Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Pouring a deep purple hue, Bellavista shines from start to finish. From the black cherry and raspberry to dusty earth and truffle, with mocha and vanilla wafting demurely, aromas continue giving. On the floral-strewn palate, sumptuous and succulent dark fruit makes way for graphite-like crunchy minerals. The tannins are velvety smooth, and this is so perfectly sculpted, beautifully poised and elegantly weighted. As rich as it is weightless, it is also piercingly pristine and gracious in its sophistication. Hard to resist now but it promises to reveal more of its profundities with time. Given the recent changes to the Gran Selezione regulations, this iconic bottling will see a reproportioning of Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera. For this vintage though, its time-honoured 80/20 ratio remains unaltered.
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Vinous
The 2022 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista is a total stunner. An exotic mix of blackberry, graphite, cloves, new leather, menthol, sage and lavender stains the palate. Readers will find a Gran Selezione of uncommon depth and gravitas. Time in the glass further reveals the wine's profound complexity. Strong saline accents wrap up the finish. It's the wine of the vintage in Chianti Classico and the purest essence of Ama.
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James Suckling
Perfumed and mesmerizing, with aromas of black cherries, crushed stones, dried earth, violets and lavender, like Chianti Classico. Medium-bodied with racy tannins that run the length of the wine and continue on. Crunchy mouthfeel and lightly chewy tannins. Sangiovese and malvasia nera. A year or two more in the bottle will soften some of the edges, but it’s already superb. Available in March 2026. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Castello di Ama 2022 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista represents, in my view, the top wine of the estate this year. The first vintage of the "Bellavista" selection was made in the early 1980s and vinified by winemaker Marco Pallanti, who joined the property in 1982. He has described this wine as the "paradigm and reference" of Castello d'Ama. This glorious vineyard dazzles under the sunlight over a slope as you approach the property entrance. In 1978, the estate carried out detailed soil studies, identifying specific parcels with outstanding potential and unique pedoclimatic characteristics. This is one of those sites. This wine shows beautiful richness with inky concentration that makes quite a statement. The seamless bouquet can be described as broad and large, but it is also quite beautiful. I would say it's more horizontal than vertical in character. It shows thick stratified layers of dark fruit, cherry and plum, ending with hints of sweet earth and spice. Bellavista is Sangiovese enhanced with Malvasia Nera.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe and juicy, this red reveals black cherry, blackberry, pomegranate, wild Tuscan herb and iron flavors. Dry, dusty tannins line the finish, yet there’s ample fruit, so give this time. Fine length. Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera. Best from 2028 through 2047.
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.
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.