2011 Chianti Classico San Lorenzo Gran Selezione
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Tasting notes
Full bottle 1,237g – light for such an old wine. 80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and Malvasia Nera. Picked 28 September to 8 October. Heady, complex, very obviously Chianti Classico with some dark prune flavours and great finesse rather than concentration at any cost. Long and self-confident. Just right for drinking now with the tannins fully evolved and a very nuanced finish, but it shows no signs of flagging! Great finesse. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
85% Sangiovese, 11% Merlot, 4% Malvasia Nera. Very dark crimson. Sweet and ripe on the nose. Then very marked acidity on the palate. A refined essence of Sangiovese. Very youthful but with masses of drive and edge. Transparent and convincing even if still very youthful. (JR)
80% Sangiovese, 20% Malvasia Nera and Merlot, 12 months in French oak barriques (20% new, 80% 2nd fill) and 18-24 months in bottle. Closed nose, understated palate. Subtle to the point of transparency. Yet there is a decent enough length. Perhaps just going through a dumb phase? (RH)
Round, sensual and inviting, the 2011 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo shows what older vines can do in a warm vintage. Rich and beautifully layered in the glass, but also remarkably weightless, the 2011 is all about harmony. Sweet tobacco, mint, crushed flowers and licorice all flesh out in the glass. The style is classic Ama; creamy and resonant to the core. The San Lorenzo is essentially the wine that was formerly known as Chianti Classico Castello di Ama.
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.