FOR WINE SPECTATOR THE 2017 VINTAGE OF I SODI DI S. NICCOLÒ IS “EXCEPTIONAL”

In Wine Spectator October issue, Bruce Sanderson dedicates an article to his Tuscan tastings, defining the 2017 vintage of I Sodi di S. Niccolò “exceptional”. A great result for this vintage that marks the 40 harvests of Castellare di Castellina’s flagship wine, celebrated with a total-black limited edition.

I Sodi di S.Niccolò 2017In its review, Sanderson underlines “the great job done by oenologist Alessandro Cellai who overcame the summertime heat during the 2017 vintage to produce an exceptional version of the estate’s famed super Tuscan bottling”.

“Several of this report’s top-scoring wines are from the 2017 and 2016 vintages”, writes the Wine Spectator senior editor. “The former was marked by heat and drought during the summer months, yet there are a handful of recent releases that manage to strike a balance between muscularity and freshness. Foremost among them is the Castellare di Castellina Toscana I Sodi di San Niccolò 2017: the 40th anniversary of this iconic red, which matches the quality of the superb 2016, evoking bright cherry, blackberry and violet flavors defined by lively acidity and finesse”.

Alessandra Cellai su WS“I can tell you that it was a real challenge – explained to Wine Spectator Alessandro Cellai, oenologist at Castellare di Castellina – because the temperatures were very high, especially in the months of July and August. To protect the grapes from the sun we maintained the leaf canopy and we performed the green harvest two weeks earlier than normal to reduce the vine’s need for water. In this way, together with the fact that we are 400 meters above sea level and with 150 mm of rain falling on 5 and 6 September, we were able to lengthen the vegetative cycle as much as possible and harvest at the beginning of October, with a good acidity level”.

Therefore Castellare di Castellina’s flagship wine, blend of Sangioveto and black Malvasia, twice awarded Best Italian Red Wine by adding the scores of the five Italian guides and the four most authoritative international wine critics, obtains another important accolade.

“Wine Spectator amazing review – says Paolo Panerai, founder of Castellare di Castellina – is so important for us for two reasons: because it is attributed to a particularly difficult vintage and because it rewards the 40 harvests of I Sodi di S. Niccolò. I Sodi is considered worldwide a great classic of Italian enology because it is the best expression of 2 native vines, but also of the extraordinary potential of Castellina in Chianti terroir”.

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