Gran Selezione mention is reserved exclusively to Docg Chianti Classico

“The very essence of the Chianti Classico territory - a wine produced from a single vineyard or from a selection of the finest grapes grown exclusively on the estate, with a minimum 90% Sangiovese content and a minimum ageing period of 30 months, including at least three months of bottle aging - Gran Selezione represents the pinnacle of the Black Rooster quality pyramid, which also includes Chianti Classico Riserva and Annata (both of which require a minimum 80% Sangiovese). With its introduction, Gran Selezione also paved the way for the zoning of the Chianti Classico territory through the study of the Additional Geographical Units (UGAs). Proof of the success of this new Chianti Classico category, which consistently ranks among the highest-rated wines in international critics’ reviews and rankings, can be seen in its remarkable growth: while 33 Gran Selezione labels were first released to the market in 2014, the year of its debut, there are now more than 200. Since 2023, these wines have also been the first to feature the Ugas (Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive), the Chianti Classico denomination expression of the broader concept of Additional Geographical Indications (Mgas), on their labels. In recent days, however, another long-awaited and highly significant achievement for the future has been secured. From today, Gran Selezione is officially an excellence belonging exclusively to Chianti Classico: during its session of 4 November 2026, the Italian Senate definitively approved an amendment to Law 238/2006, which governs the Italian wine sector, establishing that the term “Gran Selezione” is reserved exclusively for the Chianti Classico DOCG as the only denomination to have used it continuously since 2014.
This provision sets off a principle already recognized under European legislation and formally acknowledges the acquired rights and development path undertaken by the Chianti Classico DOCG, granting it the exclusive right to use the designation Gran Selezione. Since the category was introduced into the production regulations in 2014, Chianti Classico has invested substantial human and financial resources, expertise, experience and dedication in both the production and promotion of Gran Selezione. Over the years, this project has helped strengthen the positioning of the entire denomination, consolidating its image as a benchmark of excellence on the international wine scene.
“This is a result of extraordinary importance - explained Giovanni Manetti, president of the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium - and it marks the conclusion of a long and complex journey. Throughout these years, we have firmly defended our work, our identity and the value of the Gran Selezione project, a vision in which we believed from the very beginning. It has been a path supported at every stage by our board of directors and by all the producers of the Black Rooster denomination: today, we can look to the future with greater confidence and continue with determination along the path we have chosen”.