup to 40%Solid means the rules demand it. Striped means optional, up to that amount. The words on the right say the same rule.
Sangiovese's minimum dropped from 70 to 60 percent in the June 2026 revision, the biggest recipe change in a generation.
A Chianti Rosé now exists and may be poured from the first of December of its own harvest year.
Terre di Vinci is the eighth sub-zone carved around Leonardo's home hills between Vinci and Lamporecchio.
Every lot of Chianti and Superiore needs a certificate from the control body before it can be sold on. New in 2026.
Only the traditional Tuscan fiasco is allowed when Chianti is bottled in one, and never a reused fiasco.
Ageing and alcohol minimums per tier are in the label guide above.
Editor's cellar
Bottles to try, and what Chianti costs in the UK
Every live Chianti listing, cheapest to dearest
78 wines · 24 retailers
By style, today
Normale
from £8.51
Riserva
from £9.90
Governo
from £13.60
Live prices, compared across 24 UK retailers.
Cellar doors · inside the zone
Estates you can visit
25 working estates with their gates open, numbered to match their pins on the map above.
Only show
No estates match these filters. Clear a filter to see more.
Experiences in the Chianti zone
Cellar experiences here average around €76. These are the strongest fits for this page.
Tasting & tour
Escape to Chianti on the outskirts of Florence
Malenchini Wine Estate
An introduction to Chianti and the soul of the Malenchini company. This tour is aimed at the curious and passionate, anyone who wants to get…
1 h 30 From €40 pp
Book via
Winalist
Tasting
Florence, Chianti Tasting and Tuscan Lunch
Malenchini Wine Estate
Taste Tuscany with a food and wine journey designed to enhance the combination of food and wine. Our guided tour to discover our late Renais…
1 h 30 From €75 pp
Book via
Winalist
Tasting
Vintage of the Author: A Journey Through Our Great Wines
Malenchini Wine Estate
A rare experience to discover the secrets of our centuries-old winery, through the places that form the heart of our production. Join us on …
1 h 30 From €95 pp
Book via
Winalist
Eight names, one family
The sub-zones
Any of these eight names may follow Chianti on a label. Same rulebook, different hills.
Rufina
The age-worthy oneApennine foothills north-east of Florence, the coolest corner of the family: firm, long-lived wines held back until 1 September.
Colli Senesi
The largest sub-zone, wrapping San Gimignano, Montalcino and Montepulciano country south of Siena, with a tighter cabernet cap and a 13% Riserva floor.
Colli Fiorentini
The hills ringing Florence between the city and the Classico line; its wines wait for 1 June, a season longer than the base.
Colli Aretini
The eastern flank of the zone in Arezzo province: released from 1 March and mostly drunk young.
Colline Pisane
The low, warm hills towards Pisa in the family’s west: the softest, earliest-drinking Chianti, released from 1 March.
Must visit
Casanova della Spinetta
Montalbano
The Montalbano ridge west of Florence, shared with Carmignano’s own small DOCG: released from 1 March.
Montespertoli
The 1997 addition around the town of Montespertoli, carved out of the Colli Fiorentini: release from 1 June.
Must visit
Castello di Poppiano
Terre di Vinci
New in 2026Added by the June 2026 revision: Vinci, Cerreto Guidi, Lamporecchio and Larciano on the Montalbano’s western flank, released from 1 September.
The years
Chianti vintages, 2010-2022
Chart ratings to 2018 follow Italian Wine Info's Chianti table; 2019 to 2022 follow Jancis Robinson's Tuscany assessments, which lean on Chianti Classico but track the same weather. 2023 stays unrated here until a Chianti-scoped source publishes.
2010
Balanced acidity, moderate alcohol, longevit…
2011
Rich, freshness retained, ageability uncerta…
2012
Hot summer, ripe but mid-quality (IWI 4 / JR…
2013
Classic vintage, late October harvest, elega…
2014
Cool wet summer, lighter earlier-ripening wi…
2015
Hot dry summer, small concentrated bunches (…
2016
Deep colour, impressive fragrance, top vinta…
2017
Hot, drought, stark tannins (IWI 3 / JR 3)
2018
Volumes recovered, silky, elegant, fresh (IW…
2019
Stable harvest weather, raising expectations…
2020
Challenging but very good wines, more evolve…
2021
Spring frosts reduced yields, heterogeneous …
2022
Extreme drought, low yields, high alcohol (J…
Reading the years
2013
Exceptional · 5/5
Classic vintage, late October harvest, elegant fresh (IWI 5 / JR 4)
The short version: Buy 2016 and 2013 Riserva on sight, drink 2018 to 2020 now, approach 2014 and 2022 with a plan.
Tap a year for its note.
How Chianti is made
The June 2026 rulebook rewrote the blend rules. Sangiovese now leads at 60 to 100 percent, down from a 70 percent minimum. White grapes such as Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia are still allowed, up to 10 percent. The two Cabernets are capped at 15 percent between them. Base Chianti may be released from the 1st of March after harvest, with no minimum ageing. Montespertoli and Colli Fiorentini wait until June. Rufina, Terre di Vinci and Superiore wait until September. Riserva needs 24 months, counted from the 1st of January after the vintage. Minimum alcohol runs from 11.5 percent for Normale and the new Rosé to 12.5 percent for Superiore and Riserva. The governo all'uso Toscano stays optional. Dried grapes are added to the young wine to set it fermenting again, and the step still earns its own mention on the label.
In depth
Chianti's paper trail starts in September 1716. Cosimo III de' Medici's congregation fixed the boundaries within which the name could be traded. It was one of Europe's first sets of wine boundary rules. A century and a half later, Baron Bettino Ricasoli set down the formula. He wrote from Castello di Brolio in 1870. His recipe was Sangiovese for perfume and vigour, with Canaiolo for softness, and the governo method of refermenting the young wine on dried Colorino grapes.
A ministerial decree in 1932 drew the wider zone and its named areas. DOC status followed in 1967 and DOCG in 1984. Montespertoli joined in 1997. The June 2026 revision is the biggest change since. It created Chianti Rosé, added the Terre di Vinci sub-zone and cut the Sangiovese minimum to 60 percent.
The eight areas each put an accent on the family style. Rufina sits on cool hills at the edge of the Apennines, in the Sieve valley north-east of Florence, and it is the age-worthy one. Fattoria Selvapiana and Frescobaldi's Nipozzano estate are its benchmarks. Colli Senesi is the largest. It arcs around Siena, from San Gimignano to the hills of Montalcino and Montepulciano. Colli Fiorentini, Montespertoli and Montalbano ring Florence. Colline Pisane leans towards Pisa, and Colli Aretini towards Arezzo. Terre di Vinci is the newcomer. It wraps Leonardo's home ground around Vinci, Cerreto Guidi, Lamporecchio and Larciano.
Chianti DOCG and Chianti Classico DOCG are separate wine names, and the map explains the confusion. The Classico heartland sits like a hole in the middle of the Chianti zone. By law, vineyards inside it cannot claim Chianti DOCG. Classico, under the black rooster, runs tighter and darker. Chianti runs fresher and earlier, and it is friendlier to the midweek table. That is exactly the job the 1716 merchants gave it.
On the table
What to eat with Chianti
The home country leads; global pairings that genuinely work follow.
In-depth guide
Chianti, answered
A DOCG wine from Tuscany built on Sangiovese. It is made across eight named areas in six provinces, between Florence, Siena, Arezzo and Pisa. Since June 2026 the family covers both the classic red, from easy Normale to structured Riserva, and a new pale Chianti Rosé. Cherry fruit and lively acidity are the through-line.
Sangiovese, at 60 to 100 percent of the blend. The June 2026 rule change lowered the old 70 percent floor. White grapes such as Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia may still add up to 10 percent. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are capped at 15 percent between them, and at 10 percent in Colli Senesi.
They are two separate DOCGs. They share Sangiovese and a parent region, but not a rulebook. Chianti Classico covers the historic heartland between Florence and Siena, and carries the black rooster seal. By law its vineyards cannot claim Chianti DOCG. Chianti is the broader family that surrounds it, generally fresher and earlier-drinking.
Three headline changes took effect in June 2026. The first is a new Chianti Rosé DOCG, which can be released from the first of December of its own harvest year. The second is a new eighth sub-zone, Terre di Vinci, around Leonardo da Vinci's home hills. The third cut the Sangiovese minimum from 70 to 60 percent. Every lot of Chianti and Chianti Superiore now also needs a certificate from the control body before sale.
Tomato-rich pasta and ragù, bistecca alla Fiorentina, wild boar, pizza and aged Pecorino Toscano. The acidity cuts fat, the medium tannin handles roasted meat, and the cherry fruit echoes tomato. Normale suits weeknight pasta. Riserva earns the steak.
Riserva is about time. It needs at least 24 months of ageing, counted from the first of January after the vintage. Superiore is about concentration. Its yields are stricter, at 9.5 tonnes per hectare against the base wine's 11. It cannot be released before the first of September, and it needs the same 12.5 percent minimum alcohol as Riserva.
Serve the reds at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. The new Rosé is best at 10 to 12. Normale drinks well on opening, while Riserva repays 30 minutes in a decanter.
Explore more Tuscany
Same region only: the denominations Chianti drinkers reach for next.
