Why it matters
The producer
Cosimo Gericke runs an organic estate from a hamlet that barely appears on most Chianti Classico maps. Rignana sits at the western edge of the Panzano area, on a ridge that looks away from the famous Conca d'Oro amphitheatre rather than into it. The Gericke family has been here since 1965 and Cosimo is the current owner, farming around 14 hectares of vine within a 120-hectare property of woods, olive groves, and open land.
The estate is not trying to be anything other than what the place and the soil allow. Sangiovese is the central grape; Canaiolo, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot each have a role. All wines come from estate fruit. Every bottle carries a hedgehog on the label, borrowed from the coat of arms of a Jansenist bishop who died in exile on this land in 1810 and left his emblem behind.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Rignana is administratively part of the Greve in Chianti commune, within the broader Chianti Classico DOCG zone. The hamlet sits at the western perimeter of the Panzano subzone, close to where the Panzano hills give way to the terrain stretching toward Barberino Tavarnelle. It is not the most prominent address in the zone, but the altitude and aspect compensate for the lack of famous neighbours.
Vineyards run from 300 to 400 metres above sea level. At that height in Chianti Classico, summer heat is tempered enough to extend the growing season and let Sangiovese retain its acidity rather than pushing toward overripe, jammy fruit. The label Chianti Classico DOCG places these wines inside one of Italy's most codified appellations, requiring Sangiovese as the primary grape and setting minimum ageing periods that rise from Classico to Riserva to Gran Selezione.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Around 14 hectares of vines grow on Galestro soils between 300 and 400 metres, with southeast-to-southwest exposure. Vine density and clone selection were made to suit the site. Since 2020, every other row is sown with sainfoin rather than left bare or cultivated: the legume fixes atmospheric nitrogen, loosens the soil with its roots, and supports ground-nesting insects. No herbicides or insecticides are used. Soil fertility comes from buried organic manure and field-bean green manure.
In the cellar, the philosophy mirrors the vineyard: minimum intervention within organic parameters.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range runs across three Chianti Classico DOCG tiers and one IGT wine, all from estate fruit.
The Chianti Classico DOCG blends Sangiovese with Canaiolo. The 2023 release confirmed this combination; Canaiolo adds a softening note to Sangiovese's firmer tannin backbone, and the wine shows red berries, undergrowth, grip, a vegetal element, and wild strawberry on the finish.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Start with the Chianti Classico DOCG. It is a Sangiovese-Canaiolo blend grown on Galestro at altitude, organically farmed, and made with minimum cellar intervention. The wine shows exactly what this estate is: cool-site Sangiovese with honest tannin, bright acidity, dark cherry and violet on the nose, and enough substance to sit at the table for the whole meal. The Canaiolo softens the edges without flattening the character. There is nothing here that needs explanation or waiting for; open it with food and drink it while it is fresh.