2003 I Sodi di San Niccolò

Proprietor Paolo Panerai is adamant about it. Sangioveto is the correct name and spelling of Tuscany's main indigenous red variety. Panerai is one of Italy's most successful entrepreneurs. His publishing empire is vast and encompasses a number of journals running the gamut from Milano Finanza, an Italian version of Barrons, to Class and other glossy lifestyle magazines. Since the late 1970s, Panerai has owned Castellare, one of the jewels of Chianti Classico. Castellare isn't as well known as the trendiest estates in Tuscany, but the wines rarely fail to impress, especially over the last few years, which have seen a marked increase in quality throughout the range, especially among the entry-level bottlings. Quality has never been an issue with the flagship I Sodi di San Niccolò, one of the true icons of Chianti Classico that remains under the radar. Fortunately for consumers, prices have yet to catch up with quality. Sodi is 85% Sangioveto and 15% Malvasia Nera from a vineyard in the heart of the estate, where the bunches are typically loose and naturally low in vigor. Today Sodi is fermented in stainless steel, then racked into concrete for the malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged between 15 to 24 months in French oak barrels, roughly 50% new. Consulting oenologist Maurizio Castelli made the first vintages. Current winemaker Alessandro Cellai arrived in 1997. Readers who want to learn more about Castellare and I Sodi di San Niccolò may want to take a look at my recent video interview with Cellai. Castellare I Sodi di San Niccolò Key Points: 1.     85% Sangioveto/15% Malvasia Nera aged in French oak barrels 2.     Made from a low-vigor vineyard in the heart of the property in Castellina 3.     Impeccable track record of consistency and excellence 4.     Aging potential: 20-30 years

For some reason Castellare seems to fly beneath most people's radar screens, but the wines are often outstanding, particularly in the case of the estate's top wine, I Sodi di San Niccolò, a 100% Sangioveto (Sangiovese) which in top vintages is capable of two decades of aging.

Don't make the mistake of calling it sangiovese here: owner Paolo Panerai proudly refers to the variety as "sangioveto," its ancient name, in an effort to differentiate it from other lesser sangiovese sub-varieties such as the one grown in Emilia-Romagna. Besides their sangioveto, this estate can count on the malvasia nera vineyard of S. Niccolo, with grapes of such high quality that even back in the early '80s it was necessary to include them in their Sodi di S. Niccolo Super-Tuscan. Few people know that if Castellare has always believed in the native Italian varieties and specific vineyard denominations, much of this is due to Emile Peynaud, who visited here often and spurred Panerai to a better understanding of sangiovese by starting an experimental vineyard of many different clones. "I remember Peynaud saying that in France they had been studying cabernet and merlot for hundreds of years, while we didn't know anything about our main variety," Panerai told me. "So that got me thinking. He was right, of course." Also recommended: Vin Santo del Chianti Classico (87).