Fattoria Selvapiana

Selvapiana began as one of the watchtowers built along the Sieve river to protect Florence's north-eastern border. During the Renaissance the building was enlarged into a villa used as a summer residence by noble Florentine families and by the bishops of Florence. In 1827 the property was acquired by Michele Giuntini, a successful banker; his descendant Francesco Giuntini ran the estate from 1957. Francesco believed in the value of the Rufina appellation, and in 1978 he hired the young Franco Bernabei as consulting enologist. The following year, 1979, Selvapiana released Bucerchiale, a Riserva made entirely from Sangiovese and from a single vineyard; Francesco was among the first Tuscan producers to do both. Bernabei still consults for Selvapiana.

• Origins as a watchtower on the Sieve river, later enlarged into a Renaissance-era villa for noble Florentine families and the bishops of Florence
• Purchased by banker Michele Giuntini in 1827; his descendant Francesco Giuntini ran the property from 1957
• Franco Bernabei joined as consulting enologist in 1978 and still holds that role
• Bucerchiale, a single-vineyard, 100% Sangiovese Chianti Rufina Riserva, debuted in 1979, among the first wines of its kind in Tuscany

Since 1997 Selvapiana has been run by Federico and Silvia Giuntini Masseti, adopted children of Francesco Giuntini and children of Franco Masseti, the estate's manager from 1953 to 1990. The estate's history page counts Francesco as the fifth generation, while press coverage counts Federico and Silvia as the family's fifth generation at Selvapiana. Federico began working at the estate in the summer of 1987, after high school, and asked Francesco to farm organically. In Federico's words, Selvapiana is "still a very small family operation," with Silvia in charge of the office and Federico focused on the vineyards and direct sales. Federico's eldest of four sons, Niccolo, took charge of the cellar in 2019, working closely with Franco Bernabei, and was solely responsible for the 2019 vintage of Bucerchiale, the wine's 40th-anniversary release. Federico's daughter Rebecca has also begun helping at the estate's wine shop. Federico Giuntini Masseti was president of the Chianti Rufina Consorzio, helping create the Terraelectae single-vineyard category, until June 2025, when Gerardo Gondi of Marchesi Gondi succeeded him for the 2025-2027 term. Federico's full legal name, as recorded on the estate's ICEA organic certificate, is Federico Giuntini Antinori Masseti; Jancis Robinson wrote that Francesco Giuntini 'was married to an Antinori,' a family tie distinct from any corporate or ownership affiliation with the Antinori wine company.

• Federico and Silvia Giuntini Masseti, Francesco Giuntini's adopted children, have run Selvapiana since 1997; press coverage counts them as the family's fifth generation
• Niccolo Giuntini, Federico's eldest of four sons, took charge of the cellar in 2019 and made the 2019 Bucerchiale, the wine's 40th-anniversary vintage, entirely on his own
• Federico's daughter Rebecca has begun helping at the estate's wine shop
• Federico Giuntini Masseti was president of the Chianti Rufina Consorzio, helping create the Terraelectae category, until June 2025, when Gerardo Gondi (Marchesi Gondi) succeeded him
• Federico's full legal name, Federico Giuntini Antinori Masseti, reflects a marriage tie between the Giuntini and Antinori families a generation earlier, not a corporate affiliation

Selvapiana's property covers 250 hectares, of which 58 hectares are planted with vines, 36 hectares are olive groves and the remainder is forest, spread across the municipalities of Rufina, Pontassieve and Pelago. The flagship Bucerchiale vineyard covers 12.5 hectares on a south to south-west facing slope at about 200 meters elevation, planted in 1968, with further parcels added in 1992 and 2001. Vigneto Erchi, in the municipality of Pontassieve, was purchased in 1998 and 6 hectares were planted with Sangiovese in 1999; it became the source of a second single-vineyard Riserva starting with the 2016 vintage, and Federico Giuntini chose it to represent the Chianti Rufina Terraelectae category. About a hectare of Erchi burned in a 2021 fire; the estate planned to replant that hectare and add two more in 2025, bringing Erchi to 8 hectares. Selvapiana is also one of only two producers of Pomino DOC, alongside Frescobaldi, within a historic zone of about 100 hectares; the estate rents and farms 6 hectares there, at Villa di Petrognano, owned by Cecilia Galeotti Ottieri, an arrangement that grew from her friendship with Francesco Giuntini.

• Estate: 250 hectares, 58 hectares under vine, 36 hectares of olive groves and the rest forest, across Rufina, Pontassieve and Pelago
• Bucerchiale: 12.5 hectares, south to south-west facing, about 200 meters elevation, planted 1968 with later parcels added in 1992 and 2001
• Vigneto Erchi: 6 hectares planted with Sangiovese in 1999 (farm purchased 1998); about a hectare burned in 2021, with a planned 2025 replant and expansion to 8 hectares
• One of only two Pomino DOC producers (with Frescobaldi); Selvapiana rents and farms 6 hectares at Villa di Petrognano, owned by Cecilia Galeotti Ottieri

Federico Giuntini asked Francesco to farm organically in 1987; the Fornace vineyard was the first run organically, in 1990, and all vineyards and olive groves followed within a few years. Selvapiana is certified organic, and an ICEA operator conformity certificate dated October 2017 covered both vine and olive production. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with natural, unselected yeasts, a practice in place since 1992. Maceration runs about 25 to 30 days on the technical data sheets; the estate's history page gives at least 30 days. Aging traditionally combined oak barrels in the historic cellar under the Villa with barriques in the newer cellar, opened for the 2005 harvest. Bucerchiale was aged in French oak barriques in vintages including 2011 and 2015; since the 2018 vintage it has been aged half in large casks and half in French oak barriques. The base Chianti Rufina is 95% Sangiovese, with Canaiolo, Colorino and Malvasia Nera making up the remaining 5%; Bucerchiale and the Erchi Riserva are both 100% Sangiovese.

• Organic farming pushed by Federico Giuntini from 1987; Fornace farmed organically from 1990, all vineyards and olive groves within a few years; ICEA certificate dated October 2017 covered vine and olive
• Natural-yeast fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel since 1992; maceration of about 25 to 30 days
• Base Chianti Rufina: 95% Sangiovese with Canaiolo, Colorino and Malvasia Nera (5%); Bucerchiale and Erchi Riserva are 100% Sangiovese
• Bucerchiale aging shifted from French barriques (2011 and 2015 vintages) to half large casks, half barriques starting with the 2018 vintage

Selvapiana's range comprises Vigneto Bucerchiale, Vigneto Erchi, the Selvapiana Chianti Rufina, Pomino Rosso (labeled Villa di Petrognano), Pomino Bianco, Fornace, a Syrah, Vin Santo del Chianti Rufina, and an extra-virgin olive oil. Pomino Rosso blends about 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, with the Sangiovese aged in medium-sized oak casks and the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in barriques. Pomino Bianco is made mostly from Chardonnay. Fornace, labeled Toscana IGT, is a Bordeaux-variety wine built around Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, aged in French barriques; the estate calls it "the modern side of Selvapiana." Vin Santo del Chianti Rufina is made from Trebbiano Toscano grapes dried for about five months, then sealed for six years in chestnut and oak caratelli of varying sizes. The estate also produces a 100% Syrah from the Sopra Giardino vineyard in Rufina.

• Range: Vigneto Bucerchiale, Vigneto Erchi, Selvapiana Chianti Rufina, Pomino Rosso (Villa di Petrognano), Pomino Bianco, Fornace, Syrah, Vin Santo del Chianti Rufina, and an extra-virgin olive oil
• Pomino Rosso: about 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot
• Fornace (Toscana IGT): Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, aged in French barriques; in the estate's words, "the modern side of Selvapiana"
• Vin Santo del Chianti Rufina: Trebbiano Toscano, dried about five months, then sealed in caratelli for 6 years

Chianti Rufina has a cooler climate than Chianti Classico, and Jancis Robinson has written that Selvapiana's wines have always been lighter and fresher than many Chianti Classicos, thanks to cooling breezes down the Sieve Valley. When Francesco Giuntini and Franco Bernabei released the 100% Sangiovese, single-vineyard Bucerchiale in 1979, the law still required Trebbiano, a white grape, in any wine called Chianti. David Gleave MW, the estate's UK importer, recalled of those early vintages that "there was no market for these wines"; the 2019 release marked Bucerchiale's 40th anniversary. Organic farming at the estate began with the Fornace vineyard in 1990, after Federico asked for it in 1987, and an ICEA certificate dated October 2017 covered vine and olive production. Selvapiana is one of only two producers of Pomino DOC, and Federico Giuntini Masseti worked to create the Chianti Rufina Terraelectae category while president of the Chianti Rufina Consorzio, a post he held until June 2025. With Niccolo Giuntini, Federico's eldest son, now leading the cellar, the family's stewardship of Selvapiana continues into a new generation.

• Bucerchiale (1979) was among Tuscany's first single-vineyard, 100% Sangiovese Chianti Riservas, at a time when Chianti rules still required white grapes in the blend
• Organic farming from 1990 (Fornace first), after Federico asked for it in 1987; ICEA certificate dated October 2017
• One of only two Pomino DOC producers, alongside Frescobaldi
• Federico Giuntini Masseti helped create the Chianti Rufina Terraelectae category and was Chianti Rufina Consorzio president until June 2025

Primary sources (producer's own site, fetched as raw page text via curl and tag-stripping, and technical data sheets fetched as PDFs and read via OCR, not a summarizing tool): https://www.selvapiana.it/, .../fattoria-selvapiana-history-tradition-passion/, .../the-chianti-rufina/, .../products-en/, .../contacts/, .../booking-visits-and-tastings/, .../portfolio/vigneto-bucerchiale-en/, .../portfolio/vigneto-erchi-en/, .../portfolio/selvapiana-chianti-rufina-en/, .../portfolio/vigneto-pomino-en/, .../portfolio/pomino-bianco-en/, .../portfolio/fornace-en/, .../portfolio/syrah-en/, .../portfolio/vin-santo-del-chianti-rufina-en/, .../portfolio/olio-extra-vergine-oliva-en/, .../newsmedia/ (which reproduces press coverage from Jancis Robinson, Decanter, Falstaff, Matthew Jukes and Tuscan Vines, attributed in text to those outlets), plus technical data sheets for Bucerchiale 2011 and 2015, Selvapiana Chianti Rufina 2013 and 2017, Pomino Rosso 2015, Fornace 2015, and Vin Santo 2010, and the estate's ICEA organic conformity certificate. Secondary sources: Consorzio del Chianti Rufina (chiantirufina.com, appellation body, including its June 2025 announcement of a new Consorzio president) and Genuine Wines (genuinewines.com), a trade contact linked from Selvapiana's own site (footer link "Fanny Breuil"), September 2024 harvest report. Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs; see conflicts.json for the Bucerchiale skipped-vintage list, vineyard elevation and hectare figures, and generation-count discrepancies found across the estate's own pages and its reproduced press coverage.