Chianti Rufina Riserva NIPOZZANO 75cl

This is the kind of Italian red wine you pour when you want dinner to feel like a plan, not an accident. Chianti Rufina Riserva brings juicy cherry fruit, savoury earthiness, and a grown-up structure that keeps you coming back for “one more glass” (and then another).

Rufina is a smaller Chianti zone in the hills near Florence, and that cooler setting matters. You get brighter lift and more grip, so the wine tastes energetic with food, not heavy or flat. The “Riserva” part is your clue that it’s built with extra time and intention, meaning more layered flavour and a longer, more satisfying finish.

If you love reds that don’t just taste like fruit juice, this is your lane. It’s dry, medium-bodied, and quietly intense, with enough tannin to handle rich bites and enough acidity to cut through cheesy, saucy plates. Basically, it’s a weeknight hero that doesn’t feel like a compromise.

• Appearance: Deep ruby with garnet edges, clear and slightly glossy in the glass.
• Nose: Sour cherry and red plum, then dried oregano, leather, and a little cedar-like spice.
• Taste: Tart cherry and raspberry up front, followed by savoury notes (tomato leaf, dried herbs), firm tannins, and fresh acidity that keeps it tight and food-friendly.
• Body: Medium-bodied, with a structured feel that holds its shape with a meal.
• Finish: Long and earthy, with lingering cherry, tea-like tannin, and a whisper of spice.

Where it really shines is at the table. Think lasagna, steak, lamb chops, mushroom pasta, or anything with a good sear and a little fat, the structure grabs onto flavour and the acidity cleans up after every bite. It’s also a great “bring to a dinner party” bottle because it reads classic, but it’s not boring.

And because this is a Rufina Riserva, it’s got that extra layer of complexity you can chase across the glass, fruit, herbs, earth, then that lightly spicy, tannic finish. It’s one of those bottles that makes you slow down for a second, then makes you reach for food.

Fun Fact: Nipozzano is one of the historic Frescobaldi estates, and the family’s winemaking roots in Tuscany go back more than 700 years.