2013 Chianti Classico San Lorenzo Gran Selezione
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Tasting notes
Tight and super silky with a gorgeous density and precision that gives great polish to the tannins. Makes them almost dusty. Lots of subtle dark berry, mineral and spice. Drink or hold.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
The 2013 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo is 80% Sangiovese with Merlot and Malvasia Nera. Castello di Ama did not make any of its top shelf wines in 2012, so it is great to see them all return in 2013 (with the more prestigious Gran Selezione status, nonetheless). This is an elegant and profound wine that offers plump red fruit with a distinctive touch of milkiness that comes off as chocolate or aged cheese rind. The ensemble is distinctive and reflective of the Gaiole in Chianti sub zone that is a bit cooler and more rustic than its neighboring areas.
The 2013 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo is a plush, open-knit wine, and yet there is plenty of supporting structure. Sweet tobacco, earthiness, smoke, leather and menthol wrap around a core of dark stone fruit. Pliant and savory, but with a persistent spine of tannin, the 2013 should drink well for the next decade-plus. The tannins need time to soften, but the 2013 is nicely balanced, even at this early stage.
No Castello di Ama was produced in 2012. 80% Sangiovese, 13% Merlot, 7% Malvasia Nera. Extremely intense and ripe on the nose. Very round and glorious initially and then it tightens up. Rich and yet very savoury. Really intense and driven. This should make a great bottle eventually. (JR)
About the producer
Castello di Ama is one of the pre-eminent estates in Chianti Classico. Situated in the southern-most district of the appellation, the estate has only been making wine since the late 1970s but has since built a reputation as one of the region’s best.