Wine Advisor
Castello di Ama, L'Apparita Toscana IGT 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
I am immediately struck by the power and concentration of the Castello di Ama 2017 L'Apparita. This is an exuberant and gregarious expression of Merlot that has absorbed every last sunbeam of the hot summer season. On the nose, the wine shows beautiful fullness and generosity that spills richly across the senses. Blackberry syrup and cherry liqueur are followed by smoke, tar, toast and sweet chewing tobacco. You taste that extra density in a similar manner, and the rich concentration of the fruit has consequently shaped a more apparent tannin and a little snap of astringency on the close. My sample bottle does not show a reading of the wine's alcoholic content, but you feel some heat as well. This edition of L'Apparita is extra dark, succulent and firm. When the wine has been given another five to ten years of cellar age, then I'd suggest guinea fowl or one of those delicious roasted pigeon dishes you find in Tuscany. Some 7,300 bottles were made.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 L'Apparita, Ama's 100% Merlot, is silky, polished and exceptionally beautiful. In 2017, L'Apparita is restrained and elegant more than it is powerful. I have seen L'Apparita blossom with a few years in bottle. I imagine it will be the case here too. Today, L'Apparita is decidedly nuanced and elegant.
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.
