2018 Fattoria di Basciano Chianti Rufina Tuscany 750 ml

Fattoria di Basciano’s muscular 2018 Chianti Rufina is exactly the type of bottle you discover on vacation, fall in love with, and can never track down again. Except this time, the mystery vacation bottle IS available at home—and trust us, it’s one you’ll be reaching for again and again. 

When a waiter in Florence poured us our first sip, this Chianti brought the conversation to a dead stop. After marveling at its powerful frame and lingering, mineral-tinged finish, we cancelled our morning plans in order to find the producer. There was no way we were going home without it.

Lauded by Wine Spectator as “densely textured” with “vivid acidity and refined tannins,” it’s brawny and powerful, with gorgeous cigar-box aromatics and a plush, brambly palate—a bold interpretation of this untamed corner of Tuscany. 

Chianti Rufina is one of the smallest subzones of the Chianti DOCG, and perhaps the most famous for its quality. Here, steep vineyards are hundreds of feet higher than in Chianti Classico, and the distance from the coast creates a continental climate that amplifies diurnal temperature variation. That means vineyards like Fattoria di Basciano’s allow Sangiovese to ripen slowly, developing thick skins and juicy acidity. 

In the process, the grapes absorb an expression of terroir that can’t be matched for the price. Fattoria di Basciano’s bottles “show the tell-tale refinement, high acidity, relatively low alcohol, sour cherry fruit and slight underbrush-mushroom notes that define great Rufina wines,” declared Vinous.  

Within a minute of tasting this wine, we were left in awe at its rich boldness and succulent ripeness. It’s a beautifully crafted bottle that delivers everything we love in Chianti Rufina.