Sangiovese and Petit Verdot were fermented in open-top oak vats for three weeks, with punch downs performed daily. A small faction of the grapes were not destemmed and only indigenous yeasts were used. The wine aged for two years in French barriques and six months in oak casks, followed by three years in bottles before release. Paolo De Marchi says, "If a producer is going to make a Gran Selezione, it should at least be a new, different wine. It shouldn't just be a former Chianti Classico Riserva that's had an extra six months ageing, or a wine that used to be labelled as an IGT.