Chianti Classico Riserva: New releases in 2024

Last year’s preview of the 2021 annata inspired great expectations for the Riserva and Gran Selezione categories of Chianti Classico, exhibiting great depth of fruit, balancing acidity and alcohol, and confident rather than arrogant tannins. This year’s tastings confirm that scaling Chianti Classico’s ladder in the 2021 vintage is well worth it.

Despite the challenges of spring frost followed by a hot, dry summer, conditions in the crucial period leading up to harvest seemed to work in symbiosis with this. The combination of slightly stressed vines and relatively cooler temperatures in September encouraged slow ripening, according to Alessandro Campatelli at Riecine.

‘Both technical [sugar] and phenolic ripening were close to perfect,’ he asserted, saying that the period from veraison to harvest lasted between 37-45 days. He compared this to 2022, which was 28-35 days, and 2020, which was barely over two weeks. Of course, these numbers are specific to Riecine’s high altitude vineyards in Gaiole.

In Radda, Poggerino’s Piero Lanza also points to ideal temperatures during September. ‘We had significant differences – early mornings as low as 3°C and days between 28-30°C.’ He maintains that this favoured great acidity, perfumes and polyphenolic complexity, all of which translated to the wines in the glass.

See the score table for Michaela’s tasting notes and scores for 180 new Chianti Classico releases 

2021 & 2020: ‘Strong identities’

There are many ‘proper’ Riserva in 2021. Amply structured and textural, they sport firm but ripe tannins backed up by dense fruit. Most of my recommendations need a bit longer to come together and suggest a solid decade of ageing. Top achievers, such as Poggerino, Monteraponi’s Il Campitello and La Montanina have the potential for 15 years in the cellar.

Alongside these, the 2020s were more variable, though not lacking in lovely examples. Some are already evolved, and most are approachable now. Exceptions, such as Castello di Monsanto, Pomona, Val delle Corti and Querciabella could do with another year in the bottle, and as a whole, the 2020 Riservas will be best over the next seven to 10 years.

Both 2021 and 2020 offer Riserva wines with a strong identity that surpasses ‘an annata with longer ageing,’ as one producer described the former image of Riserva. Alas, a few seemed a bit lost in the shuffle, or overworked.

In the upper echelon, Istine’s 2021 Riserva is equal in quality to the estate’s trio of Gran Selezione – just different in concept. Whereas the latter are single-vineyard bottlings, the Riserva is a selection of the best grapes from all three. It also sees longer time in wood, which may sound counterintuitive but is not without justification.

New this year, Cigliano di Sopra’s 2021 Riserva does hail from a single plot, which is distinguished by its old vines. Owner, Maddalena Fucile believes that the age of the vines is fundamental to the depth of flavour. ‘It is complete on its own, whereas the rest of our parcels need each other,’ she explains.

At Tregole, both the Riserva and the Gran Selezione are crafted from single vineyards. ‘The Riserva plot always gives the most power, whereas the Gran Selezione is more elegant,’ proprietor Sophie Conte explains.

Again, this may inverse the perceived progression from Riserva to Gran Selezione, however Conte observes the traditional concept of the former – which long predates the creation of the latter.

Read: Chianti Classico annata: New releases in 2024

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione: New releases in 2024

A brief tour around Chianti Classico

In terms of discerning stylistic similarities within Chianti Classico’s 11 districts, this is tricky as they span sizeable and varied areas – much larger than Barolo’s MGAs, for example. However, each in their own way, Castell’in Villa and Castello di Bossi’s Riservas capture the wild, dark fruit tones and austere structure of Castelnuovo Berardenga.

Further north in the district, Tenuta di Arceno is gentler in expression owing in part to vineyards on non-calcareous sandstone soil known as ‘macigno‘.

Even more notable for its wide range is Gaiole. From the warm, open southern enclave of Monti, both San Giusti a Rentennano and La Montanina exhibit ripe lush fruit matched by generous tannins. Conversely, Maurizio Alongi’s fine-boned, linear Riserva speaks to the cool, forested pocket in the district’s east.

With the most vineyard plantings, Castellina is similarly diverse. It rises from 200 metres to over 500 metres and covers a variety of soils. On calcareous-rich clay, Pomona’s Riserva exhibits its characteristic resolute structure, even in the gracious 2020 vintage. By contrast, Castellare di Castellina and Castagnoli show the district’s more intensely ripe side.

Despite all the excitement surrounding Chianti Classico’s highest level, as well as the incredible value the annata wines propose, the Riserva wines should not be overlooked. The category includes some of the region’s most famous wines, such as Castell’in Villa, and San Giusto a Rentenanno’s Baròncole, which impressed with their 2017 and 2021 releases respectively.

Furthermore, boutique producer, Maurizio Alongi and promising newcomer, La Vigna di San Martino ad Argiano have selected the Riserva category for the sole Chianti Classico each produces. And once international varieties are completely phased out of the Gran Selezione regulations, the Riserva category is where we could see the likes of Castello di Ama’s cru bottlings.

Savvy Chianti Classico fans are well advised to continue watching this space.

Featured in this report:

The wines below are all mentioned in this Chianti Classico Riserva report. To see all wines tasted, including all the top scorers, view the score table.

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