Castellina in Chianti
カステッリーナ・イン・キャンティ
Chianti Classico's largest vineyard area, softer tannins.
Castellina in Chianti is one of the eleven officially recognized UGAs (Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive) within the Chianti Classico DOCG, and holds the largest area under vine of any UGA in the denomination — roughly 1,680 hectares, much of it farmed organically or in conversion. Vineyards sit at 300–600 meters, with the southwest slopes dominated by calcareous clay (alberese-derived marl) and the plateaus showing more alluvial deposits and galestro. The deeper, clay-rich soils retain water better than the shallower ground of neighboring UGAs, allowing longer, steadier ripening and producing Sangiovese with riper red fruit, softer, less angular tannins, and gentler phenolic edges. Historically the capital of the 'Sienese Chianti' and an original member of the medieval Lega del Chianti defensive league, the town retains its fortified hilltop character and Etruscan roots dating to the 7th century BC, and today is home to respected estates such as Castellare di Castellina and Rocca delle Macie.
Best for: Ideal for those seeking approachable, riper-fruited Sangiovese with softer tannins and lovers of medieval hilltop towns.
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Producers
ビッビアーノ
Bibbiano
Tenuta di Bibbiano is a historic Chianti Classico estate in Castellina in Chianti, with vineyards first cultivated as early as 1550. The Marrocchesi Marzi family has owned and worked the land since 1865 and is now in its fifth generation under brothers Tommaso and Federico Marrocchesi Marzi. Of the estate's 220 hectares, about 25 are planted to vine at 270-300m altitude on limestone-rich soils overlooking the Elsa Valley. Bibbiano is inseparable from the legacy of legendary winemaker Giulio Gambelli, whose decades-long consultancy shaped the estate's philosophy of finesse over power, with fermentation traditionally carried out in cement tanks rather than wood. In February 2025, a decade-long clonal selection project with the University of Florence culminated in the ministerial homologation of two original Sangiovese Grosso clones, VdC2 and VdM1 — named for the estate's Vigna del Capannino and Vigne di Montornello vineyards — cementing Bibbiano's role as one of Chianti Classico's most important sites for Sangiovese research.
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www.bibbiano.com/ブオンドンノ
Buondonno
Founded in 1988 by Gabriele Buondonno and Valeria Sodano, Buondonno farms roughly 8 hectares of vines at the historic Casavecchia alla Piazza estate, near the border between Castellina in Chianti and Panzano, in the heart of Chianti Classico. Organic since 1989 — among the earliest conversions in the region — the estate favors spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, extended skin contact, and aging in neutral steel, concrete, or large oak, bottling most wines unfiltered. The result is a range of pure, terroir-driven Sangiovese wines, from the classic Chianti Classico and Riserva to the historic-recipe field blend Buontempo, all made with minimal intervention and deep respect for the Tuscan hills.
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www.buondonno.com/カザーレ・デッロ・スパルヴィエーロ
Casale dello Sparviero
Located in Castellina in Chianti, in the heart of the Chianti Classico appellation, Casale dello Sparviero is an estate with a winemaking heritage stretching back over eight centuries, having once served as a monastery and later a farmhouse. Purchased by Olindo Andrighetti in the early 1970s and expanded by Ada Andrighetti from 1994, the estate has been run by the Andrighetti family for generations. Casale dello Sparviero produces Sangiovese-based Chianti Classico DOCG, Riserva, and Gran Selezione wines, and has been fully organic-certified since achieving 100% organic production. The winery is known for its traditional use of large Slavonian oak barrels, which lend elegance and structure while preserving the purity of the fruit; its flagship Gran Selezione, Paronza, is aged in French oak barriques followed by Slavonian oak casks.
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casaledellosparviero.com/en/カステッラーレ・ディ・カステッリーナ
Castellare di Castellina
Located in the heart of Chianti Classico near the town of Castellina in Chianti, Castellare di Castellina was formed in the late 1970s under the ownership of publisher Paolo Panerai, uniting four historic estates (Castellare, Caselle, San Niccolò and Le Case). The winery is known for its commitment to native Tuscan varieties, low-yield viticulture and biodiversity in the vineyard. Its flagship, 'I Sodi di San Niccolò' — first produced in 1977 and blending Sangioveto with Malvasia Nera — was one of the pioneering Super Tuscans to prove that indigenous grapes could rival Bordeaux-blend wines in power and finesse. The estate's labels feature illustrations of birds, reflecting its long-standing dedication to protecting local avian species and vineyard ecosystems.
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www.castellare.it/カステッロ・ラ・レッチャ
Castello La Leccia
Castello La Leccia is a historic estate in Castellina in Chianti, with the castle first documented in 1077. The Daddi family purchased the property in 1920 and restored it, and in 2018 ownership passed to the Swiss Sonderegger family, now led by Rolf Sonderegger. The 170-hectare estate includes about 17 hectares of vineyards (300-500m altitude) certified organic since 2013, planted mainly with Sangiovese alongside Malvasia Nera, Syrah, and Ciliegiolo. Flagship wines include Chianti Classico DOCG, Chianti Classico Riserva, and the single-vineyard Gran Selezione 'Bruciagna' from a two-hectare galestro-soil parcel, alongside IGT wines and an agriturismo.
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www.castellolaleccia.com/en/カステッロ・ディ・フォンテルートリ
Castello di Fonterutoli
Owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, Castello di Fonterutoli is a historic estate located in the heart of Chianti Classico. With nearly 600 years of winemaking tradition, the family has played a pivotal role in the history of Chianti, including the first documented use of the name 'Chianti' in 1398. The estate spans over 650 hectares, with vineyards situated at varying altitudes, allowing for the production of elegant, terroir-driven wines. They are renowned for their commitment to sustainability and the preservation of indigenous grape varieties, particularly Sangiovese, which forms the backbone of their iconic wines.
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www.mazzei.it/チェッキ
Cecchi
Founded in 1893 by Luigi Cecchi in the village of Poggibonsi, Cecchi is one of Tuscany's oldest and most historic family-owned wineries. In the 1970s the family built a state-of-the-art winery in Castellina in Chianti, in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone, where the estate's headquarters remain today. Now led by fourth-generation brothers Andrea and Cesare Cecchi, the company has grown to five estates across Tuscany and Umbria, including Villa Cerna and Castello Montaùto in Chianti Classico, Val delle Rose in Maremma, and Tenuta Alzatura in Montefalco. Cecchi farms over 230 hectares of certified organic vineyards and combines a strong human presence in the vineyard with careful, low-impact cellar technology, including water-recycling systems at several estates. Its wines, exported to roughly 45 countries, range from accessible Chianti and Morellino di Scansano to acclaimed single-estate Chianti Classico Gran Selezione bottlings recognized by Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.
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www.famigliacecchi.it/enラ・カステッリーナ
La Castellina
La Castellina is a historic wine estate on the south-west slope below the medieval village of Castellina in Chianti, in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone. Its roots trace back to the ancient holdings of the noble Squarcialupi family, present in Chianti since the 1200s, and its aging cellar still sits in the basement of the 15th-century Palazzo Squarcialupi in the town center. Since 1989 the estate has been run by the Bojola-Targioni family (Tommaso Bojola and Monica Targioni), who revived the property while respecting Chianti tradition. The estate spans about 140 hectares, of which 30 are vineyards (farmed organically since 1980) and 10 are olive groves. Sangiovese is the backbone of the production, complemented by Canaiolo, Colorino, Merlot, Malvasia, Trebbiano and Cabernet Sauvignon, yielding Chianti Classico (including Riserva and Gran Selezione), Maremma Toscana DOC, IGT Toscana, Vin Santo, grappa and olive oil.
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www.lacastellina.it/クエルチェート・ディ・カステッリーナ
Querceto di Castellina
Querceto di Castellina is a family-run, certified-organic estate in Castellina in Chianti, at the historic heart of Chianti Classico. Founded in 1945 by Guido Masini and revived from 1989 by his daughter Laura Di Battista and her architect husband Giorgio, the estate has been farmed without chemicals since the winery's founding in 1998 and certified organic since 2012. Its 11.5 hectares of vines are anchored by the Belvedere vineyard, a 6.6-hectare, high-density (6,666 vines/ha) south-west-facing cru planted on marl-and-skeleton soils at 450-500m altitude — the sole source of the estate's flagship Gran Selezione, Sei. The entry Chianti Classico, L'Aura, is named for Laura herself and remains the wine that best expresses the property's character.
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www.quercetodicastellina.com/ロッカ・デッレ・マチエ
Rocca delle Macìe
Rocca delle Macìe is a family-owned Chianti Classico estate founded in 1973 by Italian film producer Italo Zingarelli, who purchased the 93-hectare Le Macìe property near Castellina in Chianti to pursue his dream of making wine that reflects its Tuscan terroir. Under his son Sergio Zingarelli — twice chairman of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico — the estate has grown to roughly 600 hectares across six properties spanning Chianti Classico and the Maremma. Sangiovese anchors the range, from the classic Chianti Classico DOCG to acclaimed Gran Selezione bottlings that have earned Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri honors. Since 2021 the estate has held VIVA sustainability certification from Italy's Ministry of the Environment for its low-impact viticulture.
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roccadellemacie.com/en/サン・ファビアーノ・カルチナイア
San Fabiano Calcinaia
Located in the heart of Chianti Classico between Poggibonsi and Castellina in Chianti, San Fabiano Calcinaia has been owned by Guido Serio and his wife Isa since 1983. The estate spans roughly 165 hectares and has been fully certified organic since converting production in 2009. Sangiovese-based wines from the estate's limestone-rich soils — including the Chianti Classico Annata, Riserva, and the Cerviolo Rosso Supertuscan — are consistently recognized by critics such as James Suckling, Wine Enthusiast, and Decanter, reflecting the estate's reputation as one of Castellina's leading quality-focused producers.
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www.sanfabianocalcinaia.it/en/サン・レオニーノ
San Leonino
San Leonino is a historic Chianti Classico estate in Castellina in Chianti, tracing its roots to a farm attached to the 11th-century Pieve di San Leonino in Conio, from which it takes its name and its bell-tower logo. Since 1994 the estate has been part of the Angelini family's wine group, now known as Bertani Domains (alongside Bertani in Veneto, Val di Suga in Montalcino, Tenuta Trerose in Montepulciano and Tenuta Puiatti in Friuli). The 102-hectare property includes 52 hectares of vineyards planted exclusively with Sangiovese, on south- and southeast-facing slopes between 270 and 400 metres above sea level on limestone-rich alberese soils typical of Chianti Classico. San Leonino's single-varietal Sangiovese range — Al Limite, Monsenese, Salivolpe, and the IGT Toscana Governo all'Uso Toscano — revives traditional techniques such as Governo all'Uso Toscano to produce elegant, structured wines that express the authentic character of the appellation.
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sanleonino.it/en/
Food Pairings
Bistecca alla Fiorentina, wild boar ragù, ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, panzanella, aged pecorino, and Cinta Senese salumi and grilled pork.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes Castellina in Chianti's wines distinctive?
- Deeper, clay-rich soils retain moisture better than neighboring UGAs, allowing steadier ripening that produces Sangiovese with riper red fruit and softer, less angular tannins.
- Is Castellina in Chianti an official UGA?
- Yes, it is one of the eleven officially recognized Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive (UGA) within the Chianti Classico denomination and can appear on wine labels.
- How large is the vineyard area in Castellina?
- At roughly 1,680 hectares under vine, Castellina has the largest area planted to Chianti Classico of any of the eleven UGAs.
- What is the historical significance of Castellina in Chianti?
- Castellina was the historic capital of the 'Sienese Chianti' and an original member of the medieval Lega del Chianti defensive alliance, and its Etruscan roots date back to the 7th century BC.