April 11, 2025
Le Cinciole: 97-Points from Vinous - Unmissable Tuscan Value
Incredible Value: Le Cinciole Single Vineyard Chianti 2020’s
"One of the leading estates in all of Italy... Readers should do everything they can to check out these new releases." - Antonio Galloni on the 2020’s
Le Cinciole, nestled in the heart of Chianti Classico near Panzano, is a standout estate celebrated for its commitment to organic and biodynamic viticulture, producing authentic expressions of Sangiovese. Founded in 1991 by husband-and-wife team Valeria Viganò and Luca Orsini, the estate spans 30 hectares of high-altitude vineyards, olive groves, and forest, cultivated with respect for the environment. Recognised by Antonio Galloni as "one of the leading estates in all of Italy," Le Cinciole neighbours prestigious producers like Fontodi and Castello dei Rampolla. Their hands-off approach includes fermentation in cement and ageing in a mix of casks and French oak barrels, with a shift to larger formats enhancing the wines' vibrant, terroir-driven character.
The 2020 vintage in Tuscany offered elegance and balance, with fresh acidity, fine tannins, and vibrant fruit thanks to a cooler, more traditional growing season. Le Cinciole excelled in this vintage, with both featured wines earning 97 points from Antonio Galloni of Vinous, who urged: “Readers should do everything they can to check out these new releases.” These are benchmark examples of Chianti Classico’s new wave—elegant, site-driven, and outstanding value.
Aluigi is Le Cinciole’s flagship Gran Selezione, sourced from the stony Campo ai Peri vineyard at 450 metres in Panzano. Made from 100% Sangiovese, it’s fermented naturally in cement and aged 24 months in large French oak. The 2020 vintage is richly layered with red fruit, floral lift, and silky tannins—expressing the vineyard’s altitude and galestro soils with poise, precision, and striking mineral finesse.
Petresco is a pure Sangiovese cuvée from Le Cinciole’s oldest, steepest parcels in Panzano. Though classified as Toscana IGT, it’s built like a Riserva—fermented with native yeasts in cement, then aged two years in large oak and one in bottle. The 2020 is savoury and structured, with earthy tones, dried herbs, and a lifted, translucent quality that reflects both the site’s rocky terroir and the estate’s restrained, hands-off style.
We’ve been fans of Le Cinciole since 2016, and in 2020 they’ve truly outdone themselves – outshining the big names with scores on par with Solaia and Sassicaia. Incredibly, their Aluigi even edges out neighbour Flaccianello by a point. Yet these wines come in at a fraction of the price. With a small parcel just landed direct from the winery and now in stock, this is a rare chance to grab serious quality at unbeatable value.
We can’t recommend them enough.
“Valeria Viganò and Luca Orsini have quietly turned Le Cinciole into one of the leading estates in all of Italy. Biodynamic farming and a minimalist aesthetic in the cellar inform wines of tremendous character and pedigree. Long aging seems especially well suited to these reds. Readers should do everything they can to check out these new releases.” - Antonio Galloni on the 2020’s
Le Cinciole Chianti Classico Aluigi Gran Selezione 2020
97 Points | Vinous, Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Aluigi Campo ai Peri is 100% Sangiovese from a single vineyard in Panzano that faces Lamole. It spent two years in cask and a third year in a larger cask. Rich, sumptuous and beautifully layered, the 2020 is all class, all refinement. Silky tannins, expressive red-toned Sangiovese fruit and lifted, soaring aromatics give the 2020 tons of finesse. This sensual Gran Selezione is lights out.
Le Cinciole Petresco Toscana 2020
97 Points | Vinous, Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Petresco is 100% Sangiovese from the estate's highest-elevation blocks facing Lamole, where soils are especially rocky and the vines are older. Wildflowers, herbs, rocks, menthol and licorice soar out of the glass. This is an especially savory, expressive Sangiovese that emphasizes mineral and floral notes more than primary fruit. Petresco spent two years in 60-70% cask and the rest in barrique, followed by a year in cement. It remains one of the most distinctive wines in all of Italy. Magnificent.