About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The fruit comes from selected vineyards at the Gretole and Santedame estates, in the heart of Castellina in Chianti, 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 together in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats for approximately 20 days, allowing gentle extraction from the skins.
Ageing
The wine is aged for 36 months overall. Sangiovese spends 12 months in large Slavonian oak casks, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot mature in second-use barriques and tonneaux. The assembled wine subsequently rests in concrete vats.
Technical data
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG from the 2021 vintage. The release consists of 1,877 individually numbered 1.5-litre magnums, presented in boxes.
Tasting profile
Ruby red with garnet highlights. The bouquet opens with pronounced cherry, plum and violet, followed by eucalyptus, chocolate and black pepper. The palate has substantial structure, elegant soft tannins and supporting acidity. Ethereal aromas accompany a silky, broad and persistent profile.
Serving and pairing
Serve at 18 °C. Pair with traditional Italian meat dishes. Its structure supports development over decades.
Label / history
Riserva Ducale began with the 1927 vintage as a tribute to the Duke of Aosta and his fondness for the wine. Ruffino marked the exceptional 1947 vintage by creating the first Riserva Ducale Oro, anticipating the idea later embodied by the Gran Selezione category.
The Gold Fever is the first release in a project that will reinterpret Riserva Ducale Oro annually through an artwork from the ORObyRUFFINO collection. This 2021 edition is dedicated to The Gold Fever by Officine Saffi, a platform focused on creative research in ceramics. The work was presented during Milano Design Week 2024 and inspired the bottle’s handcrafted ceramic plaque, finished with gold lustre. Its imagery explores the beauty, magic, purity and transcendence associated with gold, from ancient Greek accounts to the nineteenth-century gold rush.