Castello di Volpaia is a winery cleverly hidden in a historic hillside Tuscan town, a historic walled commune that dates back to the 1100’s. Tanks are tucked in crumbling churches, barrel halls lie below stone piazzas, and a subterranean “vinoduct” flows underneath it all. It is one if Italy’s magical places, not to mention one of Tuscany’s best producers of Chianti Classico. Volpaia’s wines consistently make Wine Spectator’s list of the “Top 100 Wines of the Year”. This is no small feat.

Volpaia’s vineyards have been farmed organically for decades. Each vineyard is harvested and vinified separately. The Chianti Classico Riserva is made from a blend of the fruit coming from the best estate vineyards, aged 24 months prior to release. This is an iconic wine that the Mascheroni Stianti family have been producing since 1967, when very few producers produced a Chianti Classico Riserva. This is a wine with outstanding complexity and elegance.

“The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva is fabulous. Vibrant and translucent in the glass, it offers so much pedigree. Dark cherry, leather, licorice, tobacco and lavender are some of the many nuances that open in the glass. Readers will find a deceptively mid-weight Riserva endowed with notable poise.”
94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, June 2024

“Selected from southeast- to southwest-facing plots rising from 400 to 600 metres, the harvest in 2021 was prolonged, with Riserva grapes brought in between the end of September and mid-October. The wine emerges with palpable yet attractive wood spice and vanilla notes along with an equal measure of pure red cherry. The palate brings in irony mineral and earthy jasmine nuances. Elegantly weighted and unmistakably sophisticated with smooth tannins, this rings out with tangy acidity.”
93 points, Michaela Morris, Decanter, February 2024

“A textured, driven and flavorful riserva with aromas of dark cherries, wild currants, dried herbs and some stones. It’s medium-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Focused and precise, with a velvety core of succulent cherries at the center and a solid and harmonious frame of tannins. Lively and flavorful finish with excellent length. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
93 points, James Suckling, July 2024