Story: Castellare di Castellina | Tuscany
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Castellare di Castellina winery: history and wines
The Castellare di Castellina winery is located in the rolling hills of Chianti Classico in Tuscany, not far from the medieval town of Castellina in Chianti. It was created in the 1970s from the merger of several small farms under the management of Paolo Panerai. From the very beginning, Panerai pursued the goal of producing wines of the highest quality and thus actively participating in the renaissance of Italian viticulture. He combined traditional practices (such as the differentiation between high-yielding “campi” and particularly permeable, stony “sodi” sites) with state-of-the-art vineyard research and cellar technology. Classic Tuscan methods and the strict renunciation of international grape varieties - in favor of autochthonous varieties such as Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera - still characterize the style of Castellare di Castellina today.

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Vineyards and winemaking
The estate covers around 80 hectares, of which around 33 hectares are planted with vines. The vineyards extend at an altitude of around 370 meters along a natural amphitheatre facing south-east, which, together with the sunny exposure and calcareous soils (marl, galestro with some clay), results in very well-structured, long-lived wines. The vines - many of which are well aged (between 7 and over 45 years) - deliver extremely concentrated yields with strict yield limits to ensure the highest quality. In line with a sustainable philosophy, Castellare di Castellina does not use synthetic pesticides at all and the vineyards are cultivated according to organic principles; in addition, a rare, endangered bird adorns the bottle labels every year as a sign of this environmental commitment.

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Chianti Classico
The Chianti Classico from Castellare di Castellina (DOCG) is traditionally made from 95% Sangiovese (here called Sangioveto) and 5% Canaiolo. It has a classic ruby red color in the glass and offers aromas of ripe red fruits (such as cherries and currants) as well as hints of liquorice and fine vanilla on the nose. On the palate, the wine is soft and fruity, with an elegant acidity structure and delicate, velvety tannins. The winery also sticks to the old formula in Chianti Classico: only indigenous varieties are used and no “international” vines such as Cabernet or Merlot.

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I Sodi di San Niccolò
I Sodi di San Niccolò is the flagship of Castellare di Castellina and is one of the famous “Super Tuscans”. This red wine (Toscana IGT) is vinified from around 85% Sangiovese and 15% Malvasia Nera and matures for 24-30 months in new barriques before remaining in the bottle for several years for further rounding off. The house describes Sodi as its “top wine” - it has been placed in international lists of the best wines (such as the Wine Spectator Top 100) on several occasions and has been awarded the highest rating of Tre Bicchieri by critics such as Gambero Rosso. The trade press is also impressed: the Wine Advocate particularly praised the purity and elegance of its aromas, while the Wine Spectator awarded 96 out of 100 points for one vintage. This makes I Sodi di San Niccolò a very long-lasting, complex wine with excellent ageing potential.

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Other top wines
The portfolio also includes some single-vineyard wines that are attracting international attention. The single-varietal Merlot Poggio ai Merli, for example, regularly receives high scores (e.g. 92 points in Wine Spectator), as does the pure Cabernet Sauvignon Coniale (around 90+ points from Robert Parker). Together, the Castellare di Castellina range thus represents a broad spectrum of Tuscan qualities - from the classic Chianti Classico to the internationally acclaimed top cuvée Sodi. - Gerardo [TS06/25]