Chianti Classico Riserva: New releases in 2023

Long before the Gran Selezione category was introduced, Riserva was the repository for top Chianti Classico. Now sandwiched between the former and a battalion of impressive annata, Riserva’s relevance relies on a strong sense of purpose.

This year, there are plenty of Chianti Classico Riserva releases with a clear identity among the latest 2020 and 2019 vintages.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the new-release Chianti Classico Riservas

Giovanni Poggiali at Fèlsina describes 2020 as ‘a coddled year’ – deprived of travel, producers were able to dedicate all their attention to the vineyard. Mother Nature was also relatively kind. While budbreak was early, spring frost damage was minor and limited to lower lying vineyards.

The summer was hot, though temperatures never became too extreme and cool nights provided reprieve. The biggest anxiety was lack of water as the winter was unusually dry. Late spring rains served to somewhat replenish reserves.

Comparing 2020 with 2021, Federico Cerelli at Castello di Gabbiano says, ‘they were both very warm. The difference, at least in San Casciano, is that there was more stress in 2020.’ Where vines shut down, phenolic ripeness straggled behind sugar ripeness. Marco Ricasoli at Rocca di Montegrossi admits being concerned until showers arrived right at the end of August. ‘If it hadn’t rained, it would have been a big problem.’

The diversity of Chianti Classico’s territory always makes it difficult to generalise, however, and some other producers reported being less challenged by the arid conditions. According to Maurizio Alongi in Gaiole, ‘Sangiovese succeeded in reaching almost perfect ripeness.’ He cites a balance of sugar concentration with high quality skin tannins. His Vigna Barbischio is a testament to that, and one of the most elegant of the lineup ths year.

Overall, the 2020 Riserva are well structured but by no means austere. They are equally amply padded with fruit, so astringency rarely pokes through. Above all, they are gracious wines offering ageing potential of seven to 10 years. Among my top picks, more intense examples like Buondonno and Poggerino’s Bugialla would be best with another year in the cellar, while finely framed wines such as Podere Castellinuzza and Monteraponi’s Il Campitello should be approachable upon release.

Juxtaposed with 2020 Riserva, the 2019s represent one of the largest groups of Chianti Classico to be released in 2023 and the best of these epitomise what I prize about this vintage: Val delle Corti shows tension and finesse; Querciabella is energetic; and Il Molino di Grace is beautifully expressive. Also noteworthy, both Pomona and Castello di Monsanto promise to reveal more with time.

Alas, in less successful examples the slenderness of fruit is eclipsed by domineering wood or drying tannins. Nevertheless, the 2019 Riserva that do hit the mark will provide a refreshing contrast to the successively warmer and drier vintages that follow. They may also prove to be more ageworthy than their lightness currently suggests.

‘A place for elegance’

It is impossible not to consider the implications for Riserva in the context of the evolution of Gran Selezione regulations. Not all producers espoused this category when it was first introduced in 2014. ‘The first releases of Gran Selezione favoured power and concentration, sometimes with the inclusion of Merlot and Cabernet,’ explains Maurizio Alongi, positing that this was perhaps a means to differentiate them from Riserva.

See all 135 Chianti Classico wines from Michaela’s latest report

However, Alongi, along with others, now see a place for elegance in Chianti Classico’s top tier. This, as well as the new opportunity to reference the township of origin on the label might be enough to lure more wines away from Riserva into the Gran Selezione category.

Nonetheless, I don’t foresee an impoverishment to the ranks of Riserva – there are still holdouts to Gran Selezione who will continue to label their top wine as a Riserva, a category which will still be able to welcome in wines made with international grape varieties or less than 90% Sangiovese that will eventually be excluded from the Gran Selezione classification. That is, provided producers do not decide to abdicate the denomination all together and go down the IGT route.

Above all, Riserva is not just a second-best option. ‘It is an important part of the chiantigiana tradition,’ declares Cigliano di Sopra’s Matteo Vaccari, who will be coming out with a single-vineyard Riserva next year.

For those producers who craft both a Riserva and a Gran Selezione, differentiating between the two is crucial. As the Gran Selezione category continues to evolve, further honing of individual Riserva is inevitable. While approaches to Riserva vary, the new releases offer plenty of wines on an equal footing with Gran Selezione in terms of quality, which is good news for the denomination and Chianti Classico fans alike.

New Chianti Classico releases 2023: Top Riserva picks

Read Michaela’s other Chianti Classico 2023 reports:

Chianti Classico Annata: New releases in 2023

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione: New releases in 2023

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