Castello di Ama – Chianti Classico San Lorenzo – 2010

Castello di Ama is located in the small medieval village of Ama in Gaiole in Chianti, an area rich in history where the Etruscans and Romans left their remains. It has always been an area suited for the production of wine, so much so that it was cited as “the best place in Chianti” by Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Habsburg Lorraine during his visit to Tuscany in 1773. In the 70’s four Roman entrepreneurs saw the potential in this beautiful territory and decided to renovate the historical villas of Ama and plant the vineyards on the adjacent hills. The winery spreads for about 80 hectares divided in many plots and hollows at an altitude of 500 meters (1,640 feet) with soils rich in clay. In the 1980’s there was a turning point for the young winery thanks to the entrance of Florentine enologist Marco Pallanti. Nowadays the winery is managed by Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebasti, daughter of one of the four investors, where they brought to light this hamlet and created wines worthy of note all over the world, bringing high the Chianti Classico appellation both in terms of art and protection of the landscape and quality of wines. Vineyards from which San Lorenzo is produced cover an area of 25.5 hectares (82.5 acres) and are located at an altitude ranging from 450 to 525 meters (1350 to 1125 feet), Bellavista, Casuccia, San Lorenzo and Montebuoni. These vineyards were the first ones to be bought by the four partners in 1972, Sangiovese, Merlot and Malvasia Nera are vinified separately and blended after malolactic fermentation. A red wine of great finesse, intensity, length and freshness. To be tried absolutely!
2010, the vintage of wonders! What can I say, if in decent vintages the wines were fantastic in a vintage like this one they are supersonic. A moving bottle, grip, extractive richness, complexity, structure everything we look for in a Tuscan red!

• Producer: Castello di Ama
• Name: Chianti Classico San Lorenzo
• Grape Variety: 80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot e Malvasia Nera
• Vintage: 2010
• Alcohol Content: 13%
• Bottle Size: 750ml

Productive Notes: Between September 28 and October 8, about 1300 quintals of grapes were harvested by hand in small 12 kg. crates. After a passage on the sorting table, the grapes, crushed and destemmed, were fermented, variety by variety, in steel tanks at a temperature of about 30-32 degrees. During fermentation, the must was pumped over several times a day and maceration lasted for about 21-23 days. After racking, the 900 Hl of wine underwent malolactic fermentation.
After assemblage, the wine was entirely aged in barriques, 20% of first passage and the rest used, where it was aged for about 12 months.