2016 I Sodi di San Nicolo
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Tasting notes
The Castellare di Castellina 2016 I Sodi di S. Niccolò is 85% Sangioveto (otherwise known as Sangiovese) and 15% Malvasia Nera. I tasted number 9,949 out of 29,230 bottles filled in January 2020. This is a true beauty and a wine that makes a lasting impact. I came back to my opened bottle some 24 hours later, and the wine tasted even better. It shows enormous purity and focus, with specific aromas that remind you of its Tuscan origins. Those aromas are very Mediterranean in character with rosemary and crushed lavender, followed by wild cherry, dried raspberry and cassis. The tannins are elegant and finely integrated, and the wine leaves nothing but long, polished sensations behind. This is one of the best vintages of I Sodi di S. Niccolò I have encountered in 20 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Castellare's I Sodi di San Niccolò is the single most overlooked high-end wine in Tuscany today. The 2016 picks up where the 2015 left off. A rush of inky dark fruit, lavender, spice, licorice, gravel, blueberry and menthol builds as the 2016 shows off its exceptional balance and pedigree. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2016 needs a few years in bottle to fully come together. Even so, the 2016 has been nothing less than spectacular on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. In a word: monumental.