Tuscany

The Tuscan Wine Region is considered one of the most important in all of Italy. It’s here that Sangiovese flourishes, producing a variety of distinct and influential wines, according to our Tuscan Wine Guide. The Chianti area exports more wine than any other in Italy, and wines labeled with DOCG must contain at least 80% Sangiovese. Wines from the Chianti Classico, Ruffina and Colli Senesi DOCGs will typically spend more time in oak and in turn be more complex. Brunello, a clone of the Sangiovese grape, is only grown in the Montalcino area and requires a minimum five years of aging to be classified as Brunello di Montalcino. Rosso di Montalcino is also made from Sangiovese, but only requires a year of aging, resulting in more approachable wines. A handful of visionary winemakers that chose not to follow the DOCG regulations realized that grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, excelled on the coastal plain of Toscana. This is where the Super Tuscan wines were born and have thrived over the past several decades. In recent vintages, the wines from Bolgheri, Maremma, Montecucco and Morellino di Scansano have received some of the highest accolades in our Tuscan Wine Ratings.