I SODI DI S.NICCOLÒ ONCE AGAIN IN THE WORLD TOP 100

The Super Tuscan of Castellare di Castellina continues to climb the rankings of international critics.

I Sodi di S. Niccolò once again conquers an important position in the World Top 100 of Wine Spectator, and debuts in the first World Top 100 of Vinous of the highly rated Antonio Galloni. A great result for the 2020 vintage which, among other things, marks the 35 harvests that have passed since 1985 when I Sodi di S. Niccolò was in the first Wine Spectator World Top 100 published in 1988 in 6th place overall. A result replicated the following year, with the 1986 vintage, and reiterated today in the 2024 Wine Spectator Top 100 thus confirming the ability to make great wines of Alessandro Cellai, winemaker and vice president of Domini Castellare di Castellina.

Born in 1977, I Sodi di S. Niccolò was the 4th Supertuscan in order of birth. This is how the great wines of Chianti Classico were baptized by the English magazine Decanter. In order to have the highest quality, they left the DOC and became table wines, so as not to be forced by the production regulations of the time to also use white grapes. Produced exclusively with native vines, 85% Sangioveto and 15% Malvasia Nera from the two best Crus of the property, it is part of the Historical Supertuscan Association. The great critic, philosopher and writer Luigi Veronelli named it I Sodi di S. Niccolò.

In addition to I Sodi di S. Niccolò, 3 other wines from Domini Castellare di Castellina were among the world’s Top 100, namely Chianti Classico 2017 from Castellare, Le Sughere di Frassinello 2009 from Rocca di Frassinello and Nero d’Avola Versace 2015 from Feudi del Pisciotto.

Historical notes
“One day – says Paolo Panerai, founder of Castellare di Castellina – Gino and I were walking down from the cellar towards the most beautiful vineyard on the property. The one that the old sharecroppers had called vigna de’sodi, for its particularly hard and stony soil: the best for making wine. On the right of the descent is the 14th-century Church of S. Niccolò, surrounded by another vineyard with the same type of soil that the sharecroppers had named after the saint. He stopped and said to me: ‘Paolo, here is the name for that extraordinary wine you made me taste: call it I Sodi di S. Niccolò, but with an ‘I’ in front, mind you. Because that, and only that, will be the wine that will bear this name”. Luigi Veronelli had tasted the first vintage, that of 1977.



I SODI DI S.NICCOLÒ 2020

Antonio Galloni’s opinion – Vinous (97+/100)
The 2020 vintage of I Sodi di San Niccolò is fabulous. A rare wine that offers power, finesse and energy at the same time. All in perfect balance. I have no memory of a Sodi like this, so complete and seductive from the first sip. Rose petals, lavender, spice, orange peel and sage come first. What strikes me most about the 2020 is the finesse of the tannins, a characteristic I have very rarely seen in Sodis at this early stage. Magical. Remarkable in every way. Drink: 2028-2050

Bruce Sanderson’s rating – Wine Spectator (97/100)
Rich in aromas and flavors of ripe, juicy cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and flowers, this red is smooth and beautifully integrated. Hints of earth, iron and tobacco add detail, as it runs out into the resonant aftertaste showing formidable energy. Sangioveto and Malvasia Nera. It will give its best from 2026 to 2043.



The tasting notes of the winemaker Alessandro Cellai
“I Sodi di S. Niccolò 2020 stands out for its great olfactory intensity and a dense and elegant texture of sweet and silky tannins. The acidic shoulder of the Sangioveto gives great freshness and makes the sip particularly pleasant and crunchy, with a long and persistent finish. Ready immediately and at the same time suitable for very long refinement”.

The 2020 harvest
The 2020 winter in Chianti Classico was rather mild, with a delivery uent early budding followed by a rather cool spring that ensured a correct continuation of the vegetative season of the plants. The summer was moderately hot but without excessive temperature peaks, with sporadic rains that contributed to a beneficial reduction in temperatures, mainly in September. The harvest was completed in the first week of October.

I Sodi di S.Niccolò 2020 is available on our online shop.

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