Tuscany’s reds occupy a special place in the world of Italian wine. While Piedmont devotees may champion Barolo, Tuscany’s combination of historic appellations, iconic producers and broad appeal makes it hard to rival. From Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the region is home to some of Italy’s most celebrated names.
Winemaking here stretches back thousands of years. Archaeological finds reveal that the Etruscans were producing wine in Tuscany as early as the 7th century BC, while later visitors from ancient Greece reportedly dubbed the area ‘Enotris’, the ‘land of wine’, in recognition of its vine-covered hillsides.
At the heart of Tuscan red wine is Sangiovese, the region’s defining grape variety and the backbone of many of its classic styles. Tradition still shapes much of Tuscany’s identity, although the emergence of the so-called ‘super-Tuscans’ in the 1970s brought a more international influence, blending Sangiovese with grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Today, Tuscany offers an impressive spectrum of reds, from approachable everyday bottles to cellar-worthy Brunellos.
This year’s top-scoring Tuscan red from the IWSC was Ruffino Greppone Mazzi 2020, which scored 95 points and impressed judges with a ‘captivating array of red fruit, subtle spice, tobacco, and delicate florals’.
The other Tuscan reds in the top three were also from Brunello Di Montalcino, namely the Belpoggio 2020, which displayed ‘An elegant bouquet of red berries and violets, with hints of spice’, and La Togata 2020 where ‘violets and dried lavender combine with red cherry on the nose.’
Tuscan red wines have a style and character all of their own and stand tall with the world’s other great wine regions. The following wines have been judged as the best in their class, with each wine entered in the IWSC 2025 tasted blind by some of the finest palates in the business.
How do we judge these wines?
We run a tightly structured, rigorous wine tasting process. That means that each wine sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC wine judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the wine industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.
How do we score these wines?
Only the best wines sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, wines have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.
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12 award-winning Tuscan red wines
