When Ilario and Leopoldo Ruffino founded the winery in 1877, they knew that the secret to producing the best Tuscan wines meant having access to the best vineyards. With this philosophy in mind, Ruffino has, over the years, assembled a collection of top estates in Tuscany’s most important fine wine appellations. They view each of their vineyards as a jewel—precious and of the earth. As befits these gems, they honor the traditions and history in place and also embrace modern winemaking techniques to coax the best out of each vintage.

Ruffino Estate

Their Poggio Casciano estate is located in the Tuscan hills outside the village of Grassino, just a few miles from Florence. ‘Poggio’ is the Tuscan word for a terraced hilltop, which perfectly describes the terrain. The name ‘Casciano’ is said to come from Cassius, a commander in the ancient Roman army who was granted large land holdings in the region. 

Talk about under the Tuscan sun! The ancient history of the winery is well represented by 14th century Tuscan villa that overlooks their vineyards and serves as Ruffino‘s main visitor center. On top of the gardens and courtyards it has a huge underground barrel tunnel connects the villa with the newer winery buildings. On the 550 acre estate, 150 acres are planted with grape vines. They specialize in growing Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. All of which make up the ‘Super Tuscans’ for which they are known. 

Super Tuscan

Super Tuscan refers to a style of red wine that originated in Tuscany, Italy, in the early 1970s. Many examples come from the region of Maremma, on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast in the southwest of Tuscany. The earliest Super Tuscan wines were high quality red wines made by noble winemaking families that did not fit into the Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) classification system because they used grapes not allowed by the rules of the DOCs in the region.

Super Tuscan wines vary in style, but the French influence  is noted by their use of new oak barrels and French grapes like cabernet sauvignon and merlot in addition to sangiovese, the classic grape of Tuscany. The best Super Tuscans are rich and full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and spice from oak, and can age for decades. Inexpensive examples can be found, but the most iconic Super Tuscans routinely appear on wine lists for hundreds of dollars a bottle.

2017 Modus Ruffino Toscana

Modus 2017 Ruffino Toscana is full bodied with a modern Super Tuscan style, this wine is rich with smooth tannins and flavors of  blackberry fruit and cocoa. Notes of fresh fruit flavors from the Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot blend togteher, each adding its own distinctive character.

Modus is wonderful on its own, or serve it with bold dishes such as duck with olives and pancetta, beef dishes, Bolognese sauces, and aged cheeses including taleggio, pecorino and gouda.