James Suckling (98)

Such beautiful balance and refinement to this legendary red with cherries, chocolate, walnuts, hazelnuts and autumn leaves. It’s medium to full-bodied with wonderful, creamy tannins and a persistent and complete finish. Better than the exquisite 2015? A blend of cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese and merlot. Needs three to four years to show all it has. Definitely one for the cellar.

Vinous (98)

The 2018 Sammarco is brilliant. Bright and explosive, with tons of linear drive, the 2018 is exceptionally polished. Cabernet Sauvignon is up to 80% of the blend, and that very much comes through in a wine endowed with tremendous purity. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, sage, mint and blood orange all race across the palate. I love the freshness here.

Wine Advocate (96)

A blend of (organic and biodynamic) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the 2019 Sammarco is more austere and even robust compared to the punchier style prized throughout this portfolio. This is a firmly grounded wine, with a bigger baseline of aromas, spanning black fruit, baked plum, spice, tobacco and crushed limestone. You feel the natural concentration of the 2019 vintage and beautifully managed tannins in this wine. This is a release of 25,837 bottles and 292 magnums.

James Suckling (96)

Very attractive aromas of dark chocolate, kirsch and dried raspberries with hints of anisette, dried orange peel and cedar. Medium- to full-bodied, long and persistent. It shows firm and chewy tannin and deep, succulent fruit. Broad and persistent. Better from 2028.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2010 Lupicaia is another fruit-forward vintage, showing great intensity and depth. What makes this wine unique is its streamlined and focused nature. Overall, it is a ripe, generous and very intense wine with rich flavors and concentration. The integrated tannins are dusty and fine. It would pair well with rich and gamey meats like liver, innards or venison.

The case contains:

100 VN | Castello Di Ama Chanti Classico Gran Selezione Casuccia 2019 (1x75cl) - 2 bottles
98 VN | Castello Di Ama L'Apparita 2019 (1x75cl) - 2 bottles
97+ VN | Castello Di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Bellavista 2019 (1x75cl) - 2 bottles

Vinous (97)

The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto La Casuccia is fabulous. A heady, opulent wine, the 2018 possesses tremendous energy to match its explosive personality. The plush fruit and soft, silky curves are pure Casuccia. The 2018 needs at least a handful of years in bottle, as it is a wine that only truly blossoms with time.

Vinous (100)

The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto La Casuccia is stunning. What a wine! In this vintage, the aromatics are huge and expansive, a theme that comes through on the palate as well. Cedar, tobacco, dried leaves, incense and blood orange all race out of the glass. The 2019 is mind-blowing in its intensity, pedigree and overall balance. It's the wine of the vintage in Chianti Classico.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo is immediately more inky and balsamic in terms of aromas. As soon as you lift the wine to your nose, you get pretty tones of blackberry, cassis, rosemary essence, licorice and a touch of medicinal herb. I love when Sangiovese produces those elegant aromas, and for that reason, this wine stands tall among the three single-vineyard expressions from Marco Pallanti and Castello di Ama. It shows fiber, richness and lasting structure with a very well-managed quality of tannins.

James Suckling (96)

A tight, polished red with a very beautiful texture of firm, polished yet integrated tannins. Full-bodied with plenty of subtle dark-berry and chocolate character. Hints of walnuts, too. Flavorful finish. A little tight at the end, but already really delicious. Serious young Gran Selezione. Drink or hold.

Wine Spectator (95)

A complex bouquet of smoky cherry, plum, iron, leather and spice is enticing, while the supple texture is laden with fading fruit, spice, sanguine and tobacco flavors. Lively and long, it firms up on the finish, where the fruit and savory elements converge. Drink now through 2033.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista sees fruit sourced from one of Castello di Ama's most beautiful vineyards with a wide exposures and plenty of sunshine. This wine shows profound complexity and a far-reaching bouquet that evolves slowly in the glass. Of these three single-vineyard Gran Selezione wines (Bellavista, La Casuccia and San Lorenzo), the Vigneto Bellavista is the most complete, but it is also the most linear and streamlined in terms of mouthfeel. I would bet on putting this wine aside in your cellar for a longer aging time.

Vinous (98)

The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista marries Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera, a combination that works so well. The Bellavista is a powerful, vertical wine endowed with explosive and tremendous energy. Like all the top wines, it needs the better part of a decade to show all it's got. Gravel, smoke, leather, licorice and scorched earth.

Vinous (97+)

The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista soars out of the glass with breathtaking intensity in all of its dimensions. The aromatics alone are striking, but that's just the beginning. Rich and sumptuous on the palate, the 2019 is the most refined Bellavista I have ever tasted, and I have tasted them all. A healthy dollop of Malvasia Nera adds savory notes and a good deal of grip, while clean mineral nuances extend the finish. The tannins are especially polished, which they rarely are in a young Bellavista.

Vinous (95+)

The 2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto La Casuccia is a powerful, explosive wine. Almost unnaturally so. In most vintages, the Casuccia is a sensual, racy wine. Not in 2015. Readers will have to be especially patient. Time in the glass brings out the wine's more floral side and a range of red-toned fruit.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

Ama's 2015 L'Apparita is shaping up to be phenomenal. That is the good news. But readers are going to have to give the 2015 at least another 8-10 years before the wine starts to drink well, as today, the flavors are remarkably primary. That is hardly a surprise given how this Tuscan thoroughbred ages. A rush of blackberry jam, spice, menthol, and graphite build into a crescendo of aromas, flavors and textures. Over the years, I have had the chance to take virtually every vintage of L'Apparita. There is little doubt the 2015 will soon take its place as one of the epic editions.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)

The 2016 L'Apparita, 100% Merlot, is a breathtaking, riveting wine that captures all the potential of the vintage. In this vintage, L'Apparita is especially silky and refined. Layered, perfumed and wonderfully nuanced, L'Apparita is simply epic. Lavender, mint, sage, spice, new leather and cloves develop with time, but more than anything else, L'Apparita is wonderfully complete and magnificently beautiful.

James Suckling (97)

Intense and exotic on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, violet and walnut aromas that follow through to a full body with layers of ripe tannins and a beautiful finish of polished and well poised fruit. It goes on and on. I am impressed by the freshness here, as well as the intensity for the vintage. Drink in 2023 and onwards, but a joy to taste now.

Wine Advocate (99)

This wine has earned its spot in a world of pantheons that is grande vini Italiani. The Castello di Ama 2018 L'Apparita is one of the world's greatest Merlots, and this slightly cooler growing season delivers on all the promise and pedigree that we should expect of this collectors' favorite. L'Apparita opens to an inky dark and blackish appearance, and the bouquet slowly reveals black fruit, ripe cherry, dark spice, smoke and barbecue rub. The wine's texture and finish, which is so velvety and rich, so supple and soft, is what will ultimately win you over. Indeed, this wine excels especially in terms of the elegance and fullness of the mouthfeel.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98+)

The 2019 L'Apparita is incredibly powerful in this vintage. Huge searing tannins wrap around a core of dark-fleshed fruit. Incense, tobacco, chocolate, mocha, lavender and spice open, but only reluctantly. Whereas most 2019s in the Ama range are quite inviting at this stage, L'Apparita is a wine for the cellar. In other words, the 2019 is a tight, backward Apparita that demands patience.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)

The 2021 L'Apparita is sublime. A wine of compelling inner perfume and exotic richness, the 2021 is shaping up to be one of the great L'Apparitas. Inky dark fruit, espresso, licorice, lavender and crushed rocks abound in a towering, statuesque wine that will absolutely thrill those lucky enough to own it. It perfectly embodies all the greatest qualities of this historic vintage.

Decanter (97)

Dried fennel, potpourri, and dried cranberry on the nose. Beneath that, densely packed red and black cherry. A sense of latent power that needs more time to release. Lithe, refreshing tannin, with an apricot blossom finish.

Embark on an olfactory journey with the Castello di Perno Barolo 2017, an exceptional vintage of passionate craftsmanship from the verdant hills of the Langhe region in Northern Italy. This elite vintage offers a distinctive blend, drawing character from its Nebbiolo grapes hand-harvested from 40 years old vines in calcareous marl soil. Traditional winemaking techniques are utilised by this acclaimed producer, with 30 days of fermentation in stainless steel tanks, followed by 24 months in Slavonian oak barrels. This process results in a decorated Barolo, recognisable by its ethereal bouquet, profound structure and elegant tannins.

The Castello di Perno Barolo 2017 has a kaleidoscope of intricate aromas, presenting generous layers of dried fruits, nuanced rose petal notes, with touches of spice and truffle. This wine is an exemplary illustration of Barolo's prestige, offering superior longevity and a finish as dramatic as its Italian heritage.

Jancis Robinson (17)

Monforte d'Alba. Mid ruby. This shows plenty of concentration, in fact more than many other Barolos of this vintage. Complex earthy nose with cherry and raspberry fruit and subtle spice. Succulent fruit on the palate that is still a little compact and a layer of polished tannins. Lively, fresh and long. Gritty tannins that cling to the palate on the finish. Could be GV.

Experience the brilliance of the Castello di Perno Langhe Nascetta Bianco 2020, a diverse and delicious white wine rendered from the Nascetta grape varietal. Hailing from the prestigious Langhe region of Piedmont, Italy, it's the proud produce of the esteemed Castello di Perno vineyards. This exceptional wine stands out for its rich palette of citrus and aromatic herbs, underpinned by a subtle undertone of almond.

Launched upon meticulous, traditional winemaking techniques, this 2020 vintage showcases the impeccable dedication of its producer to quality. The winemaking process entails a gentle crushing of whole clusters followed by alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel vats, imparting it a distinctive freshness and complexity.

With the Castello di Perno Langhe Nascetta Bianco 2020, enjoy the allure of a wine that resonates with the vibrancy of the Italian terroir, and imbibe the legacy of a producer devoted to excellence.

Crafted with precision and elegance, the Castello di Perno Nizza 2018, from the renowned producer located in the rolling hills of Piedmont, Italy, is a stand out example of top-notch Barbera. Matured in medium-toasted French oak for 12 months, this varietal emanates a stunning complexity of ripe, blackberry fruit, enriched with subtle spicy notes from its oak ageing.

Guided by sustainable farming practices, the handpicked fruit was harvested from the producer’s very best terraced vineyards, each positioned with optimal exposure. Conveying all the hallmarks of a superb Nizza, the Castello di Perno Nizza 2018 reserves a well-structured palate with vivacious acidity and finely-integrated tannins.

Described in Decanter as 'a masterful expression of Barbera', this deeply concentrated yet brightly fresh wine promises more than a casual drink - it is a sophisticated and deeply satisfying vinous experience.

Decanter (97)

One of the nicest observations you might wish to hear as a wine producer in the Chianti Classico DOCG region of Tuscany is that the contents in the bottle are described as “very Radda’, This signifies a Chianti Classico with obvious refinement, which in this case derives in no small part from the high altitude of the prized Radda zone. This area’s cool conditions are easy to sense in this wine’s smooth, palpable crunchiness, a Chianti Classico hallmark. Picking at optimum ripeness is vital for Sangiovese to show its brisk silkiness and finesse. The grapes ferment in a newly constructed, low-energy winery built into the rock. Small amounts of Colorino and Canaiolo grapes add colour and spice to the Sangiovese. The compact clay and limestone (’alberese”) soils here give mouth-watering wines with vibrant sour cherry fruit, really crisp and with well-shaped tannins. Very Radda. Drink now to 2030. Alc 14%

Wine Advocate (93)

The Castello di Solomeo 2018 Brunello Cucinelli (with 7,000 bottles made) is drinking very nicely right now, with a hint of tertiary definition and dusty mineral that make for nice accents over a mid-weight mouthfeel. This wine feels fresh and elegant and a little "old school," with vague hints that remind me of the austerity of a Brunello or an aged super Tuscan. The classical profile that you get in the 2018 sets this wine apart.