Castello dei Rampolla has a pedigree and history matched by few in Chianti. A winery that has not been afraid to take risks, cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon smuggled in a suitcase in 1978 brought about the genesis of Sammarco, one of the first Super Tuscans. The family’s unerring commitment to quality while pushing the boundaries of the appellation of Chianti has earned their place in the pantheon of Tuscan producers.
“The wines are off the charts. For years, Rampolla has been a beacon for biodynamic farming and bold, explosive reds that age gracefully for many years.” – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“Rampolla is one of Tuscany’s most intriguingly unconventional estates—farming biodynamically long before it was fashionable and experimenting with everything from grape varieties to sulfite-free winemaking to wine amphorae made with an ancient material I’ll bet you’ve never heard of.” – Robert Camuto, Wine Spectator
We are so excited to offer our annual allocation of these highly sought-after wines! Quantities are extremely limited, so order now to avoid disappointment. A perfect gift for the wine-lover in your life (or yourself!).
Castello dei Rampolla 2019 Chianti Classico
Rampolla’s Chianti Classico sees 85% Sangiovese blended with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Fermented in concrete and aged in a combination of old cask and tonneaux.
Retail $59.95 / btl (6btl/cs)
Castello dei Rampolla 2020 Trebianco di Santa Lucia, Toscana IGT
50% Trebbiano, 20% Chardonnay, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Traminer. Fermented on skins for 10 days followed by 6 months aging in Clayvers (a spherical ceramic vessel). Produced without added sulfites.
Retail $54.95 / btl (6btl/cs)
Castello dei Rampolla 2020 Sangiovese di Santa Lucia, Toscana IGT
100% Sangiovese fermented and aged 10 months in terracotta amphora, produced without added sulfites.
Retail $74.95 / btl (6btl/cs)
Castello dei Rampolla 2020 Liù, Toscana IGT
100% Merlot. Harvested early to preserve acidity, this wine is fermented in concrete and aged in amphora.
Retail $89.95 / btl (6btl/cs)
Castello dei Rampolla 2016 Sammarco, Toscana IGT
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Sangiovese. Fermented in concrete tanks and aged in a mixture of French oak barriques, tonneaux and large casks for 12 months.
Retail $109.95 / btl (6btl/cs)
Castello dei Rampolla 2017 d’Alceo, Toscana IGT
A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot. This wine was fermented in cement tank followed by 12 months maturation in French oak barriques and tonneaux.
Retail $239.95 / btl (6btl/cs)
93 points – Monica Larner for Wine Advocate
“This is such a pretty wine and such an absolute pleasure to drink, thanks to its intrinsic simplicity and brightness. The Castello dei Rampolla 2019 Chianti Classico gives us a textbook rendition of Tuscany’s Sangiovese grape, with the extra brightness, sharpness and crisp acidity that comes naturally. This wine reveals a profoundly authentic character with wild berry, lavender, garden soil and crushed aspirin. You could drink it now or possibly stretch its drinking window to the 10-year mark.“
93 points – James Suckling
“An amber-orange color with aromas of bergamot, dried orange, clove, star anise, chamomile and seashell. It’s medium-bodied with bright acidity and a fine tannin structure. Savory, spicy and flavorful. Very well done.“
92 points – Antonio Galloni for Vinous
“The 2020 Sangiovese di Santa Lucia is bold, pungent and super-expressive. A rush of dark red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, spice, mint and lavender races across the palate as this fleshy, voluptuous Sangiovese shows off its charms. Sweet floral notes punctuate the brilliant, explosive finish. The aromatics alone are alluring, but there is plenty of grip too. I would prefer to drink the 2020 over the next few years.“
94+ – Monica Larner for Wine Advocate
“The Castello dei Rampolla 2019 Liù is a relatively new wine (the first vintage made was the 2018) and a pure expression of Merlot. The wine is generously endowed with lots of fruit flavor and a distinctive punchiness that adds a bright and lifted quality to the bouquet. It sports a mid-weight approach with plenty of summer fresh cherry, plum and other purple fruits. It’s hard not to feel immediately attracted to this wine, especially given its very vivid and bright personality. You’ll have a lot of fun drinking Liù straight out of the gate or likewise waiting for it to complete its bottle evolution.“
98 points – Antonio Galloni for Vinous
“The 2016 Sammarco is a dense, flamboyant wine. Inky red fruit, spice, cedar, tobacco, menthol and licorice are some of the notes that build in a statuesque Sammarco that dazzles from start to finish. A wine of stunning textural richness and intensity. Sammarco is translucent, sculpted and full of character. All the elements are so well balanced. Rose petal, cedar, tobacco and mint linger on the eternal finish. The 2016 is a magical wine that can be, surprisingly, enjoyed now or cellared for a number of years. Time in the glass just brings out its energy and vertical drive. Sammarco is quite possibly the single greatest value in high-end Italian wine. Don’t miss it.“
100 points – Antonio Galloni for Vinous
“The 2017 D’Alceo possesses mind-blowing intensity and pedigree to burn. Rich, ample and explosive, the 2017 is magnificently impressive right out of the gate. Lavender, rose petal, spice, kirsch, mint and violet lead into a core of inky dark blue/purplish berry fruit. Soft contours and suave, silky tannins give the 2017 so much immediacy, but there is plenty of cellaring potential too. In a word: epic.“
About Castello dei Rampolla
The Di Napoli Rampolla family has owned the awe-inspiring ‘Santa Lucia in Faulle’ estate in Panzano-in-Chianti since 1739. Located in the revered ‘Conca d’Oro’, west of the village, this is ‘Grand Cru’ Tuscany.
When he inherited the estate in 1965, Alceo di Napoli converted from sharecropping to a modern farm, and planted the first vineyards. Until 1975 most of the grapes went to Antinori, and when Alceo decided to begin making and bottling his own Chianti Classico he turned to his friend Giacomo Tachis for guidance — Antinori’s technical director, creator of Sassicaia, Tignanello & Solaia.
Since Alceo’s death in 1991, his children Luca and Maurizia have built upon his legacy, converting fully to biodynamic practices in 1994. The 125 ha estate has about 32 hectares of vineyard, producing only 60-70,000 bottles annually — very low yields of remarkably intense fruit — fermented in concrete tank or terra-cotta amphorae. The family history and the calibre of the wines has justifiably earned Castello dei Rampolla a reputation as iconic.
Sammarco is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Sangiovese created by Alceo in collaboration with Giacomo Tachis in 1980. One of the first ‘Super-Tuscans’, Sammarco was inspiration for the next generation of winemakers.
d’Alceo is an homage to his father created by Luca di Napoli — Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot — which has become a true Tuscan icon. 1996 was the first vintage, from vineyards planted in 1990-92.
Like all the wines from this remarkable estate, even the Chianti Classico is an unusually structured, age-worthy wine. The wines are all certified organic, and each year a selection of Sangiovese and a Trebbiano are both bottled without added sulphites. Fermentations in amphora, ceramic, concrete or wood reflect the biodiversity of the estate, where a multitude of crops (and chickens!) contribute to a healthy, complex environment.
“The Di Napoli family has been making stunning wines for a while, but in recent years quality has gone into the stratosphere, a rarified place where words feel utterly useless in describing just how profound and magical these elixirs are.” – Antonio Galloni
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