The land

Tuscany covers a large swath of central Italy, from the Apennines down to the Tyrrhenian coast. The classic Sangiovese zones are inland — Chianti Classico (between Florence and Siena), Montalcino (south of Siena, home of Brunello), and Montepulciano (further east, home of Vino Nobile). The Tuscan coast (Bolgheri, Maremma) produces a different style of wine entirely — Bordeaux varieties on warmer, drier sites that became the Super Tuscan category in the 1970s.

The appellations

Chianti Classico is the original zone, marked by the Gallo Nero (Black Rooster). Brunello di Montalcino is 100% Sangiovese with minimum five years of aging — the most structured and age-worthy Tuscan red. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano sits between the two stylistically. Bolgheri DOC (1994) and Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC (2013) cover the Super Tuscan coastal wines built on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. IGT Toscana is the loose-classification catch-all where many of the most ambitious wines live.

Style of the wines

Sangiovese-led wines from inland Tuscany: tart red cherry, dried herbs, leather, tomato leaf, dusty tannin, high acid, the wines that want tomato sauce. Bordeaux-led wines from the coast: blackcurrant, graphite, cedar, plush tannin — more Pomerol-meets-Napa in style. Both can age beautifully; the coastal wines tend to drink earlier and the inland Sangiovese rewards more patience.

Vintages to know

2019 — outstanding. 2016 — classical, age-worthy, one of the best of the decade. 2015 — concentrated. 2013 — balanced. 2010 — legendary for Brunello. See the full ratings at /encyclopedia/vintage-chart/.

In the BWM cellar

Fèlsina Chianti Classico Riserva is our reference — Berardenga sub-zone, structured, honest, age-worthy. Across the cellar you will find Brunello, Vino Nobile, IGT Toscana wines blending Sangiovese with international varieties, and a small allocation of Soldera when we can secure it. Browse the full Tuscany hand at /regions/tuscany/.