2018 Terreno - Chianti Classico Gran Selezione A Sofia (750ml)

Terreno is a small, family-run estate in Montefioralle, in the hills above Greve in Chianti, founded by the Ruhne family in 1988. Sofia Ruhne, who joined the estate full time in the early 2010s and took over from her father in 2015, oversaw its transition to fully organic farming and has since become one of the region's rising voices, even serving as president of the local vintners' association. Under her direction, Terreno has built a reputation for wines that express the individual character of each of its vineyard sites.

A Sofia takes its name from Sofia herself and is sourced entirely from the estate's oldest vineyard, planted in the early 1980s. Made from 100 percent estate-grown Sangiovese, it is produced only in the best vintages, a distinction 2018 earned. The wine spends around thirty months aging in large oak casks, followed by further time resting in bottle before release, a slow approach meant to build complexity without masking the vineyard's natural character.

The 2018 A Sofia offers a perfumed nose of red cherry, allspice, fennel, and rose, with darker spiced cherry tones emerging on the palate. It is generous without feeling heavy, lifted by citrussy acidity and framed by fine, sandy tannins. This is a versatile food wine, well suited to roasted duck, grilled Florentine-style steak, or a hearty wild boar ragu.