Reading a Chianti Label

In general, there are as many Chianti label designs as there are wineries. Each label design is unique to the particular winery, but all include essential information about the wine, as required by Italian governmental and U.S. Federal regulations. Castello di Gabbiano's wine labels are not only colorful and informative but also easy to understand. Simply click on the adjacent label icon for a quick interactive "map" of our Chianti Classico label.

Castello di Gabbiano's wines all feature the distinctive and memorable Cavaliere or knight on horseback bearing a winged helmet, standard, and shield.

This Cavaliere was part of a long-lost fresco that once adorned the castle walls. It is believed that one of the noble families who resided in the castello commissioned the fresco to mark an important event or battle.

The fresco depicted the Cavaliere with a group of riders that were in a joust or parade and is also symbolic of the warrior knights that protected the landowners from invasion in the Middle Ages. Unfortunately, the fresco was destroyed during World War II when bombing in the area crumbled that portion of the castle wall.

The image of Castello di Gabbiano's Cavaliere was preserved in an original preliminary drawing of the fresco. This centuries-old drawing, called a sinopia, has an elegant design attributed to the Florentine artistic tradition.