When you see the word “Toscana” on a bottle of Italian wine, just what does that mean? Toscana, of course, is Italian for Tuscany. And wines labeled this way are indeed Tuscan wines. But they fall outside the famed region’s appellation system and its strict requirements for wines like Chianti Classico.
This is often because the wines incorporate grapes in ways not permitted by an appellation — more Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, for example, than allowed in a blend with Sangiovese, the region’s signature variety. Calling a wine simply “Toscana” gives winemakers more latitude with grapes and styles.
Toscanas are IGT wines, for Indicazione Geografica Tipica, a far broader Italian designation than more specific DOC or DOCG wines like Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino. “Toscana IGT is the one-size-fits-all IGT for Tuscany, taking in the entire region,” Della Terra Winery Direct, a U.S. importer, explains on its website.
IGT Toscana wines range from $10 bottles all the way up to storied “Super Tuscans” like Sassicaia and Tignanello. In fact, it was the Super Tuscans for which the Toscana category was created.
On the more affordable end, you’ll find lots of good-value Toscanas on wine store shelves, many made with organically grown grapes. A Toscana often sits right next to a more expensive DOC wine from the same producer.
In fact, Toscanas are among the best values in the wine world today. Several of the under-$20 wines on the list below drink like much more expensive wines. Many have a good deal of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Cabernet Franc in the blends. And there are some real outliers, including one made mostly from the Teroldego variety and another from the lesser-known Ciliegiolo grape, one of the original Chianti blending varieties.
Here are eight of the best value Toscana red wines:
Fibbiano ‘La Pianette’ Toscana 2020
A very traditional Tuscan blend of 70 percent Sangiovese and 30 percent Colorino, a lesser-known variety that adds color and structure. In fact, there’s a firm tannic structure in this still-youthful, full-flavored wine that shows red and dark fruit notes and herbal touches. It’s a good winter red for hearty dishes.
Price: $17
Buy This Wine
Altesino Toscana Rosso 2024
The Altesino winery, which produces Brunello di Montalcino wines, calls its Toscana Rosso its “everyday wine,” but it rises well above “everyday” status. The blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot offers aromas of wild dark and red fruits, violets, and herbs. It’s young but delicious already.
Price: $18
Buy This Wine
From another Montalcino producer, this blend of 70 percent Sangiovese and 30 percent Merlot is aged for a few months in French oak barrels. There’s beautiful balance here with subtle blackberry and cherry aromas and flavors and touches of baking spices and graphite, all of it supported by medium tannins.
Price: $21
Buy This Wine
Aia Vecchia ‘Lagone’ Toscana 2023
This superb blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc is from vineyards in Maremma in southern Tuscany, where Bordeaux varieties do exceptionally well. If you compare this wine with similar Bordeaux blends from France, there’s almost no contest. With its dark fruit core, Mediterranean herbs, touch of powdered cinnamon, and bright acidity, it drinks well above its modest price point. The grapes are grown in sand, clay, and limestone soils and the wine is aged for a year in small oak barrels.
Price: $17
Buy This Wine
Poggio al Casone ‘La Cattura’ Toscana 2020
Another well-priced and unusual blend, this one is 90 percent Teroldego and 10 percent Syrah. Juicy blackberry and cassis, earth, and floral notes combine in this robust wine made from organically grown grapes.
Price: $18
Buy This Wine
Antonio Camillo Ciliegiolo Toscana 2022
Antonio Camillo specializes in the relatively obscure Ciliegiolo grape in the southern Maremma part of Tuscany. If you’re not familiar with the variety, this wine is an exciting introduction to it. It’s a high-acid wine, making it an excellent food partner. Sour cherry and raspberry notes are punctuated by hints of forest floor and vanilla, framed by medium tannins.
Price: $20
Buy This Wine
Dianella ‘Le Veglie di Neri’ Toscana 2022
From a Chianti producer, this notable blend is 85 percent Sangiovese and 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are grown organically and the wine shows herb-infused notes of ripe cherry and cassis with hints of cigar box and balsamic.
Price: $27
Buy This Wine
Caspri ‘Vita Bella’ Toscana 2021
There’s a wonderful purity and simplicity to this wine, a grapey, relatively soft quaffer made from biodynamically grown Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo grapes. Fermented in large oak vats and aged six months in stainless steel tanks, there’s a freshness and liveliness befitting winemaker Bertrand Habsiger’s mission to make low-intervention wines. Its ripe raspberry, cherry, and blackberry notes are accented by touches of orange rind, baking spices, and a wet-stone minerality.
Price: $25
Buy This Wine
The article 8 of the Best Red Toscana Wines Under $30 appeared first on VinePair.