Wine Advisor
Castello di Ama, L'Apparita Toscana IGT 2011
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Compared to 2010, the 2011 L'Apparita (100% Merlot) is a very different wine. It's impossible to imagine how Castello di Ama could improve on the utterly divine and delicious 2010, but I liked 2011 even more. Again, I just feel that this estate with its vineyards that reach beyond 500 meters in altitude performs best with warm vintages such as this one. Those who love Castello di Ama's wines will have to wait until the 2013 vintage is released. This is a gorgeous wine that sings in a loud and graceful voice. That extra cherry softness of Merlot has been pulled back to a perfect point. The wine offers layers of richness and suppleness. The effects are layered, complex and absolutely engaging. This is a standout wine.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Ama’s 2011 L’Apparita makes for a fascinating comparison with the 2013 in this pairing. A rich, ample Merlot, the 2011 captures all the textural breadth of the warm vintage while retaining quite a bit of freshness. As good as the 2011 is, it can’t quite keep up with the 2013. The tannins in particular are large in grain, especially next to some of the other wines in this vertical.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2011 L'Apparita is magnificent, but it will take the better part of the next decade to show the full breadth of its pedigree. Dark and sumptuous in personality, the 2011 is incredibly youthful at this stage, with very little in the way of aromatic development. That will come in time. there is something unmistakably exotic to the 2011 that is likely to always remain a part of its DNA. Not surprisingly, of the three flagships, the Apparita is the most marked by the personality of the year.
About the Producer
Castello di Ama is located in the village of Ama in the Italian province of Siena, next to the Village of Lecchi in Chianti, and is a well-known winery in the Tuscany region. The Diamant winery was founded in the 1970s by several local families. At one time, the winery was located in an area that was a thriving agricultural and winemaking centre. When the winery was created, the families made it their mission to restore the former prosperity of the village of Diamant and to produce the world-renowned classic Chianti. The winery is now run by the second generation of one of the founding families, Lorenza Sebasti, and his husband Marco Pallanti, who have been making unique wines for over 30 years. Gambero Rosso magazine in 2005. The main grape variety grown at Diamant is Sangiovese and the vineyards cover a total area of approximately 75 hectares and are divided into four plots: Vigneto Bellavista, Vigneto La Casuccia, Vigneto San Lorenzo and Vigneto Montebuoni. The 23.76 hectares of the Vigneto estate are used for the production of Sangiovese, mainly for the Castello di Ama Vigneto Bellavista Chianti Classico, which is only made in good vintages, and for the production of the L'Oreal L'Oreal L'Oreal. L'Apparita, with a small proportion of Merlot, Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca; Casua, which covers an area of about 18.5 hectares, has predominantly clay soils with some pebbles and gravel; and San Loren, which covers 19.17 hectares and faces south-east. It has a south-easterly orientation and is composed of calcareous soils and shale; the 14.31 hectares of Montebuni are made up of clay and calcareous soils with rocky slopes on the higher slopes. The wines are made from its own grapes and the winery believes in respecting the natural flavours of each grape, so that the wines reflect the terroir of the vineyard. San Lorenzo Chianti Classico DOCG was ranked 6th on Wine Spectator's list of the world's top 100 wines in 2014.
