riserva ducale oro

num. 15 - mar. ‘15
R I S E RVA
DUCALE O RO
The “Gran Selezione” of Ruffino
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Riserva Ducale Oro
honor with the release of a new wine,
“Riserva Ducale,” that could be enjoyed
by wine lovers everywhere-- not only in
the homes of royalty. The iconic label
design from this first vintage remains
nearly unchanged today, almost 90 years
later.
The name of Riserva Ducale Oro,
Ruffino’s flagship wine, owes its origins
to the Duke of Aosta, a trusted advisor to
the King of Savoy, the Italian monarch.
Founded in 1877, Ilario and Leopoldo
Ruffino’s winery already had a strong
reputation within Florence for high
quality wines, but it wasn’t until the Duke
visited the winery while traveling through
Tuscany that the Ruffino name began
to spread across Italy.
The success of Riserva Ducale inspired
Ruffino to seek an even higher level of
excellence from its distinctive Tuscan
terroir. In 1947, to commemorate an
outstanding vintage, Ruffino released
Riserva Ducale Oro using the top
selection of the grapes originally destined
for Riserva Ducale. Representing the
pinnacle of quality and typicity from the
Chianti Classico region, this was a wine
intended for long aging, to be enjoyed
not only in the years of its release, but
also for decades afterward.
The Duke fell in love with the small
winery’s Chianti Stravecchio, (Stravecchio
meaning “mature”), so much so that in
1890 he appointed Ruffino as the official
supplier to the Italian royal court. He
bestowed a royal certificate to the winery
to memorialize the honor, which visitors
to the winery can still see today on display
at Ruffino’s Poggio Casciano estate.
With the newly released 2010 vintage,
Riserva Ducale Oro marks an important
milestone, as part of the inaugural class
of wines to bear the elite designation
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. Crafted
100% from the finest fruit from Ruffino’s
storied Santedame and Gretole estates,
this wine expresses the distinct intensity
and elegance for which Sangiovese and
the Chianti Classico region has become
famous worldwide.
As official supplier to the royal court,
the winery allocated its best wine for the
Duke, marking the barrels with the words
‘Riserva per il Duca’ or ‘reserved for the
Duke.’ This wine was regularly served
at royal banquets, enjoyed by kings and
heads of state, which further bolstered
the winery’s reputation and extended
it to a global audience.
In 1927, an exceptional vintage year,
the winery commemorated the Duke’s
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CH IANTI CL ASSICO G RAN SE LE ZION E
A New, Elite Designation
In 2014, the Consorzio Vino Chianti
Cla ssico announced a landmark
dec i sion to creat e a new el it e
designation to sit atop the Chianti
Cla ssico qua lit y hier a rchy. T his
new designation, Gran Selezione,
represents just 10 percent of all Chianti
Classico production.
To qualify as Gran Selezione, a wine
must meet a number of stringent
criteria:
1. Produced 100% from winery–owned
vineyards, thus ensuring a level of
quality control suitable for a wine of
this caliber. The grapes for Riserva
Ducale Oro come from Ruffino’s
Gretole and Santedame estates in
Castellina in Chianti in the historic
heart of Chianti Classico.
2. Aged a minimum of 30 months, plus
additional time in bottle. This is
6 months longer than a Riserva, to
achieve the desired f lavor profile
and ensure ageabilit y. R iser va
Ducale Oro is aged longer than
required, for about 36 months,
including at least 12 months in
large oak barrels and barrique.
3. Me et st r ic t v it ic u lt u r a l a nd
w i nema k i ng cr iter ia , a nd b e
certified by an expert Tasting Panel
as expressing the distinct terroir
and classic flavor profile of Chianti
Classico: structure, balance, silky
tannins, and complexity.
Santedame Estate
Gretole Estate
Chianti Classico
Chianti
Montalcino
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Montepulciano
• Estate produced
• Minimum aging 30 months
• Stricter technical and sensory parameters
Chianti Classico Riserva
• Minimum aging 24 months
• Technical and sensory parameters
Chianti Classico
Chianti Classico Quality Pyramid
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T H E H E A R T & H O M E O F R I S E R VA D U C A L E O R O
Gretole and Santedame Estates
across the vineyard properties of
these two estates:
• White soils made of clay and
calcium carbonate, y ielding
full-bodied, robust and wellstructured fruit (Gretole)
• Alberese limestone, a grayish
brown compact and very finegrained soil, yielding grapes
with vibrant red fruit f lavors
and a subtle spice (Gretole &
Santedame)
• Marl, a flaky clay, yielding grapes
w it h eleg a nce a nd ref i ned
tannins (Gretole & Santedame)
T he diversit y of Gretole and
Santedame Estates combines to
give winemaker Gabriele Tacconi a
diverse palette to make great wine.
The elevations, diversity of soils,
sun exposures and microclimates
all contribute to making this wine
characteristically Chianti Classico
and quintessentially Ruffino.
Santedame estate
Riserva Ducale Oro is the truest
expression of a distinct terroir:
Castellina-in- Chianti, located
in the historic heart of Chianti
Classico and home to Ruffino’s
acclaimed Gretole and Santedame
Estates. Each property has its own
story of evolution from a humble
Tuscan farm to an acclaimed estate,
and each offers its own personality
and flavor characteristics to the
final wine.
Gretole Estate, where Riser va
Ducale Oro is v ini f ied, is
composed of three vineyard areas:
Gretole, Cagnano and Tuopina,
Gretole provides fruit that is rich
in structure and body with strong
red fruit flavors and sweet spice.
Santedame consists of two vineyard
areas: Santedame and Pianamici.
Santedame fruit gives the wine its
trademark finesse and elegance.
There are three dominant soils
Gretole estate.
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CASTE LLI NA I N CH IANTI
The Native Land of Riserva Ducale Oro
Today Castellina-in-Chianti is a
quiet and charming town crowned
by Chianti Classico vineyards and
home to Ruff ino’s Santedame
and Gretole estates. Beyond its
viticultural importance, a rich
and storied history is contained
within its city walls.
Castellina-in- Chianti’s origins
date back to the Etruscan Era.
Indeed, it is believed to be the
ver y f irst Etruscan settlement.
The town features a perfectly
preser ved Etruscan tomb site
dating back to the sixth century
BC, a fascinating locale that still
captures the ambiance of ancient
times.
In the Middle Ages, Castellina
became an outpost of Florence.
Due to its coveted location along
t he road to Siena, t he tow n
wa s t he site of many batt les
between the two city-states. It
was destroyed several times but
always rebuilt with increasingly
robu st for t i f ic at ion s , s ome
attributed to famed Renaissance
engineer Brunelleschi, architect
of Florence’s famous Duomo.
When peace was restored between
the two cities, noble Florentines
ca me to C a stellina to bu ild
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their villas, giving the town a
refined elegance. Today the town
receives many visitors who want
to enjoy the charming sights and
surroundings, such as the Via delle
Volte, an underground tunnel
with beautiful vaulted ceilings.
The tunnel, originally used by the
guards of the League of Chianti,
is today home of several f ine
restaurants and shops.
PORK LOI N
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R I S E R VA D U C A L E O R O
A Wine Able to Defy Time
In December 2014, the Life of Wine event was held in Florence to
showcase the great wines of Tuscany and highlight their potential
for ageing. The best Italian wineries went deep into their cellars to
pull out their gems from decades past. The room was peppered with
time-worn labels, a little dust, and a lot of curiosity and anticipation.
Ruffino presented a bottle of the 1977 vintage of its f lagship wine,
Riserva Ducale Oro. The color was almost brick, but crystal clear. Its
aromas captivated the nose: sundried tomatoes, underbrush, a light
note of truffle and candied
orange. On the palate, the
wine had a vibrant freshness
that encouraged another
glass while telling the story
of a wine that could age and
evolve even further w ith
time.
Although the 1977 vintage
was made before the DOCG
classif ication system was
instituted, Riserva Ducale
Oro was already a legend
in Italian wine. This was
proven again when, among
all the Barolos, Brunellos,
Super Tuscans and the other
great Italian wines tasted,
Riserva Ducale Oro 1977 was
honored as Best in Show.
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B O N E - I N R OA S T P O R K L O I N
A Favourite by Caterina de’ Medici
In Tuscany, bone-in roast pork
loin is a traditional and timeless
dish, served on special occasions
and usually accompanies family
celebrations. Patience is a key
ingredient, as the preparation is
quite long but the result is worth
the effort. In this recipe, cooking
the meat on the bone makes it
more f lavorful, juicy and soft. It
is especially delicious enhanced
with sausage and enjoyed with a
glass of Chianti Classico. This
dish, now popular throughout
Europe thanks to the French
court of Caterina de’ Medici, is
served at room temperature with
a warm cooking sauce. Depending
on the season, it is accompanied
by spinach sautéed in pork jus with
a clove of garlic, or with roasted
potatoes.
Editors: Francesco Sorelli, Damiano Agati, Anna
Casodi, Scott Ehrlich, Jennifer Drapisch
and Kate d’Ambrogi
Layout and graphic design: Officina Grafica
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