If you want the finest Sangiovese in Chianti Classico, look straight to Panzano. Legendary benchmark houses like Fontodi and Castello dei Rampolla top the pecking order, but Le Cinciole rounds out this elite trio. Founded in the early 1990s by Luca and Valeria Orsini, the estate is a fanatical leader in organic and biodynamic farming. Their single-vineyard Gran Selezione, "Aluigi," originates from high-elevation, low-yielding vines on classic galestro soils in the Campo ai Peri cru, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the region's top icons.

While many Gran Selezione offerings skew heavy or over-oaked, "Aluigi" is pure elegance and energy. Antonio Galloni of Vinous has marveled over this single-site standout, awarding every single vintage he's reviewed with either 96 or 97 points. Legally required to undergo a minimum 30 months of aging before release, this 2020 vintage effortlessly proves why it is worth the jump from standard Riserva.

In the glass, this 2020 erupts with lifted notes of sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, dried mint, rose petals, and crushed red berries over a vibrant mineral drive. Fine-grained, chiseled tannins and bright acidity give it incredible length and transparency. Having worked with Panzano’s finest for decades, our team can confidently say this: for pure, high-altitude Tuscan refinement, stock up on this bottling while you can.

Tale of the Tape: Panzano’s “Pantheon of “Icons”

2020 Fontodi, “Flaccianello” - Vinous 96 pts.  - (U.S. Retail Avg. $211.00 per)

2020 Castello dei Rampolla “Sammarco” - Vinous 95 Pts.  - (U.S. Retail Avg. $109.00 per)

2020 Le Cinciole Chianti Classico Gran Selezione "Aluigi" - Vinous 97 Pts. 

(SommSelect $59.00 on 4 or more bottles!)

Molte Grazie!

Critical Acclaim:

97 Points, Vinous Media:

“The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Aluigi Campo ai Peri is 100% Sangiovese from a single vineyard in Panzano that faces Lamole. It spent two years in cask and a third year in a larger cask. Rich, sumptuous and beautifully layered, the 2020 is all class, all refinement. Silky tannins, expressive red-toned Sangiovese fruit and lifted, soaring aromatics give the 2020 tons of finesse. This sensual Gran Selezione is lights out.” - Antonio Galloni, June 2024