Why it matters
The producer
Tenuta di Lilliano is a family estate in the Chianti Classico zone of Tuscany, co-owned by brothers Giulio and Pietro Ruspoli. Giulio has managed it since 1989; his nephew Alessandro represents the estate on international markets. The Ruspoli name carries centuries of central Italian aristocracy, but what anchors Lilliano in wine terms is a single decision made in 1958: Princess Eleonora Ruspoli Berlingieri chose to bottle the estate's Sangiovese rather than sell it in bulk, and she made that first vintage alongside Giulio Gambelli, the most widely respected Sangiovese interpreter of mid-century Tuscany.
That founding act set the template. Forty hectares, a dominant Sangiovese planting, Alberese marly limestone soils at 280 to 300 metres above sea level, and a clear three-tier range from vintage Chianti Classico through Riserva to Gran Selezione. Today, agronomist Stefano Porcinai tends the vineyards while oenologist Lorenzo Landi selects and manages the wines.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Chianti Classico is the historic core of the Chianti wine zone in central Tuscany, a DOCG appellation running between Florence and Siena whose best-known grape is Sangiovese. Lilliano sits at 280 to 300 metres above sea level, which moderates the heat enough to keep the Sangiovese's acidity firm and its fruit relatively compact. The elevation also slows ripening slightly, so the wines tend toward fresh red fruit rather than cooked dark fruit.
The soils here are Alberese, a Tuscan term for a marly limestone loaded with heavy stone. Stone-rich soils drain quickly and hold warmth during the day, but they also limit vine vigour, concentrating energy in smaller berry clusters with thicker skins. In the glass, Alberese sites in Chianti Classico tend to produce wines with moderate body, notable acidity, and a dry, slightly firm tannic line.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Fermentation and maceration for the Chianti Classico takes place in temperature-controlled concrete tanks over 18 to 20 days, depending on the vintage. Concrete keeps temperatures even and does not impose flavour on the wine, allowing the Sangiovese and Colorino to express the fruit character that comes from the limestone soils. Malolactic fermentation follows in concrete and small stainless steel tanks with temperature control.
After that, the vintage Chianti Classico matures for 12 to 14 months in a combination of large French oak casks and concrete, then spends at least three months in bottle before release. Large casks, as opposed to small barriques, allow slow and gentle oxygen exchange without adding significant wood flavour; the effect is a wine that softens and integrates rather than one that picks up obvious vanilla or toast character.
Wines to know
The range in view
The Chianti Classico is the estate's broadest wine, blended from 90% Sangiovese, 5% Colorino and 5% Merlot, drawing fruit from across the estate's named parcels and general holdings. The Colorino adds colour and a slight depth of dark fruit to the Sangiovese base; the Merlot from Vigna Catena softens the mid-palate. The vintage Chianti Classico is described by the estate as fruity and floral with light spicy notes, which aligns with what the Alberese limestone and concrete fermentation tend to produce: fresh red cherry, a lifted floral note from Sangiovese, and a moderate spice character from the large-oak ageing.
The Chianti Classico Riserva moves into the large barrel cellar beneath the villa for an extended maturation, building more depth and length than the vintage bottling while staying within the same broad oak framework.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
The Chianti Classico is the bottle to start with. It carries the estate's character most plainly: Sangiovese on Alberese limestone, fermented in concrete, matured in large French oak, and bottled as a fruity, floral, spice-edged red that is neither heavy nor extracted. The 90/5/5 blend gives the wine its Sangiovese character without diluting it; the Colorino and Merlot play a supporting role. It is a wine with genuine acidity, moderate tannin, and a length that comfortably outlasts the fruit on the finish. Open it an hour before pouring, or hold it three to five years from a good vintage to let the tannins settle and the secondary spice notes develop.