2015 and 2001 Masseto are among the top ten wines from Tuscany; they are incredibly age-worthy and multilayered in flavor.
Wine is the backbone of Tuscany’s cultural identity. From the acidic and elegant wines made in the ancient rolling hillsides of Chianti Classico to the bold, modern Super Tuscans crafted in Tuscany’s most sun-soaked terroirs, every fine wine made here tells a story. Because Tuscany is so diverse and home to hundreds of collectible wine labels, it’s difficult to come up with a definitive list of the region’s best wines. There are many, many excellent wines from this iconic Italian region that are worth laying down for decades or enjoying young.
To help you explore the region’s most complex and age-worthy wines, we’ve created a list of the top ten wines from Tuscany that are perfect for serious wine enthusiasts and collectors. While Tuscany has many other top-quality wines to offer, these ten are among the best on the market today. They are enthralling, complex, valuable, and have great aging potential, making them a wise choice for almost any collection.
These Top Ten Wines from Tuscany Are Promising Investments
To create a list of the top ten wines from Tuscany, we looked at average professional critics’ scores to find bottles with critical acclaim (each of these wines received scores of 96+ points on average). We also took tasting notes into consideration and selected wines with excellent complexity and aging potential. All of the wines on this list are expected to develop layers of mature flavors over the next few years, and while you can drink some of them now, most of them will age for decades under the right conditions. We also chose wines that are less than 20 years old, as these have the greatest investment potential for collectors wishing to resell their wine on the secondary market. These wines will likely increase significantly in value as they age.
Here are the top ten wines from Tuscany that are worth space in your collection right now:
#1: 2016 Marchesi Antinori Solaia
Variety: Super Tuscan made from 75-percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20-percent Sangiovese, and five-percent Cabernet Franc.
Tasting Notes: Monica Larner of Wine Advocate says, “Chiseled and sharp with mineral shadings of campfire ash and graphite at the rim of its dark fruit. The mouthfeel is more streamlined and tight at its core, suggesting that the wine will unfold and soften beautifully with time.” (100 points)
Drinking Window: 2022-2050.
Why You Should Invest: This wine is very young and will be incredibly long-lived. If you choose to keep the 2016 Solaia until it reaches peak maturity, it may be worth a few hundred dollars more than it is today. However, it’s also deeply complex and well worth drinking should you choose to open it instead.
#2: 2016 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
Variety: Super Tuscan made from 85-percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 15-percent Cabernet Franc.
Tasting Notes: Robert Parker, formerly of Wine Advocate, says, “This wine is chiseled and sharp with blackberry, ripe cherry, grilled herb and barbecue spice. The crisp linearity of the wine’s tannic backbone is perfectly measured to the volume and depth of the fruit flavors.” (100 points)
Drinking Window: 2021-2050.
Why You Should Invest: Critics rank this among the best of the decade for Tenuta San Guido, so it will be a highly sought-after vintage among Sassicaia collectors in the future. The investment potential is huge, as it’s still a very young vintage with serious aging potential.
#3: 2015 Marchesi Antinori Solaia
Variety: Super Tuscan made from 75-percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20-percent Sangiovese, and five-percent Cabernet Franc.
Tasting Notes: Monica Larner of Wine Advocate says, “The bouquet is immediately soft and sensual with dark fruit, spice and sweet tobacco. There is a bit of crunch or snap that comes thanks to the more acidity-prone Sangiovese grape. Finally, the tannins are beautifully sweet and ripe.” (100 points)
Drinking Window: 2020-2050.
Why You Should Invest: Critics often compare the 2015 and 2016 vintages of this label. Both are among the greatest the producer has ever made. The 2015 is softer and riper than the 2016 vintage, but just as long-lived. This is a great choice if you prefer powerful, fruit-forward Super Tuscans.
#4: 2015 Tua Rita Redigaffi
Variety: Super Tuscan made from 100-percent Merlot.
Tasting Notes: Monica Larner of Wine Advocate says, “Etched mineral or graphite notes segue to black fruit, spice, leather, mocha and toasted espresso bean. The wine is structured and firm in terms of mouthfeel.” (97 points)
Drinking Window: 2020-2040.
Why You Should Invest: Many collectors who buy this label are tempted to open these wines right away, because they are wonderfully complex in their youth. However, the Tua Rita Redigaffi label is designed to age for decades and it’s widely considered a waste to open it too soon. Ideally, be prepared to wait at least a decade to enjoy this wine.
#5: 2001 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto
Variety: Super Tuscan made from 100-percent Merlot.
Tasting Notes: Antonio Galloni of Vinous says, “The 2001’s reputation as one of the great all-time Massetos was easy to see. The wine boasted superb power, depth, and concentration, not to mention superb overall balance.” (98 points)
Drinking Window: Now through 2025.
Why You Should Invest: Of the top ten wines from Tuscany on this list, this vintage is closest to peak maturity. It’s just beginning to soften now (although it needs a few hours of decanting to really open up). This is a great investment for Italian wine collectors who want to experience the taste of an older Super Tuscan without waiting decades for the wine to reach its full potential.
#6: 2010 Castello dei Rampolla Vigna d’Alceo
Variety: A blend of 85-percent Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with 15-percent Petit Verdot.
Tasting Notes: Antonio Galloni of Vinous says, “Even better than it was last year, the 2010 impresses for its exceptional balance and pure finesse. Everything is simply in the right place. Silky, layered and unbelievably expressive, the 2010 d’Alceo is a thrill from the very first taste.” (100 points)
Drinking Window: 2020-2050.
Why You Should Invest: Some critics consider this to be one of the best Italian wines of the entire vintage due to its perfect structure. Wines this well-balanced are rare commodities, so this vintage may command a higher price than usual on the secondary market as it approaches maturity.
#7: 2010 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Variety: 100-percent Sangiovese.
Tasting Notes: Kerin O’Keefe of Wine Enthusiast says, “This gorgeous, fragrant wine opens with classic Sangiovese scents of violet, rose, perfumed red berry, new leather, and a whiff of baking spice. The elegant, radiant palate delivers crushed Marasca cherry, ripe strawberry, cinnamon, black tea, and a hint of pipe tobacco (100 points).”
Drinking Window: 2020-2050.
Why You Should Invest: This traditional Tuscan wine is a perfect example of how complex and elegant the best Sangiovese can be. It will take a very long time to reach peak maturity, making it a fantastic wine to lay down and enjoy for a future milestone celebration.
#8: 2015 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto
Variety: Super Tuscan made from 100-percent Merlot.
Tasting Notes: Antonio Galloni of Vinous says, “Sweet red cherry, pomegranate, mint, and wildflowers are all beautifully lifted in this exquisitely perfumed, gracious Masseto.” (99 points)
Drinking Window: 2021-2035.
Why You Should Invest: Although this wine is still very young, it’s already showing immense potential. Many critics say that this is one of the most harmonious and enjoyable Masseto vintages they’ve ever tasted. It should be wonderful to drink in the next five years or to lay down for a decade or more.
#9: 2010 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto
Variety: 100-percent Sangiovese.
Tasting Notes: Monica Larner of Wine Advocate says, “The bouquet is never-ending with immediate intensity that is followed closely by finely-tuned aromas of black cherry, spice, grilled herb, clove, tobacco, wet earth, and white truffle.” (99 points)
Drinking Window: 2020-2050.
Why You Should Invest: Larner calls this wine “a bottle for the back of your cellar.” It’s built to last and should increase in value at a slow, steady pace over the next few decades. It’s very intense and tannic now, but as it matures it will be among the most complex Brunellos you’ll ever taste.
#10: 2010 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova
Variety: 100-percent Sangiovese.
Tasting Notes: Monica Larner of Wine Advocate says, “The bouquet is absolutely seamless, yet it shows pencil-point precision with dark fruit that flows into spice, tobacco, and crushed mineral. The wine’s aromatic intensity is forthright and compelling, as is the polished and fine nature of the mouthfeel.” (100 points)
Drinking Window: 2020-2050.
Why You Should Invest: This wine is quite similar to the producer’s Cerretalto label, however, the Tenuta Nuova label has greater minerality and is overall more nuanced in flavor than the Cerretalto. You might consider buying this wine along the 2010 Cerretalto and comparing how the wines evolve in flavor with age. Both will be unbelievably complex, but you should be able to taste the subtle differences in these wines more easily after the tannins soften.
Whether you invest in just one or all of these top ten wines from Tuscany depends on the type of wine collection you’re building. All of these wines are suited for collectors who store their bottles professionally over the long-term. Some of the wines on this list can also be enjoyed within the next few years, which will appeal more to collectors who don’t have the time or patience to wait. As you think about which wines to buy, consider the goals you have for your own collection.
How to Choose Your Tuscan Wine Investment
All of the top ten wines from Tuscany on this list are valuable, age-worthy, and delicious. However, if you’d like to choose just a few bottles, you can narrow down this list by selecting wines based on style, resale value, and whether they’re close to maturity.
- Fans of acidic wines will enjoy the Sangiovese blends on this list. Those who enjoy bolder, fruitier styles will likely prefer the Super Tuscans on this list.
- Collectors who want to make the greatest profit from reselling their bottles should focus on the 2015 and 2016 vintages on this list, as these will gain in value most quickly.
- Those who want to drink their wine soon (within the next five years or so), should consider the 2001 Ornellaia Masseto, 2010 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova, or 2015 Ornellaia Masseto. The other wines on the list are better investments for collectors who want to lay bottles down long-term.
These top ten wines from Tuscany represent only some of the many excellent producers and vintages this region has to offer–this is an area that produces incredibly memorable wines. In fact, Vinfolio’s fine wine business development manager Peter Andrews says that one of the first truly spectacular wines he’d ever had was a bottle of 1989 Sassicaia. He says the vintage was “so unique in its savory, slightly herbaceous and porcini-like quality that I fell in love.” When you experience how impressive and elegant Tuscan wines are, you may have your own moment of epiphany with this phenomenal Italian wine region.
Whether you are starting your high-end wine collection or adding to an established portfolio, Vinfolio is your partner in buying, selling, and professional storage. Contact us today to get access to the world’s finest wine.
