With its distinctive gold label, the Ruffino 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Riserva Ducale Oro enjoys a long history and is one of the original global ambassadors of the Chianti Classico wine region. The bouquet is not banal; in fact, you get dark fruit, tar, mint and balsam herb that add to the direct and vertical appeal of this wine. The blend is 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 5% Colorino.

The 2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Riserva Ducale Oro shows some signs of the summer heat with scorched earth, black olive and rosemary essence. The intensity of the primary fruit fades slightly to the back now that we are four years after the harvest. This mid-weight wine is slightly more textured in terms of tannins and mouthfeel. Pair it with a porcini ravioli and a sausage ragù. The blend is 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 5% Colorino. Some 336,000 bottles were produced.

The 2014 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Riserva Ducale Oro offers dark and ripe fruit that spreads over the palate with silky intensity. This is a mid-weight red wine from a cool vintage. It exhibits impressive aromatic intensity with a compact mouthfeel that is moderate in weight and length. Forest berry and tart berry is followed by oak spice and cured tobacco.

I'm not sure where fruit for this wine is harvested (if it is indeed harvested in one place) and have therefore not listed a comune name in the appellation field. The 2012 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Riserva Ducale Oro is a robust and sturdy interpretation that is aged in oak for 36 months. The blend is 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a thickly concentrated effort that supplies a healthy dose of dark fruit and oak-driven flavors of spice and toast. Some 390,000 bottles were produced.

This wine confuses me because I didn't think that a Chianti Classico could be both a Gran Selezione and a Riserva at the same time. Perhaps the word "Riserva" is part of the fantasy name? The 2011 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Riserva Ducale Oro reveals soft texture and lingering sweetness with plump flavors of red cherry, blackberry, toasted almond and baking spice. This is a mid-weight red that drinks nicely but offers diminished territory-specific personality. It is best consumed in the near term.