This true classic is the first wine bottled at Badia a Coltibuono in modern times, beginning in the 1950s. It represents the estate's history and a significant part of the history of Chianti. Like the annata (the non-riserva version), this wine uses a traditional blend of Sangiovese and complementary varieties. But to ensure that only the very best is bottled as Riserva, at each step in its production the utmost care is taken to achieve excellence, beginning with a careful choice of the best grapes in the best vineyards, manual sorting at the winery, long maceration on the skins, and a second selection of only the best lots after the first year of cask aging. The resulting wine is complex, deep, nuanced, and extremely long lived. It transcends the freshness and complexity of the annata, showing how power and elegance can live together and develop for decades.
