The charming vintage Italian feel of the Ruffino estate is only part of the value it brings to the table. The Ruffino family founded the award-winning winery in 1877. Its Poggio Casciano vineyard is located just outside of Florence and serves as the main visitor center for Ruffino guests. The Ruffino family has been making wine for many generations, and even has cellars on their property that are filled with artifacts from the 14th century! The Poggio Casciano entrance is lined with bountiful Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines, with Sangiovese vines off in the distance. The estate sits upon a beautiful Tuscan hill that makes for a wonderful view, and an even better spot for photographs.
Inside the villa one will find a gorgeous terrace, overlooking lovely gardens and a courtyard that creates for an elegant visitor experience. Touring the buildings, many different works of art are noted, but the real art is what’s inside the bottle. Ranging from your typical dinner reds and whites, to high-end Brunellos, Ruffino produces it all. Not surprisingly, when the region of Chianti gained its Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) recognition, Ruffino’s Chianti was granted the very first warranty strip. This standard for wine is only issued to the most prestigious and highest quality Italian wine making regions. Inside those regions, wines must meet various requirements based upon typology and quality imposed by commissions of experts.
Using grapes from any of their six different estates in Italy, Ruffino wines definitely range in style and profile. Sparkling wines like Prosecco and bubbly Rosé, Pinot Grigio and blends such as the Lumina and il Ducale lines, and the Sangiovese grape in many different forms of Chianti are all part of the lineup. The best part about the Ruffino brand is that there is something available for every price point. Below is a breakdown of each of the types of wines described by the Ruffino website (Ruffino.com). Each are available for purchase at Chili Liquor! Prices subject to change.
Lumina Pinot Grigio 750ml $8.99 1.5L $12.99
Color: Straw yellow Aroma: Notes of meadow flowers and pleasant hints of pear. The bouquet is fresh and complex, showing refined notes of sage and mint accompanied by an elegant minerality typical of Pinot Grigio. Tasting profile: Lumina is very fragrant and elegant. The 2016 harvest is fresh and perfectly balanced with a pleasant roundness. A typical mineral touch completes the finale, which has notes of yellow pear and almond.
Chianti DOCG 750ml $8.99 1.5L $12.99
Color: Ruby red with purple highlights Aroma: Delicate yet persistent violet notes typical of Sangiovese wines. Deep fruity plum flavors with intense sweet cherry leading to a lightly spicy finish. Tasting profile: Medium-bodied and easy to drink, this wine presents a harmonious balance of freshness and a lingering finish.
Prosecco 750ml $12.99
Color: Bright straw yellow with fine bubbles. Aroma: The bouquet is fragrant and bursting with fruit notes. It shows clean aromas of apples, pears and citrus, accompanied by hints of wisteria. Tasting profile: Crisp, clean and delicate with fine bubbles on the palate. Intense flavors of apples and peaches lead to a pleasant finish with lingering fruit and floral notes.
Sparkling Rosé 750ml $12.99
Ruffino Sparkling Rosé is fresh and fragrant with notes of strawberry and slight hints of rose petals. On the palate this wine has elegant bubbles and refreshing acidity, offering alluring flavors of delicate red berries and white fruits that linger through the finish.
Il Ducale Red 750ml $14.99
Color: Ruby red Aroma: The bouquet is very intense and pleasantly complex, with notes of cassis, cherry jam, plum, and vanilla. Syrah offers pleasant spicy notes, while the Sangiovese brings red and black fruit and herbs, and the Merlot adds its characteristic roundness. Tasting profile: A modern Tuscan wine born from Ruffino’s century-old wine-making tradition, our 2016 Il Ducale is a well-balanced, full-bodied, harmonious wine with a pleasant freshness. The first notes are bright and fruity with round, elegant tannins. The finish is long and satisfying with refined notes of ripe fruit, black pepper, and vanilla.
Modus 750ml $19.99
Color: Ruby red Aroma: Intense, complex, and fruity. Initial aromas of mature red and black fruits, such as cherries, plums, and small blackberries typical of Sangiovese, are complemented by hints of spices, sweet tobacco, and refined balsamic notes on the finish. Tasting profile: Full bodied and harmonious with the modern Super Tuscan finesse and style, this wine is rich with silky tannins and flavors of mature blackberry fruit and vanilla.
Lodola Nuova Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 750ml $19.99
Color: Ruby red Aroma: Deep and elegant. Intense aromas of ripe plum followed by delicate cloves notes. Tasting profile: Round and velvety. Presents the elegant tannins that are characteristic of the Montepulciano area. The persistent, full-bodied finish is fruity, balanced, and fresh.
Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico DOCG 750ml $21.99
Color: Intense ruby red Aroma: The bouquet is elegant, characterized by flowery and fruity notes. Violets, cherries, wild berries, and plums mingle delicately with spicy hints of tobacco, clove, and white pepper. Tasting profile: The flavors complement the aromas perfectly. The fruit is accompanied by steady yet gentle and fresh tannins. The finish is long with pleasing minerality.
Riserva Ducale Oro Chianti Classico DOCG 750ml $39.99
Color: Ruby red with garnet hues Aroma: Powerfully aromatic with cherry, plum, and tobacco with notes of eucalyptus, chocolate, and spicy white pepper. Complexity of expression authentic to Sangiovese and Chianti Classico. Tasting profile: Full-bodied and powerfully fruity with elegant tannins perfectly supported by a good acidity. The finish is characterized by pleasantly sweet tobacco, plums, and balsamic herbs.
Greppone Mazzi Brunello DOCG 750ml $54.99
Color: Ruby red with garnet hues Aroma: Complex, refined, and very intense aromatics of ripe plum, cassis, and maraschino cherry followed by hints of incense, cocoa, sweet tobacco, and spicy black pepper. Tasting profile: Full-bodied with a complex, elegant structure, and beautiful balance. The tannins are steady and pronounced yet rich and smooth. The finish is remarkably long with flavors of red fruit, chocolate, and sweet tobacco.
The Wine Spill 