Ruffino

In 1877 when cousins Ilario and Leopoldo Ruffino embraced their passion for winemaking by establishing a small winery in the town of Pontassieve near Florence, the region already had a centuries-old tradition of growing exceptional wine grapes. Even so, the two Tuscan natives felt certain that much of the area’s greatness had yet to be revealed. Tuscany had been heaped with good fortune--mineral-laden soils, the cooling influence of the Mediterranean Sea, the dry summers that wine grapes favor. And all those luscious, sun-drenched hills.

As word grew about the quality of Ruffino’s wines, the winery flourished. The cousins honed their expertise, and soon Ruffino became known for clean, balanced wines, adopting the motto “here we make ideal wine.” Ruffino’s status was firmly established both nationally and internationally when its Chianti won a Gold Medal at the 1881 Milan Wine Exhibition, a prize at the 1884 Nice Exhibition, and another Gold Medal at the 1885 Antwerp Exhibition.

Intrigued by the winery's reputation, in 1890, the Duke of Aosta braved a long journey to taste the Ruffino wines he had heard so much about. He was so impressed by the wines that he appointed Ruffino as the official supplier to the Italian royal family. In 1927, Ruffino returned some of the honor bestowed upon its wines by releasing its first vintage of Riserva Ducale—named after the Duke of Aosta as an acknowledgement of his esteemed patronage.
 

The reputation of Ruffino wines continued to spread, and Ruffino soon began to export its wines to the United States and other countries. In fact, the first Chianti imported to the U.S. was Ruffino. After the Second World War, Ruffino purchased the first of its Tuscan estates, the Villa di Montemasso in the Chianti Classico region.. Ruffino continued to invest in new vineyards and became one of the first major wineries with vineyard estates in Italy’s three most renowned wine-producing regions – Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Ruffino has established itself as a leader in Chianti, renowned for consistency and quality, and Ruffino Chianti has become a global ambassador of Tuscan wines around the world. Not surprisingly, when Chianti first became recognized as a DOCG wine in 1984, Ruffino Chianti DOCG was awarded the first warranty strip #AAA00000001.

Today, more than 135 years after its founding and over 85 years after the release of Riserva Ducale, Ruffino continues to express the history and heritage of Italy with every bottle of wine released.

Poggio Casciano

Our Poggio Casciano estate is located in the Tuscan hills outside the village of Grassina, just a few miles from Florence. ‘Poggio’ is the Tuscan word for a terraced hilltop, which perfectly describes the terrain. The name ‘Casciano’ is said to derive from Cassius, a commander in the ancient Roman army who was granted large land holdings in the region.
At this estate, antiquity and modernity blend beautifully. A 14th century villa with classic Tuscan terra cotta and ochre exterior overlooks scenic vineyards and serves as Ruffino’s main visitor center. The lovely gardens and courtyard complete the visitor experience.
Innovation also finds a place here. An underground barrique tunnel connects the villa with the newer winery buildings where we conduct extensive soil and climate research. This research has led to experimental plantings and blends, almost with an eye to ever-improving quality.

Montemasso

Ruffino’s first Tuscan estate, Montemasso offers enchanting views of Florence and, like so much of Tuscany, has a history that reaches back through the centuries. The scenic estate’s main building is an imposing stone castle, originally an oratory built by monks from San Miniato and dedicated to San Salvatore da Montemasso.
The tower that remains from the ancient monastery dates to the 10th century. Today, that tower and the estate’s villa have been lovingly restored with careful attention being paid to period details. Montemasso also houses an historical stone cellar where old vintages of Ruffino’s finest wines are aged.

Santedame

Santedame is situated in Chianti’s Golden Basin, or Conca d’Oro in Italian. This small region is renowned for low yields of grapes that create concentrated wines with exceptional minerality and finesse.
This estate was named for the Capella di Santedame--a chapel that dates to the 15th century and is the only remaining vestige of a Benedictine monastery that once stood on the site. The chapel houses a gorgeous fresco of the Madonna--the sante dam or ‘holy woman.’ Some scholars have attributed the fresco to the school of the Florentine master Ghirlandaio.
Santedame is surrounded by one of Europe’s few protected cypress forests. Visitors approach the Estate down a long, cypress-lined drive that leads to a quintessential Tuscan stone farmhouse.

Gretole

Our Gretole estate features a charming stone villa and has 272 acres of vineyards almost entirely dedicated to producing Ruffino’s most emblematic wine: Riserva Ducale Oro Chianti Classico Riserva. The word ‘gretole’ refers to the brittle galestro rock—the classic grayish rock of Chianti Classico that lends a distinctive taste profile to Sangiovese and other grape varieties.

Greppone Mazzi

Our Greppone Mazzi estate lies east of the medieval and picturesque town of Montalcino. Greppi is Italian for ‘rugged slopes’—the ideal name for the rugged slopes of the region. In the courtyard of this estate’s 18th century villa sits an ancient cistern that is adorned with a distinct ironwork star. This icon symbolizes the heavenly ambitions of winemakers, and is depicted on the label of the Estate’s sole wine, Greppone Mazzi Brunello di Montalcino.

La Solatia

The word ‘Solatia’ is Italian for ‘bathed by the sun.’ A perfect name for this estate just outside the famous medieval, walled village of Monteriggioni near Siena. The climate of this hilly region is warm and very sunny.
Ruffino was one of the first producers to recognize the potential for world-class Chardonnay from Tuscany. In particular, the northern Siena terroir of La Solatia possesses all the characteristics for producing uniquely expressive Tuscan white wines. The sub-varieties of French grapes on the estate have been planted to precisely match the soil and climate. The result is grapes with lovely and intense aromas.
The quality of fruit from the estate’s vineyards is matched by the quality of the cellar, which is equipped with technology dedicated to the specific challenges of white wine production. A state-of-the-art fermentation cellar controls temperatures in all stages of the winemaking process to preserve the vineyard-fresh characteristics of the grapes.

More than 130 years ago, our founders Leopoldo and Ilario Ruffino were among the first in Tuscany to recognize that the best wines come from the best vineyards. We honor that philosophy today as we meticulously choose top vineyard sites, carefully manage the vines and the yields, and use non-interventionist practices in both our vineyards and in winemaking. Because we start with the best quality of fruit, Ruffino wines reveal themselves without coaxing or manipulation. This is the essence of our traditional approach to making wine. In their relentless pursuit of the highest quality, our winemakers also use modern cellar techniques.

Ruffino has always embraced tradition and history, as demonstrated by our championing of ancient grape varieties such as Colorino. Our classic wines such as Riserva Ducale have a style that has been the benchmark of Tuscany, Italy for many years—earthy, terroir-driven, high in acidity, and restrained. We also embrace innovation and offer modern Tuscan wines such as Modus, which allow us to go beyond tradition and offer wine lovers a less expected more contemporary expression of Ruffino. We also craft contemporary white wines from other regions of Italy. All of our wines are made to accompany food perfectly, befitting the Italian lifestyle.

The Legend of Chianti’s Black Rooster

The Black Rooster seal is the symbol of the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium, an organization founded in 1924 to protect and promote this venerable wine.
Why a black rooster? The cities of Florence and Siena had long feuded over rights to the Chianti region, where red wine had been produced for centuries. Around 1200 A.D., they agreed to end the feud with a competition. A horseman would depart from each of the rival cities at the first crow of a rooster. Wherever they met would determine the boundary lines and settle the dispute. The Siena delegation fed its white rooster well. The cunning Florentines starved their black rooster, so much so that he crowed long before dawn. Their horseman ended up nearly at the gates of Siena, and Florence claimed the prize.