Tuscany Fine wine

Wine has been made in Tuscany since the days of the Etruscans, in the 8th century BC. While history doesn’t record the details of those early bottlings (if, indeed, they were bottled at all), it seems likely that winemaking has flourished ever since. Various producers lay claim to the title of oldest – Antinori, one of the bastions of the region, traces its commercial production back to 1385 – while the boundaries of Chianti, midway between Florence and Siena, were first established in 1716 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de Medici.

The road from Siena to Florence provided a ready-made trading route that is today similarly popular with tourists soaking up the patchwork hillside plots of venerable olive trees, gnarled vines and the odd stone farmhouse that dot the landscape. That idyllic vista doubtless adds to the appeal of what remain hugely popular wines, their refreshing, food-friendly, savoury nature the perfect profile for the table, where Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino are stalwarts of the dining scene.

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Tuscany wine regions and styles

While it does produce a good number of characterful white wines, Tuscany’s predominant wines are red, and the most notable traditionally revolve around its most famous native grape variety – Sangiovese. The DOCGs of Brunello di Montalcino (in which it is the sole variety permitted) Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (in both of which it must be the dominant grape) all rely on its savoury, sour-cherry character to yield refreshing, elegant but supremely ageworthy wines. In the 1970s and 1980s, these traditional wines were challenged by a new force – the so-called ‘SuperTuscans’ – Ornellaia, Sassicaia and the like – which brought a bolder, more international flavour to new-wave regions such as Bolgheri, largely by harnessing French varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, which, grown towards the coast, can marry ripe fruit with a certain Tuscan, herbal lift. Such was the quality of these wines that they spawned their own, more liberal classification for wines that deviate from the norms of the DOC or DOCG – IGT, meaning Indicazione Georgrafica Tipica.

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Popular Tuscan wine

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Show in Bond Pricing Buying in bond means the wine is stored in a bonded warehouse and no duty or VAT has been paid—ideal for storage or resale. <br>Duty paid means taxes are included and the wine is ready for home delivery and drinking.

2020 Rosso di Montalcino, Mastrojanni

2020 Rosso di Montalcino, Le Potazzine, Gorelli, Tuscany

2017 Chianti Classico, Fontodi, Tuscany

2022 Rosso di Montalcino, Le Potazzine, Gorelli, Tuscany

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Tuscany wine FAQs

What is the key grape variety of Tuscany?

The red wines of Tuscany are dominated by the native Sangiovese grape. The sole variety permitted in all Brunello di Montalcino, and the dominant grape in Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, its savoury, sour-cherry character lends itself to refreshing, elegant but supremely ageworthy renderings. Beyond Sangiovese, the so-called ‘SuperTuscans’ – Ornellaia, Sassicaia and the like – have brought a bolder, more international flavour to new-wave regions such as Bolgheri, largely by harnessing French varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

What exactly is a ‘SuperTuscan’ wine?

‘SuperTuscan’ wines are not an official classification, but rather a name given to pioneering wines that went outside of the standard regional regulations, and would otherwise have been known as humble ‘vino di tavola’. Given the wines in question were Sassicaia and Tignanello, it was felt a more notable moniker was required. These two wines veered away from a reliance on Sangiovese to incorporate the non-native Cabernet Sauvignon – a variety that has since been widely planted in Bolgheri, towards the Tuscan coast, spawning a whole host of copycat wines, some of which are more super than others. The category now has its own classification for wines that deviate from the norms of the DOC or DOCG – IGT, meaning Indicazione Georgrafica Tipica – and today you’ll find a whole host of different versions, incorporating Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, as well as even 100% Sangiovese-based ‘SuperTuscans’.

Tuscany wine producers

Tuscany’s proud wine heritage is reflected in the array of famous labels that define its vinous history. And while not all producers can match the aristocratic Antinori lineage, which spans 26 generations, the likes of Biondi-Santi, which practically invented Brunello di Montalcino, and sister estate Isole e Olena are benchmarks of the Italian wine scene. With the similarly pioneering Tenuta San Guido and Tenuta dell’Ornellaia forging a new path via Bolgheri’s ‘SuperTuscans’, and the more traditional Fontodi and Querciabella continuing to set the standard in Chianti, this is a region with a wealth of household names.