Tenuta di Lilliano is an organic estate in Castellina in Chianti in the south western part of the Chianti Classico DOCG in Tuscany. As well as Chianti Classico, wines are made under the Colli della Toscana Centrale denomination.

Owner: The Ruspoli family since 1920. Co-owned by brothers Giulio and Pietro Ruspoli. It has been managed by Giulio Ruspoli since 1989; his nephew Alessandro represents the estate on the international markets. The Ruspolis are an ancient aristocratic Italian family with a history in Tuscany dating back to the Renaissance and, in Rome, to the 17th century. In 1708, Pope Clement XI bestowed the principality of Cerveteri upon the Ruspoli family who had committed their own personal regiment in defence of the papal state. Lilliano’s current owners still live in the historical Ruspoli Palace in the centre of Rome.

Background: The first person to understand and begin to make the most of the estate’s winegrowing potential was Princess Eleonora Ruspoli Berlingieri, who began bottling Lilliano’s wines in 1958. The Lilliano Chianti Classico labels bear the coats of arms of the Ruspoli and Berlingieri Families.

Staff: In the 1950s, Giulio Gambelli, Sangiovese guru and one of the great interpreters of Tuscany’s grapes, joined Eleonora Ruspoli Berlingieri in making and bottling the first vintage of Chianti Classico Lilliano, in 1958. Currently, agronomist Stefano Porcinai is responsible for looking after the estate’s vineyards, while oenologist Lorenzo Landi takes care of winemaking. Exports: Andrea Stefanelli.

Vineyards: 460 hectares of land in total. 160 hectares of woodland. Also arable crops. 42 hectares of olives. 40 hectares of vines, mostly cultivated with Sangiovese, with a small amount of other autochthonous and international grape varieties. On mostly alberese soils (calcareous marl).

Vineyard sites: Le Piagge: Sangiovese. South-facing. Approximately 300 m above sea level. | Casina Sopra Strada: Sangiovese and Colorino. East southeast-facing. Approximately 300 m above sea level. | Vigna Catena: Merlot with south-southwest exposure, at an altitude of approximately 280 m above sea level.

Organic certification: 2017 First vintage with full organic certification.

Winery: The ageing cellar is under the villa. Chianti Classico Riserva matures in large oak barrels, the Gran Selezione in tonneaux and the Super Tuscans in barriques. The storage and winemaking cellar was built in 1978 and contains glazed concrete tanks as well as stainless steel tanks.

Red wines

Chianti Classico DOCG, Lilliano​: 2015 90% Sangiovese, 5% each Colorino and Merlot. Fluid, slightly green-tasting (Anteprima 2018).

Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva, Tenuta di Lilliano: 2014 100% Sangiovese. | 2015 100% Sangiovese.

Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione, Tenuta di Lilliano: 2010 Bottled. | 2014 90% Sangiovese, 5% each Colorino and Merlot.

Colli della Toscana Centrale Rosso, Anagallis: 2011 Sangiovese, Colorino and Merlot. | 2015 50% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot.

Colli della Toscana Centrale Rosso, Vignacatena: 1994 Debut. 100% Merlot from the Vignacatena.

Contact

Tenuta di Lilliano

Loc Lilliano

53035 Castellina in Chianti (SI), Italy

Tel+39 0577 743070. Website: See here.