2015 Vignamaggio Chianti Classico Gherardino Riserva 750 ml

This is as classic as Chianti Classico gets: Up narrow, twisting roads that cut through the heart of the Chianti Classico zone, lined with hardwood trees and crumbling stone walls, lies the legendary estate of Vignamaggio, where today's 2015 Vignamaggio Gherardino Riserva was born. A supple, spice-scented wine bursting with herbes de Provence, plum, and tobacco, this Chianti Classico Riserva shares its history with the noble family whose daughter became eternally famous as the subject of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

In the modern era, Vignamaggio’s ruby 2015 Sangiovese won 94 points from James Suckling, who called it “ripe and decadent yet fresh and enticing on the nose” with a palate that’s “very intense and incredibly energetic with bright acidity and firm, savory tannins.”

This is a pristine reflection of the superlative 2015 vintage, which Wine Spectator rated 97 points—the highest ranking for the region since 1997! The Vignamaggio estate today maintains the historic nature of its architecture and Italianate gardens with such integrity that director Kenneth Branagh chose to shoot his adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing on the villa grounds. But the estate’s engagement with the past is not merely stylistic—it drives the winemaking philosophy as well, with a desire to create wines that eloquently express the terroir of these vineyards and their ancient legacy. 

This cuvée is a tribute to the family that built this estate, the Gherardinis, and the current owners have engaged in what they call a “Noah’s Ark” project of cultivating and restoring unique varieties indigenous to the property.

As an expression of the vibrancy and richness for which Vignamaggio is known, the Chianti Classico Gherardino Riserva can’t be beat. Grown on 20-30-year-old vines, the Sangiovese (with a dollop of Merlot for volume and richness) sees a minimum of two years aging between wood and bottle. The natural opulence is balanced by the structure of the 2015 vintage, which Wine Spectator noted produced “long-lived, powerful and concentrated reds, yet the best have purity and elegance.”

Whether you drink the Vignamaggio Riserva now for its exotic fruit, or lay it down for another five years as it unwinds into even greater complexity, you’ll enjoy a timeless Tuscan classic. This one’s not to be missed.