Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Vigneto Bellavista Gran Selezione 2018

  • 98 Vinous
  • 97 James
    Suckling
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 93 Wine
    Enthusiast
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Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Vigneto Bellavista Gran Selezione 2018  Front Bottle Shot
Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Vigneto Bellavista Gran Selezione 2018  Front Bottle Shot Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Vigneto Bellavista Gran Selezione 2018  Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2018

Size
750ML

ABV
13.5%

Features
Collectible

Boutique

Your Rating

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

In the glass, pure ruby red. Pomegranate and exotic dark berries intrigue the nose with fragrant tobacco hints. The palate is succulent and juicy, with supple, silky

texture and complex nuances. This wine is delicious now and also built for cellaring.

Blend: 80% Sangiovese, 20% Malvasia Nera

Professional Ratings

  • 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.
  • 97
    This is a very deep and serious Chianti Classico with bark, dark-mushroom and blackberry aromas that follow through to a full body with very polished and integrated tannins that are long and classy. A sophisticated and glorious wine. Drink in 2024 and onwards, but already very pretty.
  • 96

    The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista comes roaring out the gate with intensity and power, but it doesn't quite have the exceptional depth that we see in the 2019 vintage. This is a generous and exuberant wine with dark fruit, pressed blackberry, plenty of spice and great overall dimension. It's truly gorgeous, yet I might consider a slightly shorter drinking window for this full-bodied vintage.

  • 94

    A rich, intense red, displaying black cherry, blackberry, menthol, iron and graphite flavors, this is polished and expressive, yet with beefy tannins lining the chalky finish. All the components are there—this just needs time. Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera. Best from 2024.

  • 93

    Camphor, dark spice, blue flower and a whiff of forest floor shape the alluring nose on this delicious red. Elegantly structured and all about finesse and flavor, the savory, focused palate delivers juicy Marasca cherry, orange zest, licorice and cassis alongside taut, ultrarefined tannins. Made with 80% Sangiovese and 20% Malvasia Nera, it's beautifully balanced, with bright acidity. Drink 2025.

Castello di Ama

Castello di Ama

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Castello di Ama, Italy
Castello di Ama Castello di Ama’s Bellavista Vineyards Winery Image
Ama is an old, fortified village situated near Radda and Gaiole in the heart of the Chianti Classico region. The Castello or Castle of Ama is surrounded by the beautiful Tuscan countryside and is near some of the original, noble families of the Chianti region. The meticulously cultivated vineyards are privy to optimal exposures and consist of fertile soils. Ama is a modern estate comprising 500 acres of land, 200 of which are vineyards. These vineyards are divided into five important parcels; San Lorenzo, Bellavista, La Casuccia, Bertinga and Montebuoni. In the 1970s, four families formed a partnership and purchased the property with the goal of producing world-class wines. Castello Di Ama is unique, employing its best Sangiovese to produce Chianti Classico, unlike many Tuscan producers who have chosen to blend their best Sangiovese into Vini da Tavola or Super Tuscans. In addition to the acclaimed Chianti Classico produced in each vintage, the crus of Bellavista and La Casuccia are produced only in outstanding vintages and in extremely limited quantity. These wines in their concentration, harmony and overall elegance represent the best expression of Sangiovese in Tuscany.
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Disenchanted with Italian winemaking laws in the 1970s, a few rebellious Tuscan winemakers decided to get creative. Instead of following tradition, to bottle Sangiovese by itself, they started blending it with international varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in differing proportions and with amazing success. However, some Tuscan Blends don’t even include Sangiovese. Somm Secret—The suffix –aia in Italian modifies a word in much the same way –y acts in English. For example, a place with many stones (sassi) becomes Sassicaia. While not all Super Tuscan producer names end in –aia, they all share a certain coy nomenclature.

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Chianti Classico Wine

Tuscany, Italy

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One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.

However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.

Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.

GVMSTCABELVIF18_2018 Item# 1175412

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