Loaded with personality, this opens with aromas of forest floor, new leather, camphor and ripe black-skinned fruit. The palate boasts an earthy elegance reminiscent of top Burgundies, showcasing ripe black cherry, crushed raspberry, truffle, star anise and a hint of salted game. Firm, fine-grained tannins provide support while fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2022–2036.

In 1998, the Giuntini family purchased a new property in the Chianti Rufina wine region.  In 1999 they planted six hectares (14.8 acres) of Sangiovese cuttings from grapevines selected from their Bucerchiale vineyard, as well as other indigenous vines and olive trees.  The vineyard, like all Selvapiana vineyards, is farmed organically.  The wine is made solely from Sangiovese, fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged in French oak barriques for 18 months and spends one year in bottle before release.  It is an impressive wine with aromas of red cherries, dried woody herbs, blood orange and a touch of vanilla that pave the way for vivid flavors of red cherries, red currant, with notes of pipe tobacco and a whiff of dried mushroom. The ripeness of the fruit is balanced with zesty acidity and dusty tannins.        

The 2016 Chianti Rufina Vigneto Bucerchiale is a dark, brooding wine. Swaths of tannin make a first impression. Gradually, black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves, leather and menthol start to emerge. This potent, massively tannic Chianti Rufina is going to need a number of years to come around. There is plenty of depth, but the elements are totally put together. The 2016 finishes with tremendous substance and gravitas. I expect the 2016 will always remain a brute.

A new wine in the range, the 2016 Chianti Rufina Vigneto Erchi is off the charts. The purest essence of Sangiovese emerges from a wine that combines power with translucent finesse. Bright acids and citrus accents perk up the red Sangiovese fruit. Initially a bit austere, the 2016 gains volume with time in the glass. The Erchi emerges from a relatively new parcel for the state planted with cuttings from Bucerchiale. Compared to that wine, the Erchi has a much more red-fruited profile and also appears to handle aging in French oak better. The 2016 is a stellar debut. Don't miss it.  

The newest wine in the Selvapiana lineup. When Selvapiana’s owners, the Giuntini family, purchased this land in 1999, it was the first purchase they had made since 1897. 2016 is the first release from this vineyard. On the nose, this wine is complex but tight, showing savory mineral notes that combine with concentrated red cherry, spicy oak and woodsy herbal hints.  After that tight nose, the wine seems surprisingly rich in flavor when it enters your mouth, all dark berry fruit but in a truly dry wine, not at all the sort of rich, fruity flavor many wine drinkers might be accustomed to. The wine has high acidity and an abundant amount of velvety tannin, but not enough tannin to overwhelm that fruit.  Again, there’s balance happening here between the aromatics and the structure. 

VALUE ITALY PICK OF THE WEEK 

Dark and brooding, this red features ripe black cherry, blackberry, wild herb, earth and iron flavors. Gains in richness, density and ripeness what it loses in freshness, though shows fine balance and length. Drink now through 2028

Chianti Rufina 2018 is the least expensive ($19), the easiest to enjoy, and the readiest to drink.  Its nose is surprisingly fruity and vibrant for a Chianti; it suggests fresh red cherries, dried herbs, fresh mint and thyme, and licorice.  In your mouth, the wine is dry and medium-bodied, a light-ish red with a spine of acidity and just a medium amount of tannin, with fruity flavors similar to its aromas. A noteworthy aspect of this wine is how well it “hangs” in your mouth — fruitiness in the front, acidity up the middle and a combination of fruitiness and textured tannin in the back. It’s a complete wine that delivers all across your mouth. Did I mention the price? Despite these connotations of “lesser than,” it’s the wine I really want to drink, especially now, in July.  

The Selvapiana 2015 Chianti Rufina Riserva Vigneto Bucerchiale is a generous and exuberant expression of Sangiovese that remains ever­faithful to its traditional and territory-driven roots. This wine speaks with a Tuscan tongue, giving voice to wild berry, earthy truffle and aromas of Mediterranean herb. The finish is softly fruity with subtle structure (which is firm and binding nonetheless) and fresh acidity. - Monica Larner