Castellare I Sodi di S. Niccolò 2019

96 POINTS: Jane Anson
96 POINTS: Colin Hay - Formerly Wine Advocate & Decanter
96 POINTS: Robert Parker's - The Wine Advocate
96 POINTS: Antonio Galloni
3/3 Glasses Gambero Rosso

14% Abv, 90% Sangioveto, 5% Canaiolo and 5% Ciliegiolo
Soil type: limestone Vineyard altitude: 350-400 mt. s.l.m.
Vinification: in steel, Malolactic fermentation: done

I Sodi di San Niccolò was created in the early 1980s to demonstrate that native grapes could produce a wine with all the power and grace of a Super Tuscan.  The name "I Sodi" refers to land that is difficult to till (the grapes must be hand-harvested), and "San Niccolò" is an abandoned church on the Castellare property.

“The top wine from Castellare di Castellina and a super-subtle Tuscan that has been on great form in recent vintages. This is ethereal and undoubtedly the best vintage of this wine that I have yet to taste. Pretty; aerial; expressively floral – with roses, patchouli and candle wax, Turkish delight, incense, myrrh, cinders and cordite. Black cherry fruit, black tea leaf and dark cedary notes complete the sensory kaleidoscope. Limpid and diaphanous but substantial, dense and compact and with an impressive sense of forward momentum across the palate. This has a lovely fluid, fresh finish where one finds complex mineral and crushed stone elements. A fabulous wine and likely to represent excellent value.”
—96 Points, Colin Hay

“This is a long-celebrated blend of 85% Sangioveto (another name for Sangiovese) and 15% Malvasia Nera from one of the headline estates of Castellina in Chianti. The Castellare di Castellina 2019 I Sodi di S. Niccolò (with 55,000 bottles released) opens to soft texture and medium weight with dark aromas of blackcurrant and cherry. Those aromas show an earthy or savory side that comes through to the palate. The wine closes with sweet tannins, and this vintage boasts a solid build overall.”
— 95 Points: Robert Parker's - The Wine Advocate

“Captures interest from the first nose, skewers you in place with its flavoursome pomegrante, raspberry, orange peel, lemongrass, rose, slate. There is a smoke, tar edge from the oak but it is matched step by step with vibrant fruit and mouthwatering freshness. 66% new oak, 10 months in bottle after barrel ageing before release; 33ha, winemaker Alessandro Cellai.”
—96 Points, Jane Anson

14% ABV