CASTELLARE DI CASTELLINA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2017 AMONG THE BEST WINES IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO WINE SPECTATOR

The Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico 2017 ranked 17th in the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 of 2019, the annual list compiled by the famous American wine magazine that honors successful wineries, regions and vintages around the world.

A very important award, not the first, indeed the fifth since the birth of the ranking in 1988, but particularly important because it refers to the entry wine of the historic company of Castellina in Chianti, founded in the 70s by the Italian journalist and editor Paolo Panerai. The success of the Chianti Classico 2017 is the result of the company rigor in pursuing quality obtained thanks to the commitment of the talented Enologist and General Manager Alessandro Cellai and of his team.



Castellare Chianti Classico is a blend of 90% Sangioveto and 10% Canaiolo, aged for eight months in French oak barrels and tonneaux, followed by at least 5 months in the bottle. Only native vines, without Cabernet or Merlot, to maintain the typicality of the most famous of italian wines, without blending it with international grape varieties, as it’s also the case of I Sodi di S. Niccolò, the Castellare’s Super Tuscan for twice in the Top 100, made with Sangioveto and black Malvasia.

Naturally ruby red, the Chianti Classico 2017 of Castellare di Castellina is fragrant, fresh with pleasant hints of red fruit, licorice, currant and a hint of vanilla. The typical notes of the so called Sangioveto dominate. On the palate it expresses a pleasant sweetness and it is round, soft and sapid. A wine that seeks, keeping its typicality, the utmost elegance, well-know also for its label on which the iconic Castellare’s bird is depicted (a new bird every year selected among the most endagered species) as a symbol of the company’s commitment to sustainability and environmental consciousness. Indeed, for over 40 years, Castellare has been banning the use of synthetic chemicals in the vineyards.

According to Bruce Sanderson of Wine Spectator “Its bold fruit flavors and complexity belie the modest price, making it a terrific value!”.

“This is an amazing accolade – say Paolo Panerai and the winemaker Alessandro Cellai – above all because we got it with the entry wine of our cellar. A special thanks goes to the whole Castellare di Castellina team for having contributed to achieving this great result “.

Castellare di Castellina, over the years, has been able to create a range of award-winning wines worldwide, including I Sodi di S. Niccolò, the pride of the company for having demonstrated the greatness of Sangioveto blended with black Malvasia (the vintage 1985 was ranked 6th in the first Top 100 compiled by Wine Spectator in 1988). But also Poggio ai Merli, 100% Merlot (in purity, according tho the estate’s philosophy of avoiding blends between autochton and international vines) whose 2016 vintage got 97+ from Monica Larner of Wine Advocate.

“Castellare di Castellina 2017 is one of the three Chianti Classico wines of the historical area (not to be confused with the rest of Chianti), included in the Top 100 of this year”, adds Panerai. “And it follows a similar result of last year, always with Chianti Classico wines in the upper part of the ranking (this year the third is the S.Giusto a Rentennano, last year the Volpaia). A great success for the Chianti Classico denomination not to be confused with the Chianti without a specific production zone”.

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