Rùfina: The highest of the Chiantis

Chianti Rùfina constitutes an historic area of wine production, amongst the most important in Tuscany, located North East of the city of Florence, on the slopes of the Tosco-Romagnolo Apennines.

The first references to the Rùfina wines date back to the 15th Century. It was officially recognised in the 18th Century by an Edict of the Grand Duke of Tuscany and Cosimo III, in the Proclamation of 24th September 1716, classified the wine produced in this area as amongst the “best four” of Tuscany.
The Ministerial Decree of 1932 established the boundaries of the Chianti wine area and its various geographical sub-areas, including that of Rùfina.
The Denomination of Controlled Origin (DOC) status was assigned in 1967, followed by the Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (DOCG) status in 1984.
Rùfina is the smallest of the sub-areas of Chianti: it covers 12,483 hectares, with 750 hectares in the Register, which will grow to 1000 – corresponding to a production of some 27,000 hectolitres or 3,500,000 bottles on the market each year.
The zone of production is located in the Province of Florence at about 20 kilometres from the city of Florence and is spread amongst the towns of Pontassieve, Rùfina, Londa, Pelago and Dicomano.
Of 22 producers of Chianti Rùfina, 20 are members of the Chianti Rùfina Consortium, whose President is Federico Giuntini of the I Veroni estate. The Consortium was founded in 1980 and in 1991 absorbed the ‘VitiRùfina’ Consortium, led at the time by President and Founder-Member Alberto Longhi.
These modest numbers demonstrate that the fame of the Rùfina wine is not tied to large production, but to the extraordinary characteristics of the Sangiovese grape of the Chianti Rùfina area and the high levels of quality achieved by the wines of the single producers, who in the last fifteen years have carried out a very significant renewal of the their vineyards and cellars.
What elements give the Rùfina its character? The geological conformation of the land, made up of limestone, galestro and alberese; the South Southwest facing to the sun on land of up to 400 metres above sea level that allows the grapes to arrive at optimal ripeness; the microclimate with hot summer days and cool nights, contributing to the conservation of the aromatic notes and to the development of strong acidity.
The result is an elegant wine, with a clear personality, the correct levels of tannin and noteworthy acidity and an aroma that recalls a complex bouquet of berries and spices. A wine, distinguished by its singular longevity (demonstrated by Reserves of particular vines, some more than forty years old).
Amongst the objectives of the Consortium is the promotion of the wines of the Chianti Rùfina estates and the protection of the entire production territory, developing and consolidating the collaboration between the single member producers and safeguarding the product itself via the unending pursuit of the perfect balance between modernity and absolute respect for tradition and territory.
A challenging task, but successfully achieved, not least with the aid of the Technical Committee made of o enologists from the wine estates, such that “The highest of the Chiantis” has obtained, in recent years, worldwide recognition of the greatest prestige, taking its deserved place amongst the most internationally appreciated Tuscan reds.

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