01
Oct
2025
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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
The Opener ... 
Riserva wines have always been a tough slog for me. I continue to find them too oaky and lacking focus, and with the advent of Gran Selezione, it seems Riserva have taken a further step back. Where do you decide to put your reserve, or best fruit? It's a no-brainer type of question.
Thankfully, and for now, there are some who do take Reserva seriously, usually producers you have heard of and have a reputation to uphold: Antinori, Dievole, Nozzole, Brancaia, Ricasoli, and Volpaia... just to name a handful who made the list.
There are less than two dozen on this list; and I would have sampled wines from quadruple that amount to whittle it down.
Bottom line... when buying Reserva Chianti Classico, stick with recognizable producers. All wines below are worth drinking now or putting aside for five plus years.
The Anteprima's Best
... TOP WINE ...
Castello di Volpaia 2022 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Finding more and more ways to impress: this has a vanilla, blackberry, cassis and black cherry palate - the fruit is front and center which raises this wine to another level.
... The BETTER ...
Antonori 2022 Villa Antinori - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Good version of the Villa with big fruit that sits in the dark range, drink now and over the next 5 years for full effect.
Dievole 2022 Novecento - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Good structure, nice red fruit and spice with good acidity. Well-balanced.
Tenuta di Nozzole 2021 La Forra - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Juicy and easy drinking; here the wood does not get in the way and the spices are savoury with acidity that help move everything along.
... GOOD ...
Antonori 2022 Marchesi Antinori - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Badia a Coltibuono 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Brancaia 2022 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Castellare di Castelina 2022 Castelllare - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Castello di Gabbiano 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Castello Vicchiomaggio 2022 Agostino Petri - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Fattoria San Giusto a Rentennano 2022 Le Baroncole - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Il Molino di Grace 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Lamole di Lamole 2021 Lareale - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Querciabella 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Ricasoli 2022 Brolio - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Villa Mangiacane 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
29
Sep
2025
- Details
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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
The Opener ... 
When I started my Chianti adventure many years ago, I would start with the Annata wines and work my way through to the Riserva. Then, in 2014, came the next level in Chianti Classico, Gran Selezione. This added another level and another hundred-or-so wines to the list of wines to try. Which means, somewhere, someone had to take the hit.
These days, I taste all the Gran Selezione, a bunch of the Riserva, and a handful of the Annata. Look for these reports coming soon. For now, you'll find the Annata report below. These include two that really are showing the best face of this level.
This year, I have included the barrel samples in the main report, but there are no notes for those wines. Only the finished versions get a brief write-up, and only those on the better and above classification.
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The Anteprima's Best
... TOP WINE ...
Querciabella 2022 Chanti Classico DOCG
Lots of red fruit comes screaming out of the glass - cherry in particular - plus the acidity plays well with those tannins. Really nice glass of wine. (see video)
Ricasoli 2023 Brolio - Chanti Classico DOCG
Brolio has a nice spicy flavour this year that mixes well with the red fruits and even notes of the balsamic-strawberry that shows up - this has the potential to be a classic with a few years in the cellar. (barrel sample)
... The BETTER ...
Brancaia 2023 Chanti Classico DOCG
Enough balance between the fruit, spice, acidity; this flavourful wine is worth having.
Castello di Monsanto 2023 Chanti Classico DOCG (barrel sample)
Castello Moterinaldi 2022 Chanti Classico DOCG
Mocha and black cherry with a contagious bit of spice - rich, juicy and full-bodied with a long finish.
Castello Vicchiomaggio 2023 Guado Alto - Chanti Classico DOCG
Really good flavour profile, nice hit of spice, the acidity helps keep evverything in check. The fruit isn’t as prevalent, but there are many elements to enjoy.
Castello di Volpaia 2023 Volpaia - Chanti Classico DOCG (barrel sample)
Nittardi 2022 Belcanto - Chanti Classico DOCG
Good fruit with gentle spice, juicy cherry; plentiful raspberry and strawberry.
... GOOD ...
Badia a Coltibuono 2022 Chanti Classico DOCG
Banfi 2023 Chanti Classico DOCG
Cafaggio 2022 Chanti Classico DOCG
Castell'in Villa 2020 Chanti Classico DOCG
Carpineto 2023 Chanti Classico DOCG
Dievole 2022 Petrignano - Chanti Classico DOCG
Fattoria San Giusto a Rentannano 2023 Chanti Classico DOCG (barrel sample)
Il Molino di Grace 2023 Chanti Classico DOCG
Isole e Olena 2022 Chanti Classico DOCG
Nardi Viticoltori 2022 Chanti Classico DOCG
Nittardi 2022 Casanuova di Nittardi "Vigna Doghessa" - Chanti Classico DOCG
Poggio al Sole 2022 Chanti Classico DOCG
Riecine 2023 Chanti Classico DOCG
Rocca di Montegrossi 2022 Chanti Classico DOCG
Tenuta di Nozzole 2022 Nozzole - Chanti Classico DOCG
