Chianti Rufina: What It Is, Riserva Rules and How It Differs from Chianti Classico

Chianti Rufina is Chianti from one particular corner of Tuscany: the hills northeast of Florence, where the vineyards climb toward the Apennines. It is the highest of the Chiantis, and it has its own rules on top of the Chianti ones. Here is what the name on the label means, how Rufina Riserva and the single-vineyard Terraelectae wines are made, how Rufina differs from Chianti Classico, and the four Chianti Rufina wines we bring to Ontario.

What is Chianti Rufina?

Chianti Rufina is a subzone of the Chianti DOCG, Italy's top tier of controlled appellations. The production rules for Chianti, as amended by ministerial decree on 5 June 2026 and published by the Consorzio Vino Chianti, allow Chianti to carry one of eight subzone names: "Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Montalbano, Montespertoli, Rufina e Terre di Vinci".

The Consorzio del Chianti Rufina describes the area as "located to the north-east of the city of Florence, on the slopes of the Tuscan-Romagnolo Apennines", covering the districts of Pontassieve, Rufina, Londa, Pelago and Dicomano. It is small: the consorzio gives 12,483 hectares in total, of which 750 are registered vineyards, and counts 22 growers making Chianti Rufina.

Why is Chianti Rufina different?

Height. The consorzio calls Rufina "the variety of Chianti grown at the highest altitude", with vineyards on "south by southwest facing slopes up to 400 metres above sea level". The vines follow the Sieve valley as it rises from Pontassieve toward Dicomano, and the summers bring "high daytime temperatures and cool nights in the summer months".

The rules recognise the difference. For the Rufina subzone, new vineyards must be planted at a minimum of 4,500 vines per hectare, and the maximum yield is 9.5 tonnes of grapes per hectare.

What are the rules for Chianti Rufina and Rufina Riserva?

All Chianti is built on Sangiovese, which must make up 60 to 100 per cent of the blend. On top of that, the 2026 rules set these minimums for the Rufina subzone:

The Riserva rule is the important one on a label: the wine must be "sottoposto ad invecchiamento di almeno due anni", aged for at least two years, counted from 1 January after the grapes were picked.

What is Terraelectae?

Terraelectae is the Rufina producers' own single-vineyard tier. According to the Consorzio del Chianti Rufina, "TERRAELECTAE is a voluntary brand conceived and owned by the producers belonging to the Consorzio Chianti Rufina". The bar is higher than the legal Riserva:

• The wine "must have a 100% Sangiovese ampelographic base", with no other grapes.
• It comes from one named vineyard, with "Vigna" or "Vigneto" on the label.
• It must be a Riserva, with a maximum of 70 quintals of grapes per hectare and at least 12.5% alcohol.
• It needs "30 months aging of which 18 in wood and at least 6 in bottle".

In other words, Terraelectae is Rufina's answer to the question of what its best single sites can do with Sangiovese alone.

Is Chianti Rufina the same as Chianti Classico?

No. Since 1996 Chianti Classico has been a separate DOCG with its own production rules. The Chianti Classico disciplinare states that a decree of 5 August 1996 gave it "la propria autonomia dal Chianti generico", its own independence from generic Chianti. Its wines carry the "Gallo Nero", the black rooster, on every bottle.

Neither is a step up from the other. They are two different places, with two sets of rules, both built on Sangiovese.

How old is Chianti Rufina?

Its roots go back to 1716. On 24 September that year, Cosimo III de' Medici issued a decree that the Consorzio Vino Chianti calls "the first document in the world to regulate the production of wine". It named four wine areas: "Chianti, Pomino, Carmignano and Val d'Arno di Sopra". The Rufina consorzio says Cosimo III classified the area's wine "as being among the four best in Tuscany". The modern appellation followed much later: DOC in 1967 and DOCG in 1984.

Our Chianti Rufina wines

All four come from Travignoli, a Chianti Rufina estate, and all four list Sangiovese as the grape. The details below are from our sommelier's notes on each wine's page.

Start with the 2024 for a weeknight bottle with pasta or stew. The Tegolaia and the TerraElectae are the two Riservas, made for grilled and braised meat, and our notes suggest 20 minutes in a decanter. The 1985 is a chance to taste Rufina Sangiovese at nearly 40 years old: our notes describe dried cherry, leather and tobacco, with 30 minutes in a decanter before serving.

If you enjoy Tuscan Sangiovese, our guide to Super Tuscans covers the region's other famous style, including Travignoli's own.