Tuscan Wine

A classic Tuscan landscape in Chianti with a cypress-lined drive to a hilltop farm | © canadastock / shutterstock.com

Tuscany is now one of the most famous and prolific wine regions anywhere in Europe. It is best known for its Sangiovese-based dry red wines which include Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

The region's Vin Santo is also highly prized, as are its passito dessert wines, though these are made in tiny volumes by comparison. Dry whites are probably less familiar to most consumers - apart perhaps from Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Situated in central Italy, Tuscany's neighbors are Liguria and Emilia-Romagna to the north, Umbria and Marche to the east and Lazio to the south. Its western boundary is formed by the Tyrrhenian Sea. The picturesque rolling hills with medieval villages and cypress-lined avenues appeal to tourists and so help promote the wines.

The region's top wines are officially recognized and protected by a raft of 41 DOC and 11 DOCG titles. There are six more flexible IGP/IGT designations, with the pan-regional Toscana IGP representing nearly a quarter of the total output. See Italian Wine Labels for more details regarding this hierarchy.

The most searched-for wine from Tuscany on our database is Sassicaia, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from the coastal region of Bolgheri.

The city of Florence is the capital of Tuscany | ©Gurgen Bakhshetyan / www.shutterstock.com

History of Tuscan wine

As is the case with almost all of Italy's 20 regions, Tuscany has a long wine history. This can be traced back to the 7th Century BC from remnants of wine amphora that have been excavated in the region. Throughout the Roman Empire, wine became part of the daily diet, particularly for the upper-class.

By the end of the 1200s, the city of Florence was populated with wine merchants. The Ate dei Vinattieri was established in the city as a guild for wine professionals to pledge allegiance to. It imposed strict regulations on how wine-related business could be conducted. At the same time, throughout the country, writers, poets and artists were enriching their work with wine-inspired pieces.

There were numerous family wine producers of Tuscany established throughout the 13th and 14th centuries of which today, are historic and well-respected producers of the region. These include Marchesi de' Frescobaldi, Marchesi Antinori and Barone Ricasoli among others.

Overlooking Machesi Antinori, a historic Tuscany producer | ©Machesi Antinori

In 1716, for the first time, the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de' Medici decided to define the 70,000 hectare area of Chianti for the production of quality wines in a legal document. This made history as the first legally enforced example of a DOC.

Climate and terroir

Climate is a vital factor in this region's success as a wine region. Temperate coastal areas are contrasted by inland areas (particularly those in the rolling hills for which the region is so famous), where increased diurnal temperature variation helps to maintain the grapes' balance of sugars, acidity and aromatics.

The summers here are hot, especially at the lower altitudes within the valleys. The Sangiovese grape prefers a high volume of sunshine hours so a majority of the region's vineyards are found planted on slopes to maximize exposure.

Rainfall is concentrated into the milder autumn and winter months. Light snowfall in winter is possible but thankfully damaging spring frosts are mitigated by the undulating landscape. In more recent years, the region has endured periods of drought that have drastically reduced yields in the vineyards.

Tuscany's grape varieties

Arguably the most important of all Italian wine grapes, Sangiovese accounts for around two-thirds of all plantings and 85 percent of red wine volume in the region. It is the mainstay variety in almost all of Tuscany's top reds. Its long history and broad regional distribution mean that it has acquired various names.

The first word of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG refers for the local name for Sangiovese. For Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the grape is known as Prugnolo Gentile. Under the name Morellino it is the grape used to make Morellino di Scansano. Sangiovese also features in Chianti, in which it is joined by small amounts of Canaiolo and Colorino, as well as increasing quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

With the rise of the Super Tuscans, the most famous of which come from Bolgheri, Cabernet Sauvignon became a much more prominent variety in Tuscany. Merlot and the other Bordeaux varieties also feature, as does Syrah (most notably in Cortona).

More recently focus has increased on neglected local red grapes, both as blending components and for single variety wines. Of these Ciliegiolo is the most prominent; here it achieves a more structured wine than is usually the case in neighboring Umbria. Pugnitello is also experiencing a revival, though as yet on a smaller scale.

Trebbiano (Ugni Blanc) is the most planted white variety, followed by Malvasia, Vermentino and Vernaccia. International varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier are planted in very small quantities, but do feature in (usually Toscana IGP) white wines from some top estates in red wine-focused appellations.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are many recognized IGTs (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) throughout Italy, IGTs are typically designations that follow looser rules than those of DOC or DOCG, and the majority of IGT wines are varietal entry-level wines. Although it was the advent of the Super Tuscans that led to the creation of the Toscana IGT any wine made in any of Tuscany’s ten provinces can be eligible for the Toscana IGT label, it is not restricted to just the Super Tuscans.

Although the Toscana IGT is just one of the many IGTs found around Italy, it is the one particular to Tuscany and the category which most Super Tuscans fall under. Wines made in other IGTS outside Tuscany are not considered Super Tuscans, however, some Super Tuscans, like Sassicaia, do fall under the Bolgheri DOC label – a sub-appellation of the broader Toscana IGT – which also permits international grape varieties.

As rules have relaxed, some Super Tuscans now qualify for the Chianti Classico DOCG label, but most have chosen to remain under the Toscana IGT banner.

Some of the most expensive Super Tuscans include wines by Marchesi de' Frescobaldi, Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera, Marchesi Antinori and Tenuta San Guido.

Yes. The differences between Chianti and Super Tuscans mostly revolve around the restrictions or lack of restrictions around each. Chianti has to be made from around at least 80 percent Sangiovese, whereas Super Tuscans can be made from any of the international varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc – as well as Sangiovese in any proportion. Occasionally white Super Tuscans are also made.

Chianti has to meet certain strict criteria to be eligible for DOCG classification, whereas, Super Tuscans only have to meet the much looser terms of Toscana IGT.

The name ‘Super Tuscans’ came about as a way to mark these often very sophisticated wines as different from the ordinary table wines associated with Vino da Tavola. At the time, they could not use the DOCG classification reserved for Chianti and Vino da Tavola was not an indicator of premium quality.

Eventually, the Toscana IGT came into fruition which was widely adopted by the Super Tuscan producers and, since then, labels designating quality have become more fluid.
Based on search frequency, updated monthly
Product
 
Grape
Popularity
Critics' Score
Avg. Price / 750ml
Wine Label of Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy
3rd in popularity
$ 374
/ 750ml
95 / 100
Wine Label of Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
19th in popularity
$ 196
/ 750ml
94 / 100
Wine Label of Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, Italy
41st in popularity
$ 272
/ 750ml
94 / 100
Wine Label of Masseto Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
43rd in popularity
$ 1,027
/ 750ml
96 / 100
Wine Label of Marchesi Antinori Solaia Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
52nd in popularity
$ 402
/ 750ml
95 / 100
Wine Label of Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT, Tuscany, Italy
84th in popularity
$ 173
/ 750ml
95 / 100
Wine Label of Argiano Brunello di Montalcino DOCG,Tuscany, Italy
107th in popularity
$ 85
/ 750ml
92 / 100
Wine Label of Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
110th in popularity
$ 330
/ 750ml
95 / 100
Wine Label of Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany, Italy
122nd in popularity
$ 225
/ 750ml
93 / 100
Wine Label of Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Toscana IGT - Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany, Italy
128th in popularity
$ 840
/ 750ml
94 / 100
Wine Label of Tenuta San Guido 'Guidalberto' Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
173rd in popularity
$ 54
/ 750ml
91 / 100
Wine Label of Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany, Italy
179th in popularity
$ 71
/ 750ml
92 / 100
Wine Label of Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy
184th in popularity
$ 645
/ 750ml
95 / 100
Wine Label of Marchesi Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, Italy
188th in popularity
$ 152
/ 750ml
94 / 100
Wine Label of Fattoria Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany, Italy
204th in popularity
$ 217
/ 750ml
94 / 100
Wine Label of Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy
209th in popularity
$ 131
/ 750ml
94 / 100
Wine Label of Tenuta Luce 'Luce' Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
212th in popularity
$ 121
/ 750ml
93 / 100
Wine Label of Ornellaia 'Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia' Bolgheri Rosso, Tuscany, Italy
233rd in popularity
$ 66
/ 750ml
91 / 100
Wine Label of Stefano Amerighi Syrah Cortona, Tuscany, Italy
236th in popularity
$ 38
/ 750ml
91 / 100
Wine Label of Il Marroneto Madonna delle Grazie, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy
274th in popularity
$ 361
/ 750ml
95 / 100
Wine Label of Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
287th in popularity
$ 107
/ 750ml
94 / 100
Wine Label of Petrolo Galatrona Valdarno di Sopra, Tuscany, Italy
289th in popularity
$ 101
/ 750ml
94 / 100
Wine Label of Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, Tuscany, Italy
301st in popularity
$ 100
/ 750ml
94 / 100
Wine Label of Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Pianrosso, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy
304th in popularity
$ 83
/ 750ml
93 / 100
Wine Label of Salvioni Cerbaiola Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany, Italy
314th in popularity
$ 183
/ 750ml
94 / 100
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Tuscany Vintage Reports
  • 2022
  • Vintage quality: Unknown
    Current condition: Will keep
  • 2021
  • Vintage quality: Good (Excellent)
    Current condition: Keep
  • 2020
  • Vintage quality: Good
    Current condition: Drink or keep
  • 2019
  • Vintage quality: Good (Excellent)
    Current condition: Will keep
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