Riserva Ducale (1973)

About this wine

This is a Sangiovese based Riserva built around ripe cherry and red plum aromas, with secondary notes of leather, tobacco, and dark chocolate. The blend is typically about 80 percent Sangiovese with the remainder made up of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the wine is sourced from Ruffino estates in the Chianti Classico zone. Texture is medium to full, with polished yet assertive tannins and a lively acidity that keeps the palate focused. Winemaking usually includes extended maceration and a period of aging in large oak casks and some smaller barrels for about two years before release. The Riserva Ducale name dates to the winerys association with the Duke of Aosta and has been a flagship Ruffino bottling for decades, representing the classic profile of Chianti Classico from the Pontassieve and Castellina areas.

About the grape

Sangiovese is the backbone of Ruffino Ducale and has deep roots in Tuscany, where it has been selected into many local clones and thrives on the galestro shale clay and limestone soils of Chianti Classico, giving growers the long ripening window the variety needs and often forming about 80 percent of the blend in this bottling. Merlot is used as a complementary grape in the Ducale blend, contributing flesh and early ripening character, and in Ruffino vineyards it is typically planted in warmer parcels or lower elevations so it reaches maturity alongside Sangiovese. Cabernet Sauvignon arrived in Tuscany as part of the international variety movement in the 20th century and is employed here in small amounts as a structural component, usually grown on well drained clay limestone sites and managed with careful canopy training to maintain balance in this Chianti Classico Riserva style.

Quick facts

• 🏰 The name Ducale celebrates the Duke of Aosta who in 1890 reserved Ruffino’s best Chianti for the royal household, making the wine a tiny piece of Italian royal trivia
• 🎨 The Ducale label tells a story, its artwork evokes the Duke’s visit and Ruffino has carefully restyled this scene while keeping the original royal image intact
• 🍇 Even though your bottle is marked 1973, the wine’s backbone is Sangiovese with roughly eighty percent of the blend, rounded out by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for softness
• ⏳ Bottles from the early seventies like 1973 are sought by collectors because decades in bottle often transform primary fruit into complex notes of leather, dried cherry and tobacco
• 💎 Riserva Ducale Oro grew out of a single exceptional vintage in 1947, the gold label edition that later inspired Ruffino’s idea of a top tier Chianti Classico

Palate profile

Producer

Ruffino, founded in 1877 by cousins Ilario and Leopoldo Ruffino in Pontassieve, Tuscany, quickly gained international acclaim for its Chianti wines, becoming the first to export Chianti to the United States. In 1927, they introduced the renowned Riserva Ducale, named in honor of the Duke of Aosta, a testament to their commitment to quality. Over the decades, Ruffino expanded its vineyard holdings across Tuscany, including estates in Chianti Classico, Montalcino, and Montepulciano, and in 2011, it became part of Constellation Brands, further solidifying its global presence. Today, Ruffino continues to blend tradition with innovation, producing wines that embody the rich heritage of Italian winemaking.