Castello dei Rampolla Chianti Classico 2017

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Luca di Napoli visited Wine Decoded HQ in Feb 2020 to share a little wisdom, the history of Castello dei Rampolla and a delicious suite of vino. Enjoy the 🎧 podcast below! 🎥 Video coming soon!

There is plenty to like in these new releases from Castello dei Rampolla. Two thousand seventeen was a rough year. Frost in May, hail in August, and hot, dry conditions during the rest of the season had the cumulative effect of reducing the crop by 50%. Rampolla releases their top wines later than most so the current vintage for the dual flagships Sammarco and d’Alceo is 2015. Both wines are incredibly pure and nuanced. Readers will find an unusually open Sammarco in 2015 because of higher percentage of Merlot than has been the norm here. Sustainable farming, minimal intervention in the cellar and great dirt result in some of the most compelling wines of Tuscany, and the world, for that matter. Antonio Galloni

Chianti Classico embodies the intensity and freshness of our territory. The austere elegance of Sangiovese is enhanced by the addition of variable percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The result is a wine, which is fresh, but also intense, fruity, full bodied and balanced. It has a good acidity and a lingering taste.

Ageing:

8 months: concrete tanks
12 months: oak barrels 12 HL
no toast / medium toast
6 months: bottle

About Castello dei Rampolla

Historical Perspective by Antonio Galloni:

The di Napoli family has owned Rampolla since 1739. Alceo di Napoli inherited the estate in 1965. At the time, Rampolla was essentially a summer residence. Wheat, olive trees and other mixed crops were cultivated, but there were no vineyards. “Alceo di Napoli was a man of extraordinary humility,” Piero Antinori told me recently. “He loved the land. After seeing the potential of the vineyards, we helped him get started and bought some of the first grapes off the property. We were very close in the early days.”

In 1975, Rampolla began making and bottling their own wines under the guidance of legendary oenologist Giacomo Tachis, whose influence is still widely felt. Tragically, Alceo di Napoli passed away unexpectedly in 1991. Di Napoli’s second son, Luca, returned to the estate in 1994 and today manages the property alongside his sister, Maurizia.

Note the concrete vats in the background in the last part of the video.

Where in the World is Castello dei Rampolla?

Castello dei Rampolla is located in Panzano’s famous Conca d’Oro or ‘golden basin” district, an amphitheater of striking, pristine hillside vineyards. Rampolla’s neighbors include Fontodi, Cafaggio, La Massa, L’Orcio, Le Cinciole and Gagliole’s Valletta estate. The map below, prepared exclusively for Vinous by renowned cartographer Alessandro Masnaghetti, provides an overview of the area. The vineyards of Panzano, technically a sub-zone of Greve, are all shown in blue. Rampolla’s vineyards are highlighted in orange. The three strips at the northwest corner of the property are the three d’Alceo terraces. Note that Rampolla directly faces Fontodi across the valley.