Castello Di Ama

The world-famous Chianti producer Castello di Ama is steeped in history, but this hasn’t stopped it from pushing the boundaries forward in one of Italy’s most important wine-growing areas. It was in the 1970s that the Castle (Castello) in the small hamlet of Ama, in the subregion of Gaiole in Chianti, that life was breathed back into an ancient estate. A replanting of vineyards by four ambitious families, saw the beginning of a dazzling new chapter for Castello di Ama.

Today, the estate hosts 75 hectares of area under vine which are found across four distinct slopes, some of the highest in the entire appellation. Lorenza Sebasti, daughter of one of the original rejuvenators, runs the commercial operation today, along with husband and winemaker Marco Pallanti who joined the team in 1982 as an up-and-coming winemaker. Upon joining, Pallanti undertook an extensive and meticulous study and replanting of vineyards with the unwavering goal of growing the highest quality grapes. Marco believes firmly in treating each vineyard differently, only giving it the exact assistance it needs. In fact, it was Pallanti and Castello di Ama who introduced the idea of Crus to Chianti Classico, their single vineyard wines Bellavista and La Casuccia are striking examples of the potential of this area.

Across the entire range of Castello di Ama’s production, which extends to around 300,000 bottles annually, there is obsessive dedication to quality and to expressing terroir. The Ama Chianti Classico is an absolute testament to this. What is, in essence, an estate red wine, conveys so much depth, complexity, elegance, finesse and personality – it can be nothing other than Chianti, but it can be nothing other than Castello di Ama Chianti. Delve into Castello di Ama’s single vineyard range (La Casuccia, Montebuoni, and Bellavist) and delight in the varying Sangiovese expressions. Or treat yourself to the revered L’Apparita Merlot – Tuscany’s first ever Merlot wine that rivals the finest in the world.

What began as the reinstating of an ancient estate is today one of the finest wineries in Tuscany, Italy and indeed the world.