2016 Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico Riserva

Castellare di Castellina is in the heart of the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany, near the village of Castellina. The 75-acres of vineyards produce nearly 250,000 bottles of wine a year. Since the late 1970s the estate has been owned by Paolo Panerai. Castellare di Castellina produces several well-reviewed Chiantis but its flagship wine is I Sodi Di San Niccolo, a Sangiovese blend that typically wins the highest ratings given by Gambero Rosso, Italy’s leading wine journal. Most vintages are about 85% Sangiovese and 15% Malvasia Nera. The wine is only produced in years when the winemaker believes the harvest will make an outstanding wine. Gambero Rosso notes that the estate is “one of the most important estates in Chianti Classico, thanks to its unchangingly classic style, giving full expression to the local area and Sangiovese grape.”

Chianti is Tuscany’s most famous and historic wine district, and the Chianti Classico DOCG is the most prestigious Chianti appellation. Fittingly, it is located in the heart of the larger Chianti DOCG. Chianti’s wines were so esteemed during the Renaissance that the Medici princes of Florence designated several villages within the Chianti region as discrete production zones, setting up the first appellations in Italy. By the 20th century Chianti was Italy’s primary wine export. But the pizza parlor Chiantis sent to foreign markets were inexpensive, unremarkable reds presented in round-bottomed, straw-covered bottles. To upgrade Chianti wines and the region’s image, the Chianti Classico DOC was created in 1967, then upgraded to DOCG status in 1984, with additional modifications made in 1996. In the last 20 years a consortium of Chianti Classico producers have researched new Sangiovese clones, replanted vineyards, updated cellar practices and generally made Chianti Classico DOCG a world-class appellation. Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 75% Sangiovese. In the 2014 edition of its annual compendium of wine ratings, Gambero Rosso noted that Chianti Classico DOCG wines were noteworthy for their “significant return to a more defined style, true to tradition.”

This red grape is largely grown in central Italy. As the sole component or in a blend, it gives us Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino and Super Tuscans, among other favorites wines. The name is derived from the Latin for “blood of Jove.”