Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The grapes come from selected vineyards at the Gretole and Santedame estates, in the heart of Castellina in Chianti. The broader production area is Tuscany.
Grapes
The 2021 blend comprises 80% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Colorino.
Vinification
The grapes undergo careful selection during harvest. Alcoholic fermentation and maceration take place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats for approximately 20 days, allowing gentle extraction from the fruit.
Ageing
The complete ageing period is 36 months. Sangiovese spends 12 months in large Slavonian oak casks, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot mature in second-use barriques and tonneaux. The assembled wine then continues ageing in concrete vats.
Technical data
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, vintage 2021. The edition consists exclusively of 1,877 individually numbered 1.5 L magnums.
Tasting profile
Ruby red with garnet highlights. The aroma opens with intense cherry, plum and violet, followed by eucalyptus, chocolate and black pepper. The palate is broad and persistent, with an imposing yet silky structure, elegant soft tannins and supporting acidity. The aromatic character is described as ethereal.
Serving and pairing
Serve at 18 °C with traditional Italian meat dishes. The wine has the potential to develop over decades.
Vintage notes
The 2021 release is the first edition in a continuing project that will interpret one artwork from the ORObyRUFFINO collection each year. It was issued only in 1,877 numbered magnums, the quantity echoing Ruffino's founding year.
Label / history
Riserva Ducale began with the 1927 vintage as a tribute to the wine-loving Duke of Aosta. In 1947, an exceptional vintage prompted the creation of Riserva Ducale Oro, anticipating the later Gran Selezione concept.
The Gold Fever edition developed from ORObyRUFFINO, a creative platform devoted to designers' interpretations of gold. Its first release draws on The Gold Fever, an artwork by Officine Saffi presented during Milano Design Week 2024. That work inspired the bottle's hand-crafted ceramic plaque, finished with gold lustre. The collection explores the cultural imagery of gold—from ancient Greek accounts to the nineteenth-century gold rush—through objects and surfaces inspired by gold nuggets, magic, purity and transcendence.
