Robert Parker, tasting note published in September 6th 2019
Apparita 2016 is an exceptional wine. A true symbol of the vintage, it has the classic lines and extreme precision one would expect from 2016, with the fat, ripe generosity of the Merlot grape (when grown in the right hands, of course). The wine is deep, rich and wonderfully concentrated, with power but no residual weight. I returned to this specimen several times in the 12 hours after opening the cork, and the wine just got better and better. It now offers a deep sense of Merlot beauty, harmony and purity, and should evolve slowly and gently over the next few years.
L’Apparita, the first purebred Merlot produced in Tuscany, has been an iconic wine since its first vintage in 1985.
Two parcels at the top of the Bellavista vineyard make up the L’Apparita cru.
The vines were first planted in 1975 with Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca, and replanted in 1982 with Merlot, using clone no. 342.
The open trellis system and the predominantly clay soil make this wine a jewel of world viticulture. Since the first harvest, this wine has retained its unique expression, in which the distinctive characteristics of Merlot are enhanced by the Ama terroir.
VINIFICATION
Vinification began with ambient yeast, in steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 30/33°, with manual pumping over and a total vatting time of 28 days. After the first racking, the wine was transferred to steel tanks for malolactic fermentation.
REFINING
After malolactic fermentation, the wine was transferred to fine-grained oak barrels, 50% of which were new and the rest second-pass barrels, for approximately 14 months.
Allergens information
Contains sulphites.
SKU: 106729
Castello di Ama
Castello di Ama is located 12 kilometres north-east of Siena, on the hills of Gaiole. This is the heart of Chianti Classico, a bucolic rolling landscape of woods, vineyards and olive groves. The estate is owned and managed by husband and wife team, Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebasti. Over the last quarter century, they have replanted all the vineyards and improved all the winemaking capabilities to make this estate one of the most important producers in Tuscany.
Address
ASTELLO DI AMA
LOCALITÀ AMA
53013 – GAIOLE IN CHIANTI (SIENA)
