| Category | Name | Rating | | Notes |
| Red blend | Ambrosini Riflesso Antico | 3.5 | | An oaky but very sweet wine, with fine tannins on the finish. It should drink well for 6-7 years, but I suggest you drink it over the next 3 years. Flavors: blackberry jam, toast. |
| Red blend | Antinori Tignanello | 3.5 | | A classic, well-balanced Tignanello. Drink it now and over the next 6-7 years. Flavors: cassis, green pepper, licorice, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Argiano Solengo | 3.5 | | Flavors: cassis, pipe tobacco, spicy. |
| Red blend | Avignonesi Merlot Toro Desiderio | 3.5 | | Excellent texture of tannins, but slightly closed on the nose. It could improve with one year of cellaring. Flavors: cassis, coffee, licorice, toast. |
| Red blend | Badia a Coltibuono Sangioveto | 3 | | Not as powerful and tannic as the 1995 vintage, but smooth and elegant. Drink it now but it should drink well for 5-6 years. Flavors: licorice, pipe tobacco, prune, spicy, tar, violet. |
| Red blend | Bettina Schnabel Rogosky Il Caberlot | 3.5 | | A 'vin de garage' coming from Mercatale Val d' Arno, not far from the Chianti Classico area. Made with a grape variety called Caberlot (a cross between Cabernet and Merlot) and is bottled only in magnum. Slightly showy, very young and expensive too. Flavors: black currant, blueberry jam, green pepper. |
| Red blend | Casa Sola Montarsiccio | 3 | | Flavors: cassis, peppery, violet. |
| Red blend | Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco | 3.5 | | Lless complex and textured than the Vigna d' Alceo 1997, however it has fine fruit and potential. Give it one more year of cellaring and drink it over the next 6 years. Flavors: cassis, toast, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Castello dei Rampolla Vigna d' Alceo | 4 | | Less creamy than the 1996 vintage, and its texture is not quite so fine. However this wine shows very good potential and is perfectly balanced on the finish. Drink it now and over the next 8 years. Flavors: cassis, cigar box, dried herbs, licorice, toast. |
| Red blend | Castello di Brolio Casalferro | 3.5 | | Very similar in style to the 1997 vintage, but less concentrated on the palate. Very good fruit with elegant touches of oak. Flavors: cassis, mineral, toast, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Castello di Brolio Casalferro | 4 | | After a series of fine vintages, this is the first Casalferro to reach a nearly outstanding score: oaky and slightly mineral on the nose, this wine exhibits a very long and complex finish. If you liked the Chianti Classico Giorgio Primo of La Massa, this wine is made for you. Drink it now and over the next 7 years. Flavors: blueberry, blueberry, coffee, licorice, mineral, rose petal, tar, toast. |
| Red blend | Castello di Fonterutoli Brancaia | 4 | | The 1997 vintage is getting the accolades, but this wine is what the best of 1998 is all about. Better balanced than last year's bottling, it's full of fruit, with elegant touches of oak and a long, long finish. Flavors: cassis, cinnamon, licorice, mineral, toast. |
| Red blend | Castello di Fonterutoli Siepi | 3.5 | | Very good, but not as exciting as the previous vintage. Compared to the 1997 this wine is less concentrated and not as well focused on the nose. To retaste after one more year of cellaring. Flavors: cassis, coffee, mineral, toast, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Castello di Rampolla Vigna d' Alceo | 4 | | The most austere of all the three vintages thus far, but shows great potential. Flavors: cassis, dried herbs, licorice, rose petal, toast. |
| Red blend | Castello di San Polo in Rosso Cetinaia | 3.5 | | A perfectly ripe, polished and seductive Sangiovese. Very different in style from the austere and masculine 1995 vintage. It needs one year of cellaring to reduce the overpoweringly oaky nose. Flavors: prune, toast, vanilla, violet. |
| Red blend | Castello di Verrazzano Sassello | 3.5 | | At the moment a lot of structure, very closed on the nose and slightly harsh on the finish. However, this wine has good potential and should improve with one year of cellaring. Flavors: blackberry jam, cinnamon, toast. |
| Red blend | Castello di Volpaia Balifico | 3 | | Flavors: blackberry jam, cherry, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Castello di Volpaia Coltassala | 3 | | Flavors: licorice, spicy, strawberry. |
| Red blend | Castelvecchio Il Brecciolino | 3.5 | | Showing more fruit and aromas than in the 1997 vintage, this wine is well-balanced, with a long, fine finish. Flavors: cherry, vanilla, violet. |
| Red blend | Cecchi Spargolo | 3 | | Young and fruity. Give it one more year of cellaring. Flavors: cassis, cherry, pipe tobacco, raspberry jam. |
| Red blend | Cennatoio Rosso Fiorentino | 3.5 | | Flavors: black currant, green pepper, toast. |
| Red blend | Cesani Luenzo | 4 | | One of the big surprises of the 1997 vintage, this excellent wine comes from a small estate in San Gimignano region. A little bit harsh on the finish. Drink it now and over the next 6-7 years. Flavors: cherry, spicy, toast. |
| Red blend | Contini Bonacossi Ghiaie della Furba | 3 | | A very young wine, fruity, elegant and with good potential. Flavors: cassis, cherry, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Corzano e Paterno Il Corzano | 4.5 | | One of the finest Sangiovese/Cabernet blend ever produced in Tuscany. Simply seductive, this wine has a wonderful texture of ripe and oaky tannins. Drink it now and over the next 8 years. Flavors: blackberry, blackberry jam, licorice, pipe tobacco, tar, violet. |
| Red blend | Fattoria di Faltognano Merizzo | 3.5 | | A very sweet, seductive wine coming from the village of Leonardo da Vinci, not far from the Carmignano DOCG area. It should drink well for 5-6 years, but I suggest you drink it over the next 2-3 years. Flavors: black currant, black olive, cassis, licorice, mint, prune. |
| Red blend | Fattoria di Fiano Fianesco | 3.5 | | Flavors: cherry, spicy, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Fattoria di Nozzole Il Pareto | 3.5 | | Not as powerful as expected, but less oaky than previous vintages. Give it one more year of cellaring and drink it over the next 5-6 years. Flavors: cassis, green pepper, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Fattoria Le Fonti Vito Arturo | 3 | | Ripe with good, tannic texture and a very long finish. However, it exhibits some rustic notes on the nose. It could acquire a more refined expression with bottle age. Flavors: blackberry jam, licorice, tobacco, vanilla, violet. |
| Red blend | Fattoria Montellori Salamartano | 3.5 | | Flavors: black pepper, blackberry jam, toast. |
| Red blend | Fattoria Petrolo Galatrona | 4 | | The first, nearly outstanding wine from this estate of Mercatale Val d' Arno (a few kilometers out of Chianti Classico DOCG borders). Powerful, but not harsh as in the previous vintages, this wine shows a better balance and refined oak too. Drink it now and over the next 6-7 years. Flavors: black olive, cassis, chocolate, licorice, prune, toast. |
| Red blend | Fattoria Petrolo Torrione | 3.5 | | Flavors: blackberry jam, mineral, toast, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Fattoria Uccelliera Castellaccio Rosso | 3.5 | | Clean and balanced. Drink it now and over the next 6 years. Flavors: cherry, spicy, vanilla, violet. |
| Red blend | Fonterutoli Siepi | 4.5 | | The model of Super-Tuscan red wines: oaky on the nose with gorgeous fruit. Dense, extremely long and powerful. Drink it now and over the next 8-10 years. Flavors: cassis, cherry, green pepper, mint, peppery, tar, toast, tobacco. |
| Syrah | Fontodi Syrah Case Via | 3.5 | | One of the few Tuscan reds made from 100 percent Syrah. Flavors: coffee, prune, toast. |
| Red blend | Frescobaldi Lamaione | 4 | | The most refined, well-balanced and elegant Lamaione ever produced. Drink it now and over the next 7 years. Flavors: blackberry, blackberry, blueberry jam, cassis, licorice, smoky, tobacco. |
| Red blend | Frescobaldi Mormoreto | 3.5 | | Flavors: cassis, green pepper, tobacco. |
| Red blend | Ghizzano Nambrot | 3.5 | | Although less creamy and seductive than the 1997 vintage, this wine has matured reaching a good balance of fruit and oak. Give it 6 months of cellaring and drink it over the next 6 years. Flavors: blackberry, cassis, coffee, licorice, mineral, toast. |
| Red blend | Ghizzano Nambrot | 4 | | After the uninspiring 1996 vintage, this wine has a more balanced structure and a better expression of the Merlot character. Drink it now and over the next 6-7 years. Flavors: black olive, cassis, mineral, toast. |
| Red blend | Ghizzano Veneroso | 3.5 | | Flavors: black currant, mineral, spicy, toast. |
| Sangiovese | Giovanni Cima Sangiovese | 3.5 | | Oaky and well-structured. It could reach a better balance with one year of cellaring, and should drink well for 5-6 years. Flavors: blueberry jam, coffee, toast, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Il Colombaio di Cencio-Wilhelm Il Futuro | 3 | | A young, oaky and showy wine. Needs one more year in the bottle to achieve better balance. Flavors: cassis, spicy, toast, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Isole e Olena Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi | 4.5 | | An excellent though extremely young wine produced from Cabernet Sauvignon. At present it is tannic, but not hard or dry. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and this wine will really shine. Drink over the next 10-15 years. Flavors: cassis, cinnamon, green pepper, licorice, toast. |
| Red blend | Isole e Olena Cepparello | 4 | | Although less concentrated than the 1997 vintage, this wine shows the same elegance and finesse. Very long and clean, for true Sangiovese lovers. Drink it now and over the next 6-7 years. Flavors: blueberry, coffee, spicy, toast, violet. |
| Red blend | La Rampa di Fugnano Gisele | 4 | | Another surprising red wine from San Gimignano. Made from 100% Merlot grapes and from very young vineyards, this wine shows a perfectly focused fruit and a very good tannins. Maybe it is not long but it is really gorgeous. Drink it now and over the next 4-5 years. Unfortunately the 1998 vintage is not of the same quality. Flavors: black currant, cassis, menthol, prune, toast. |
| Red blend | Le Pupille Saffredi | 4 | | The best Saffredi since the 1993 vintage with better balance and less oak. Very ripe fruit and deeply textured. Drink it now and over the next 7-8 years. Flavors: cassis, licorice, prune, spicy, toast. |
| Red blend | Le Sorgenti Scirus | 3 | | Flavors: blackberry jam, floral, toast. |
| Red blend | Lilliano Vignacatena | 3 | | Made of merlot, this wine looks slightly older than its age, but is balanced and ready to drink. Flavors: black olive, cassis, licorice. |
| Red blend | Livernano | 3.5 | | Flavors: black pepper, blackberry, cherry, toast. |
| Red blend | Luce | 3.5 | | A joint venture between the Frescobaldi and Mondavi families, this wine is less rich and vibrant than some previous vintages, but shows an excellent balance of fruit and oak. Flavors: cassis, floral, spicy, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Marchesi Antinori Solaia | 4 | | A fruity, perfectly focused Solaia, with great texture and elegant touches of oak. Flavors: cassis, cinnamon, green pepper, vanilla. |
| Sangiovese | Monte Bernardi Sa'etta | 3.5 | | Flavors: blueberry, floral, licorice, toast. |
| Red blend | Monte Bernardi Tzigana | 3 | | Flavors: cassis, mineral, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Monte Bernardi Tzigana | 3 | | Rounder than the 1998 vintage, but more oaky. It should drink well for 5-6 years. Flavors: cherry, cinnamon, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Montepeloso Gabbro | 4.5 | | One of the finest new wines in the Suvereto area, near Bolgheri (100% Cabernet Sauvignon). Dense and balanced at the same time, with very ripe fruit. Much better than the 1997 vintage. Drink it now and over the next 6-7 years. Flavors: cassis, mineral, mint, prune, spicy. |
| Red blend | Montepeloso Nardo | 3.5 | | Less showy than the 1997 vintage and less concentrated than Gabbro 1998, this wine has a very ripe fruit and a spicy character. Drink it now and over the next 6 years. Flavors: cassis, licorice, mint, prune, toast. |
| Red blend | Montevertine Le Pergole Torte | 3 | | Not as deep and complex as expected. Round, elegant and ready to drink. Flavors: dried fruit, floral, tar. |
| Red blend | Moris Farms Avvoltore | 3.5 | | Flavors: dried herbs, prune, toast. |
| Red blend | Ormanni Julius | 3 | | Flavors: cinnamon, spicy, tobacco. |
| Sangiovese | Panzanello Il Mastio | 3.5 | | A brand new wine for this young estate of Panzano, Chianti Classico. Needs one more year of cellaring in order to reach a complete balance between fruit and tannins. Flavors: cherry, mineral, violet. |
| Red blend | Paradiso Bottaccio | 3.5 | | Flavors: cherry, licorice, mineral, violet. |
| Red blend | Paradiso Saxa Calida | 3.5 | | Tannic wine that needs one more year of cellaring to find balance and more complexity. Flavors: cassis, dried herbs, mineral. |
| Red blend | Podere Lo Locco Rosso Lo Locco | 3 | | Slightly harsh on the finish. Flavors: mineral, prune, toast. |
| Red blend | Poggerino Primamateria | 3.5 | | A fine, perfectly balanced wine, much better than the 1998 vintage. Ready to drink but should drink well for the next 6 years. Flavors: blackberry, cinnamon, licorice. |
| Red blend | Poggio Al Sole Seraselva | 3.5 | | Young and tannic. Needs one more year of bottle ageing. Flavors: black currant, cassis, cinnamon, toast. |
| Syrah | Poggio Al Sole Syrah | 4 | | The finest Syrah ever produced by this small estate situated close to Badia a Passignano, in the Chianti Classico area, and one of the best ever produced in Italy. Very good fruit, clean and crisp, showing great potential. Flavors: cinnamon, mint, prune, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Poggiopiano Rosso di Sera | 4 | | Similar to the excellent 1997 vintage, but a bit less concentrated. Drink it now and over the next 6 years. Flavors: cassis, licorice, vanilla, violet. |
| Red blend | Poggiopiano Rosso di Sera | 4.5 | | An excellent blend of Sangiovese (90%) and Colorino (10%) coming from San Casciano Val di Pesa in the Chianti Classico region. Flavors: black olive, blueberry jam, cassis, licorice, mint, prune. |
| Red blend | Poliziano Le Stanze del Poliziano | 3.5 | | Balanced with fine fruit but less rich and complex than the 1997 vintage. Give it 6 months of cellaring and drink it over the next 6 years. Flavors: cassis, mineral, toast. |
| Red blend | Poliziano Le Stanze del Poliziano | 4 | | Very closed untill 6 months ago, this wine has opened up just after the summer, revealing the full potential of its structure. More fruit and better balanced oak than in previous vintages. However, it remains a little bit austere on the finish. Drink it now and over the next 6-7 years. Flavors: blackberry jam, cassis, mineral, toast. |
| Red blend | Riecine La Gioia | 3.5 | | Rounder and sweeter than previous vintages. However, it needs one year of cellaring to develop a complete range of flavors and aromas. Flavors: black currant, toast. |
| Red blend | Rocca della Macie Roccato | 3 | | Excellent structure, but too much oak on the nose and the palate. It could reach a better balance with bottle ageing. Flavors: cassis, cinnamon, toast, tobacco, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Rocca delle Macie Ser Gioveto | 3.5 | | Flavors: cassis, dried herbs, green pepper. |
| Red blend | Rocca di Montegrossi Geremia | 3 | | Ready now but should drink well for 5-6 years. Flavors: dried fruit, licorice, violet. |
| Red blend | San Fabiano Calcinaia Cerviolo | 4.5 | | A blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Thick, intense, very deep, richer and more complex than the 1997 vintage. A new star from the Chianti Classico area. Give it one more year of cellaring, and drink it over the next 8-9 years. Flavors: cassis, cinnamon, mineral, toast. |
| Red blend | San Fabiano Calcinaia Cerviolo | 4 | | A rich, well-balanced wine, which reaches its best on the finish and shows a very fine texture of tannins. Drink it now and over the next 8 years. Flavors: black olive, cassis, cinnamon, mineral, toast. |
| Red blend | San Gervasio A Sirio | 3.5 | | Flavors: cherry, licorice, vanilla. |
| Red blend | San Gervasio I Renai | 3.5 | | First vintage of a very young wine, but shows exciting promise. Flavors: cassis, coffee, licorice, mineral, toast. |
| Red blend | Sassotondo Rosso Franze | 3.5 | | Not very deep, but perfectly balanced with fine tannins. Ready to drink now and terrific for the price. Flavors: licorice, prune, rose petal, toast, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Sassotondo San Lorenzo | 3 | | Flavors: cassis, earthy. |
| Red blend | Tenementi d' Alessandro Podere Il Bosco | 3.5 | | Since the 1995 vintage, this wine is one of the few interesting Syrah wines in Italy. Less oaky than the previous vintages, the Podere il Bosco 1997 is fruity and fragrant, with a good texture of tannins. Drink it now and over the next 5 years. Flavors: black olive, cherry, prune, vanilla, violet. |
| Red blend | Tenimenti del Cabreo Cabreo Il Borgo | 3 | | This wine shows a very good structure and potential, but it is a bit rustic on the nose. Flavors: cassis, spicy. |
| Red blend | Tenuta del Terriccio Lupicaia | 3 | | A really disappointing vintage for one of the Maremma rising stars: not perfectly focused on the nose and slightly bitter on the finish. It should improve with one more year of cellaring. Flavors: cassis, licorice, toast. |
| Red blend | Tenuta del Terriccio Lupicaia | 4 | | An excellent wine, with the typical ripe and spicy fruit of Lupicaia, but not as complex and seductive as other red wines of the region (Terriccio is close to Bolgheri and the Suvereto area). Drink it now and over the next 6 years. Flavors: black olive, blackberry, blueberry, eucalyptus, licorice, tobacco. |
| Red blend | Tenuta del Terriccio Tassinaia | 3 | | Though less well-balanced than Lupicaia, this wine exhibits more character and fruit. Give it 6 months of cellaring and drink it over the next 5-6 years. Flavors: cassis, cherry, licorice, toast, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Tenuta di Riseccoli Saeculum | 3.5 | | Flavors: cassis, spicy, vanilla. |
| Red blend | Tua Rita Giusto di Notri | 4 | | Less concentrated and muscular than the Redigaffi 1997, this wine exhibits the same ripeness of fruit and tannins. Coffee on the nose and on the finish. Drink it now and over the next 5-6 years. Flavors: blackberry jam, cassis, coffee, licorice, tobacco. |
| Red blend | Tua Rita Perlato del Bosco Rosso | 3 | | Flavors: blackberry jam, cinnamon, mineral. |
| Red blend | Tua Rita Redigaffi | 3.5 | | It needs one more year of cellaring to reach a complete balance between fruit and oak. Flavors: blackberry jam, cassis, licorice, toast, tobacco. |
| Red blend | Tua Rita Redigaffi | 4.5 | | An extremely dense and powerful Merlot, with the typical ripeness and mineral character of Sauvereto area (not far from Bolgheri and the sea). Drink it now and over the next 6 years. Flavors: blackberry jam, cassis, cherry, cinnamon, dried flowers, licorice, mineral, mint, toast. |
| Red blend | Varramista | 3 | | A good, clean, ready to drink red made from Syrah. It should drink well for the next 5-6 years. Flavors: prune, spicy, vanilla, violet. |
| Red blend | Villa Cafaggio Cortaccio | 4.5 | | Another great Cabernet Sauvignon from this famous estate of Panzano in the Chianti Classico region. Very young wine with good structure and a lot of fruit. It needs time in the bottle to develop a complete range of flavors and aromas. Give it 1-2 years of cellaring and drink it over the next 7-10 years. Flavors: cassis, cinnamon, toast. |
| Red blend | Villa Cafaggio San Martino | 3.5 | | Flavors: cherry, prune, vanilla, violet. |
| Red blend | Villa Vestri Notte | 3.5 | | A Merlot/Syrah blend, produced for the first time on the hillside of Lari, close to Pisa. A little bit rustic on the nose, this wine has great character, good, ripe fruit and powerful tannins. Flavors: cassis, dried flowers, licorice, prune, rose petal, tar. |
| Red blend | Viticcio Monile | 3.5 | | Flavors: cassis, green pepper, licorice, vanilla. |