×

Castello Di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo 2019 750ml

size
750ml
country
Italy
region
Tuscany
appellation
Chianti Classico
WNR
97
JS
97
WA
95
WS
95
DC
94
VM
94
Additional vintages
WNR
97
Rated 97 by Winery
Rated 97 - The 2019 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo is made from a blend of the finest grapes from four historic vineyards, Bellavista, Casuccia, San Lorenzo and Montebuoni. It is a Sangiovese-dominant wine with up to 20% of Merlot and Malvasia Nera. This last point is likely to become a bone of contention in the future because in 5 years’ time the Gran Selezione category will exclude non-native varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot even though the Merlot has by now become affected by the 'terroir'; according to winemaker and owner, Marco Pallenti it has become 'a native' over time. In any case this 2019 is a very pretty, bright and joyful wine with plenty of black fruit and spicy red plum flavors. It is delightfully harmonious, balanced, and complete on the palate with a long, savory, saltiness that according to Pallenti, “comes come from the limestone soil.” Although Castello D'Ama are not certified as organic, Pallenti says, “I try to be as much organic as possible. We stopped using insecticide in 2000 and we use sexual confusion methods to deter vineyard pests and reduce sprays.” - The Wine Independent ... More details
Image of bottle
Sample image only. Please see Item description for product Information. When ordering the item shipped will match the product listing if there are any discrepancies. Do not order solely on the label if you feel it does not match product description

Castello Di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo 2019 750ml

SKU 924729
Rapid Ship
Sale
Qualifies for 12 Ship Free
Choose 12 bottles, get free shipping
$52.00
/750ml bottle
$48.90
/750ml bottle
Quantity
* There are 6 bottles available for Rapid Shipment or in-store or curbside pick up in our location in Ballston Lake NY. Additional bottles of this product are available for online ordering and can be picked up or shipped from our location within 4-6 business days. ?
Professional Ratings
WNR
97
JS
97
WA
95
WS
95
DC
94
VM
94
WNR
97
Rated 97 by Winery
Rated 97 - The 2019 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo is made from a blend of the finest grapes from four historic vineyards, Bellavista, Casuccia, San Lorenzo and Montebuoni. It is a Sangiovese-dominant wine with up to 20% of Merlot and Malvasia Nera. This last point is likely to become a bone of contention in the future because in 5 years’ time the Gran Selezione category will exclude non-native varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot even though the Merlot has by now become affected by the 'terroir'; according to winemaker and owner, Marco Pallenti it has become 'a native' over time. In any case this 2019 is a very pretty, bright and joyful wine with plenty of black fruit and spicy red plum flavors. It is delightfully harmonious, balanced, and complete on the palate with a long, savory, saltiness that according to Pallenti, “comes come from the limestone soil.” Although Castello D'Ama are not certified as organic, Pallenti says, “I try to be as much organic as possible. We stopped using insecticide in 2000 and we use sexual confusion methods to deter vineyard pests and reduce sprays.” - The Wine Independent
JS
97
Rated 97 by James Suckling
#35 TOP 100 WINES OF ITALY, 2022. Perfumed and beautiful with flowers, cherries and raspberries. Forest fruits, too. Full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that run the length of the wine and are wonderfully integrated, spreading across the palate. Lasts for minutes. Better after 2025, but already fantastic.
WA
95
Rated 95 by Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo draws its fruit from various sites selected throughout the estate, and for that reason, it is often the most representative wine from Castello di Ama (despite its more approachable price). This vintage is especially interesting, showing a more formal quality of tannins for longer aging potential and softly extracted dark fruit that sets it apart. Vintner Marco Pallanti likens 2019 to 2004 or 2016, some of the best vintages in recent memory. The wine is partially aged in new oak, and the percentage of new barrels used depends on the vintage conditions. This edition sees 20% new oak, medium toast and fine grains. The team is working with lower temperatures during fermentation with more numerous pump-overs for the first couple of weeks, then the wine is left alone. Fresh cherry fruit, blackberry, spice and grilled herb emerge. This is a production of 80,000 bottles.
WS
95
Rated 95 by Wine Spectator
Sleek and racy, featuring cherry, blackberry, violet and iron aromas and flavors. This red is more about fruit and finesse, though there's an element of wild Mediterranean scrub. Firm, with dense, resonant tannins and a long finish. Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2045.
DC
94
Rated 94 by Decanter
A blend of the estate’s four historic vineyards – Bellavista, Casuccia, San Lorenzo and Montebuoni – from plantings that are at least 25 years old, this bottling is, for now, Castello di Ama’s flagship Gran Selezione. There's plenty to unpack here. A top note of vanilla complements red cherry, tobacco and thyme. Diving into the palate, the juicy red plum core is nuanced by freshly turned earth and rose. Assertive in personality but equally gracious, it's hard to resist at the moment. Those well-formed tannins of polished wood, and charming grapey scratchiness should keep this in nick for the next eight to 10 years.
VM
94
Rated 94 by Vinous Media
The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Ama San Lorenzo is a wild, beautifully layered wine. Touches of Merlot and Malvasia Nera lend striking complexity and dimension to a mid-weight yet fleshy Gran Selezione. Iron, cured meats, spice, leather and dried leaves all take shape in this deceptively mid-weight yet deep, highly expressive Gran Selezione.
Product Details
size
750ml
country
Italy
region
Tuscany
appellation
Chianti Classico
Additional vintages
Overview
#35 TOP 100 WINES OF ITALY, 2022. Perfumed and beautiful with flowers, cherries and raspberries. Forest fruits, too. Full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that run the length of the wine and are wonderfully integrated, spreading across the palate. Lasts for minutes. Better after 2025, but already fantastic.
green grapes

Varietal: Sangiovese

Sangiovese grapes have been grown in their native Italy and several other countries for a very long time now, with many experts claiming that they were even enjoyed by the ancient Etruscan civilization, long before the spread of the Roman Empire which helped raise the profile of this dark colored and flavorful varietal. It isn't difficult to understand their enduring appeal – the Sangiovese grape varietal delivers wines which are the epitome of finery, soaking up delicate and complex oak and vanilla flavors from the barrels they are aged in, or leaving light, refreshing strawberry notes on the tongue when drank young. Whilst many traditional wineries prefer to use these acidic grapes for single variety wines, many have experimented with blending them with other fine varietals in order to balance out their combination of high acidity and light body. The results have often been truly special, and Sangiovese continues to impress today as much as it did centuries ago.
barrel

Region: Tuscany

The beautiful region of Tuscany has been associated with wine production for almost three thousand years, and as such is one of the oldest and most highly respected wine producing regions in the world. The hot, sunny climate supports quite a wide range of grapes, but the grape varietals most widely grown across this large region are Sangiovese and Vernaccia, both of which are used in the production of Tuscany's most distinctive red and white wines. Cabernet Sauvignon and other imported grape varietals have also flourished there for over two hundred years, but it wasn't until the 1970's and the rise of the 'Super Tuscans' that they were widely used, when the fine wineries of the region began experimenting with Bordeaux style red wines to great effect.
fields

Country: Italy

For several decades in the mid to late twentieth century, Italy's reputation for quality wines took a fairly serious blow. This was brought about partly due to lack of regulation in certain regions, and too much regulation in others. This led to several wineries in the beautiful and highly fertile region of Tuscany making the bold move to work outside of the law, which they saw as responsible for the drop in quality in Tuscan wines. They believed that they had the expertise and the generations of experience necessary with which to make truly excellent, world class wines, and set about doing just that. These 'Super Tuscans', as they came to be known, quickly inspired the rest of Italy to improve their produce, and now, Italian wine producers in the twenty-first century are widely recognised to be amongst the best in the world. Regulation and law began to change, and wine drinkers across the globe woke up to the outstanding wines coming out of Italy, which are continuing to improve and impress to this day.
Customer Reviews
Customer Reviews

There have been no reviews for this product.

More wines available from Castello Di Ama
750ml
Bottle: $29.94
Crushed red berries, flowers, bark and fresh mushrooms. Complex nose. Medium-bodied with fine and firm tannins that...
JS
93
WS
91
Long-term Pre-Arrival
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $109.95
What first strikes you about the nose is that it offers one of the purest fruit expressions of all the 2015 Gran...
WA
95
JS
95
Long-term Pre-Arrival
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $44.94
A tight, polished red with a very beautiful texture of firm, polished yet integrated tannins. Full-bodied with plenty...
JS
96
WE
95
Long-term Pre-Arrival
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $57.68
#35 TOP 100 WINES OF ITALY, 2022. Perfumed and beautiful with flowers, cherries and raspberries. Forest fruits, too....
WNR
97
JS
97
Long-term Pre-Arrival
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $57.95
Aromas of black cherries with flowers and sliced dried oranges. Medium-bodied with very tight tannins and a firm and...
VM
95
JS
95
More Details
green grapes

Varietal: Sangiovese

Sangiovese grapes have been grown in their native Italy and several other countries for a very long time now, with many experts claiming that they were even enjoyed by the ancient Etruscan civilization, long before the spread of the Roman Empire which helped raise the profile of this dark colored and flavorful varietal. It isn't difficult to understand their enduring appeal – the Sangiovese grape varietal delivers wines which are the epitome of finery, soaking up delicate and complex oak and vanilla flavors from the barrels they are aged in, or leaving light, refreshing strawberry notes on the tongue when drank young. Whilst many traditional wineries prefer to use these acidic grapes for single variety wines, many have experimented with blending them with other fine varietals in order to balance out their combination of high acidity and light body. The results have often been truly special, and Sangiovese continues to impress today as much as it did centuries ago.
barrel

Region: Tuscany

The beautiful region of Tuscany has been associated with wine production for almost three thousand years, and as such is one of the oldest and most highly respected wine producing regions in the world. The hot, sunny climate supports quite a wide range of grapes, but the grape varietals most widely grown across this large region are Sangiovese and Vernaccia, both of which are used in the production of Tuscany's most distinctive red and white wines. Cabernet Sauvignon and other imported grape varietals have also flourished there for over two hundred years, but it wasn't until the 1970's and the rise of the 'Super Tuscans' that they were widely used, when the fine wineries of the region began experimenting with Bordeaux style red wines to great effect.
fields

Country: Italy

For several decades in the mid to late twentieth century, Italy's reputation for quality wines took a fairly serious blow. This was brought about partly due to lack of regulation in certain regions, and too much regulation in others. This led to several wineries in the beautiful and highly fertile region of Tuscany making the bold move to work outside of the law, which they saw as responsible for the drop in quality in Tuscan wines. They believed that they had the expertise and the generations of experience necessary with which to make truly excellent, world class wines, and set about doing just that. These 'Super Tuscans', as they came to be known, quickly inspired the rest of Italy to improve their produce, and now, Italian wine producers in the twenty-first century are widely recognised to be amongst the best in the world. Regulation and law began to change, and wine drinkers across the globe woke up to the outstanding wines coming out of Italy, which are continuing to improve and impress to this day.