Our Visit to San Giusto a Rentennano, November 2025
- Dillon Siflinger
- Jan 7
- 4 min read
Date of visit: November 10, 2025
In November 2025 we visited Bologna for the first time. It was a city filled with amazing food and sights. While we were there, we made a short day trip to Tuscany to visit our favorite Chianti producer, San Giusto a Rentennano.
The estate dates back to the 11th century and therefore each time we visit, it really feels as though we’re traveling back in time. It was our first time visiting in November so we were fortunate enough to see the grapes which were drying, and will be used in the production of Vin San Giusto (in our opinion, the greatest Vin Santo there is, and perhaps the greatest dessert wine made anywhere in the world).
After this we descended down deep into their cellar which consists of several different rooms filled with barrels of different shapes and sizes. Barriques, tonneaux, and smaller barrels are being phased out, and replaced by large botte. This started several years ago, and is still a work in progress. The goal isn’t to replace them entirely, but to scale them back. Compared to our first visit 6 or 7 years ago, we immediately noticed the difference as we toured the cellar. As we passed through the different rooms and dozens and dozens of barrels, we eventually made our descent into the lowest portion of the cellar which is believed to date back to at least the year 900, though it’s possibly even older than that. This is the room where the Martini di Cigala family stores their personal wine collection. The humidity in this room is almost 100%
Tasting notes:
2024 "Fuori Misura" Rosato: Fresh and floral aromas filled with cranberries and raspberries. The palate is lively and fresh, with a velvety smooth mouthfeel, and notes of roses, cranberries, currents, and raspberries. A rosato which drinks more like a light red every vintage, and is always one of our favorite rosés, even in the cooler months.
2023 Chianti Classico: Super pronounced aromas of crushed red cherries, raspberries, blackberries, and a hint of new leather. The palate is much more approachable than usual, super silky and supple tannins, and a mouthfeel which is actually quite smooth. Notes of cherries, violets, and flowers which linger on.
2023 was characterized as a very hot and humid vintage, as a result, it’s possible wines from this vintage may not have the aging potential that they usually do. However, these conditions are also what makes this wine's tannins a bit more reserved compared to normal, making it extremely approachable and enjoyable today.
2022 Chianti Classico Riserva "Le Baròncole": Beautiful aromas of blackberries, blueberries, black currents, anise, and new leather. The palate delivers notes of black cherries, blackberries, leather, and a very faint hint of vanilla, backed by a terrific balance of tannins and acidity.
2021 Percarlo: Aromas of anise, iodine, red cherries, and a touch of cigar and tobacco. The palate starts off super silky as the wine glides across your palate seemingly effortlessly, and super grippy tannins sneak up on you on the finish. It’s extremely accessible and enjoyable today, but also possesses very long term cellaring potential. Flavors of red sour cherries, leather, anise, and grapes, with a hint of chestnuts and smoke on the finish. Incredible. Perhaps our favorite vintage of Percarlo we’ve tasted.
2006 Percarlo: Pronounced aromas of licorice, followed by worn leather, crushed cherries, with hints of basil and mint. The palate is a perfect balance of fruit and rusticity with flavors of red and black fruits, new leather, licorice, and an abundance of cherries. The tannins are shockingly youthful in the best way possible and are perfectly balanced out by lively acidity. The structure here is really incredible. It’s hard to believe this wine is nearly 20 years old. It’s absolutely right in its drinking zone today, and is showing beautifully.
2022 La Ricolma: Aromas of red currants, cassis, licorice, anise, crushed black fruit, and crushed blackberries with remarkable freshness. Almost weightless on the palate, with a mouthfeel that starts off super smooth, but still has a pleasant tannin backbone, and amazing balance. As always, an exceptional wine. There’s really nothing else like this.
2017 Vin San Giusto: 2017 is the current vintage of Vin San Giusto. This wine is usually released approximately 8 years after harvest. Raisins, apricots, crushed almonds, and walnuts rise from the glass. The palate is thick and viscous, but maintains amazing freshness. It actually manages to be an incredibly refreshing wine to drink. The balance is unbelievable. What an outstanding wine, wow.
Thank You
Grazie mille Bettina, Luca, and Freddy for the amazing visit. Your wines are incredible, and unlike any other wines found anywhere in the world. We hope to see you again soon!.
For more information on San Giusto a Rentennano's wines, be sure to visit their website.
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