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Tuscan red wine: a guide to the denominations, from Chianti to Brunello and Bolgheri

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5 November 2026 · 15 min read
Wooden barrels lined up in a cellar, where Tuscan red wines are aged

Almost every famous Tuscan red wine is made from the same grape, Sangiovese. What changes is the place, the minimum share of Sangiovese required, and how long the wine has to spend in the cellar before it can be sold. Those rules, written into each wine’s official production code (the disciplinare), are what separate a Chianti from a Brunello or a Vino Nobile.

Italian wine law has a quality pyramid. A DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) is a protected designation with its own rules on area, grapes and ageing; a DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) is the top tier, with stricter controls. Italy has 77 DOCG wines and 11 of them are Tuscan, according to Visit Tuscany, the region’s official tourism portal. Ten are red, one of them sweet; the only white is Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Add Bolgheri on the coast, which is a DOC but one of the best-known red wine areas in the region.

This page compares every Tuscan red denomination using the rules published by the producer consortiums and by Visit Tuscany, so you can see what each one is called, how they differ and which to pick.

In short

  • Tuscany has 11 of Italy’s 77 DOCGs: 10 are red (one sweet, Aleatico Passito dell’Elba) and Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the only white.
  • Sangiovese is the backbone of nearly all of them: 100% in Brunello di Montalcino, at least 90% in Montecucco Sangiovese, 85% in Morellino di Scansano, 80% in Chianti Classico, 70% in Vino Nobile, 60% in Chianti.
  • Brunello di Montalcino cannot be sold before 1 January of the fifth year after the harvest, after at least 2 years in oak. Rosso di Montalcino can be released from 1 September of the following year.
  • Bolgheri, on the coast in the province of Livorno, is the home of Bordeaux grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc can each make up 100% of a Bolgheri Rosso.

What are the main Tuscan red wines?

Visit Tuscany lists the ten red DOCGs as Brunello di Montalcino, Carmignano, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Aleatico Passito dell’Elba, Montecucco Sangiovese, Morellino di Scansano, Rosso della Val di Cornia, Suvereto and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Among the DOCs, the names you will meet most often on a wine list are Rosso di Montalcino, Rosso di Montepulciano and Bolgheri, which also has a separate denomination for Bolgheri Sassicaia.

The easiest way to keep them apart is by area. Chianti and Chianti Classico cover the hills between Florence, Siena and the neighbouring provinces. Montalcino and Montepulciano are two towns, each with its own denomination. The Maremma, in southern Tuscany, is home to Morellino and Montecucco. The coast, from Bolgheri to the Val di Cornia, is where international grapes have taken hold.

Tuscan red wines compared

The table sums up the main rules for each denomination as published by the producer consortiums or by Visit Tuscany. Where a source gives no figure, the cell shows a dash.

DenominationGrapesAreaMinimum ageingRelease
Chianti DOCGSangiovese 60% to 100%; white grapes max 10%; Cabernet max 15% (10% in Colli Senesi)Provinces of Arezzo, Florence, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato and Siena; 8 subzonesSuperiore: 1 year. Riserva: 24 monthsFrom 1 March after the harvest (Rufina and Colli Fiorentini from September); Superiore from 1 September
Chianti Classico DOCGSangiovese min. 80%, red grapes only; Gran Selezione min. 90%Between Florence and SienaAnnata 12 months; Riserva 24 months (3 in bottle); Gran Selezione 30 months (3 in bottle)-
Brunello di Montalcino DOCGSangiovese 100%Municipality of Montalcino2 years in oak and 4 months in bottle (Riserva 6 months)1 January of the fifth year after the harvest; Riserva one year later
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCGSangiovese min. 70%Municipality of Montepulciano, excluding the Valdichiana, 250 to 600 m2 years; Riserva 3 years (6 months in bottle); Pieve 3 years (12 in wood, 12 in bottle)Only once ageing is complete
Morellino di Scansano DOCGSangiovese min. 85%Scansano and parts of six municipalities in the province of GrossetoRiserva: 2 years-
Montecucco Sangiovese DOCGSangiovese min. 90%Between the Maremma and the slopes of Monte Amiata12 months; Riserva 24 + 6 monthsFrom 1 April of the second year after the harvest; Riserva from 1 September of the third
Carmignano DOCGSangiovese min. 50%, with Canaiolo Nero and Cabernet; white grapes up to 10%Carmignano and Poggio a Caiano--
Rosso della Val di Cornia DOCGSangiovese min. 40%; Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot max 60%Suvereto, Sassetta and parts of Piombino, San Vincenzo, Campiglia Marittima, Monteverdi Marittimo--
Suvereto DOCGCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Sangiovese, 85% to 100%Suvereto, in the Val di Cornia--
Aleatico Passito dell’Elba DOCG (sweet)Aleatico 100%Island of Elba--
Bolgheri Rosso DOCCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc 0-100%; Syrah and Sangiovese 0-50%Municipality of Castagneto Carducci (Livorno), excluding the coastal strip west of the Via Aurelia1 year; Superiore 2 years, at least 1 in woodRosso from 1 September after the harvest; Superiore from 1 January, once ageing is complete
Bolgheri Sassicaia DOCCabernet Sauvignon min. 80%Bolgheri, municipality of Castagneto Carducci (Livorno)2 years, at least 18 months in 225-litre barriquesFrom 1 January, once ageing is complete

Two caveats. The rules change: the Chianti code currently in force, for example, dates from 12 June 2026. And the legal minimum is only a floor: many producers age their wines for longer than required.

Sangiovese, the grape behind most Tuscan reds

Sangiovese is a red grape, and in Tuscany it goes by different names depending on where you are. In Montalcino it is called Brunello, as the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino notes, so the “Brunello grape” is simply Sangiovese. In the Maremma it is Morellino, a name that Visit Tuscany traces to the dark morello horses of the area. In Montepulciano, Visit Tuscany calls it Prugnolo Gentile.

What changes from one denomination to the next is how much Sangiovese is required. Brunello must be 100% Sangiovese. Chianti Classico needs at least 80% and, since 1996, can be made from Sangiovese alone. Chianti starts at 60%, Carmignano at 50%, and Val di Cornia at just 40%.

The rest of the blend can come from other Tuscan grapes such as Canaiolo Nero, Colorino or Ciliegiolo, or from international ones such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. That is why two Tuscan reds can differ a great deal in body and in tannin, the compound that leaves your mouth feeling dry, even when the label names the same main grape. For how Sangiovese compares with Piedmont’s Nebbiolo, see Barolo vs Brunello: Nebbiolo and Sangiovese compared.

Chianti vs Chianti Classico: what is the difference?

They are two separate denominations, each with its own consortium. Chianti Classico comes from the historic area between Florence and Siena: the municipalities of Greve, Radda, Castellina and Gaiole in Chianti, plus parts of four others (Barberino Tavarnelle, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Poggibonsi and San Casciano in Val di Pesa). Every bottle carries the Black Rooster (Gallo Nero) seal, on the neck or on the back label.

The Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico sets out three types:

  • Annata: at least 80% Sangiovese, 12 months minimum ageing, 12% abv.
  • Riserva: 24 months, including 3 in bottle, 12.5% abv.
  • Gran Selezione: created in 2014, at least 90% Sangiovese with no more than 10% other native red grapes, 30 months including 3 in bottle, 13% abv. The grapes must come exclusively from the producer’s own vineyards.

Since 2006, Chianti Classico can only be made from red grapes.

Chianti DOCG covers a much larger area across six provinces, with eight subzones: Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Montalbano, Montespertoli, Rufina and, from the 2026 harvest, Terre di Vinci. According to the Consorzio Vino Chianti, Sangiovese can range from 60% to 100%, with white grapes capped at 10% and the two Cabernets at 15% (10% in the Colli Senesi subzone). Basic Chianti is released from 1 March after the harvest, except in the Rufina and Colli Fiorentini subzones, where time in wood is compulsory and release moves to September. Superiore requires lower yields (at most 95 quintals per hectare, a quintal being 100 kg), at least 12% abv and one year of maturation; Riserva needs at least 24 months in the cellar.

The full side-by-side comparison, with zones, blends and food pairings, is in our guide to Chianti vs Chianti Classico.

Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino is 100% Sangiovese, made only within the historic boundaries of the municipality of Montalcino. It became a DOCG by presidential decree on 1 July 1980. The rules set a maximum yield of 80 quintals per hectare, at least 2 years in oak and 4 months in bottle (6 for Riserva). It cannot be sold before 1 January of the fifth year after the harvest: the 2000 vintage, the consortium explains, was released from 1 January 2005. Riserva comes out a year later.

Rosso di Montalcino DOC comes from the same hills and the same grape, with lighter rules: yields up to 90 quintals per hectare, no minimum time in wood, and release from 1 September of the year after the harvest. It has been a DOC since the 1984 vintage. We set out rule by rule how Rosso di Montalcino differs from Brunello.

For history, terroir and ageing, read our full profile of Brunello di Montalcino. New releases are presented each year at Benvenuto Brunello, which in 2026 runs in Montalcino from 19 to 23 November.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (not Montepulciano d’Abruzzo)

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is named after the town of Montepulciano. Its vineyards must lie between 250 and 600 metres above sea level, outside the Valdichiana valley. The first production code dates from 12 July 1966 and DOCG status applies from the 1980 vintage; Visit Tuscany describes it as the first Italian wine to receive it.

According to the Consorzio Vino Nobile, Sangiovese must make up at least 70%, with up to 30% of other red grapes approved in Tuscany. Minimum ageing is two years from 1 January after the harvest, by one of three routes: 24 months in wood, 18 months in wood plus another vessel, or 12 months in wood and 6 in bottle. Riserva requires at least 3 years, including 6 months in bottle.

The newest tier is Pieve: at least 85% Sangiovese, vineyards at least 15 years old farmed directly by the bottling estate, a yield of 70 quintals per hectare, and 3 years of ageing including at least 12 months in wood and 12 in bottle.

English-speaking drinkers often mix it up with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, but they are unrelated. Montepulciano is also the name of a red grape grown mainly in Abruzzo, and that grape has no connection with the Tuscan town. Vino Nobile is named after the place, not the grape. Its younger sibling is Rosso di Montepulciano DOC, which can be released from 1 March of the year after the harvest.

The Maremma: Morellino di Scansano and Montecucco Sangiovese

Southern Tuscany, between the Maremma and Monte Amiata, has two Sangiovese-based DOCGs.

Morellino di Scansano has been a DOC since 1978 and a DOCG since the 2007 harvest. It is made in the municipality of Scansano and parts of Campagnatico, Grosseto, Magliano in Toscana, Manciano, Roccalbegna and Semproniano: according to the consortium, an area in the south-west of the province of Grosseto, the southernmost part of Tuscany. Sangiovese must be at least 85%, with up to 15% of other red grapes approved in Tuscany, and the yield is capped at 9,000 kg per hectare. Riserva requires two years of ageing.

Montecucco Sangiovese has been a DOCG since 2011. Its consortium places it between the Tuscan Maremma and the slopes of Monte Amiata. It requires at least 90% Sangiovese. According to the consortium’s table, the standard wine has 12 months of ageing and is released from 1 April of the second year after the harvest; Riserva has 24 plus 6 months and is released from 1 September of the third year.

Bolgheri and the Super Tuscans: the coastal reds

Bolgheri, on the coast in the province of Livorno, is where the Bordeaux grapes found a home in Tuscany. According to the consortium, the DOC covers the municipality of Castagneto Carducci, except the coastal strip west of the Via Aurelia road. Its first production code, signed on 1 August 1983, covered only white and rosé wines. Reds arrived with the 1994 code, which created Bolgheri Rosso and Bolgheri Superiore and defined the Sassicaia subzone. In 2011 single-variety wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Cabernet Franc) were allowed, and in 2013 Bolgheri Sassicaia became a denomination in its own right.

The consortium’s rules:

  • Bolgheri Rosso: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from 0 to 100%, Syrah and Sangiovese up to 50%; maximum yield 90 quintals per hectare; one year of ageing, released from 1 September after the harvest.
  • Bolgheri Superiore: the same grapes, yield 80 quintals, two years of ageing with at least one in wood.
  • Bolgheri Sassicaia: at least 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, yield 70 quintals, two years of ageing with at least 18 months in 225-litre barriques.

So what is a Super Tuscan? It is not a denomination but an informal category, not recognised by Italian wine law. The term appeared in the 1970s for high-quality wines made outside the DOC rules of the time, which therefore had to be sold as simple table wine (vino da tavola). Wikipedia credits Sassicaia, from Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, as the first, and names Antinori’s Tignanello among the early ones. Since the creation of the IGT Toscana category in 1992 and the Bolgheri DOC in 1994, most of these wines have moved back inside an official category.

The other Tuscan red DOCGs: Carmignano, Val di Cornia, Suvereto and Elba

Carmignano is made only in the municipalities of Carmignano and Poggio a Caiano, in the province of Prato. Its consortium traces Cabernet in the blend back more than five centuries. Sangiovese must be at least 50%, alongside Canaiolo Nero and the two Cabernets, with up to 10% white grapes. It became a DOC in 1975 and a DOCG in 1990.

Rosso della Val di Cornia and Suvereto both come from the Val di Cornia. The first blends at least 40% Sangiovese with up to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot. The second is 85-100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Sangiovese.

Aleatico Passito dell’Elba is Tuscany’s only sweet red DOCG: 100% Aleatico from the island of Elba. Visit Tuscany relays the tradition that Napoleon enjoyed it during his stay on the island.

Which Tuscan red wine should you choose?

There is no single “best” Tuscan red; it depends on what you need it for. The production rules tell you what to expect.

  • Everyday drinking: styles released early with no long ageing requirement, such as basic Chianti (on sale from 1 March after the harvest), Rosso di Montalcino, Rosso di Montepulciano or Bolgheri Rosso.
  • A special dinner: the versions with more time in the cellar, such as Chianti Classico Riserva or Gran Selezione, Vino Nobile or Bolgheri Superiore.
  • For the cellar: the wines with the longest compulsory ageing in the table, such as Brunello di Montalcino and its Riserva or Vino Nobile Pieve. For a specific bottle, the producer and the vintage matter more than the denomination alone.
  • Something different: Carmignano for Sangiovese blended with Cabernet, Val di Cornia and Suvereto for the lesser-known coastal reds.
  • With dessert or cheese: Aleatico Passito dell’Elba, the only sweet red among Tuscany’s DOCGs.

If you are looking for named bottles, you will find them in our list of the 10 best Tuscan red wines.

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