2009 L'Apparita

These new releases from Castello di Ama are spectacular. I tasted the wines twice, once at the property and a second time a few weeks later in New York, where I was able to follow them over time. The 2021s here are truly special wines that will thrill those lucky enough to own them for many years to come.

Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti presented a stellar set of new releases. Ama bottled all of their flagship wines in 2020, but readers should be aware these are some of the most reticent wines of the year. Patience is essential. That should not be much of an issue, as the Ama flagships all boast super track records when it comes to aging. In recent years, the wines have acquired an extra touch of finesse that is palpable.

This set of new releases from Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti is the most impressive I have ever tasted here. The wines are strong across the board, while the 2019 flagship wines - La Casuccia, Bellavista and L'Apparita - are off the charts great. Pallanti has long coaxed notable intensity from these vineyards, but the 2019s add dimensions of freshness and energy that are simply breathtaking. I tasted these wines a few weeks later in my home in New York, far away from the bucolic setting of Ama, and was equally blown away.

Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti showed me a brilliant set of new releases during my most recent visit. The Ama wines are often showy when young, but they only reveal their true potential after a number of years in bottle. These are quite simply some of the most singular expressions of Chianti Classico readers will find. I was especially struck by the sublime magnificent 100% Merlot L'Apparita.

It’s always a pleasure to taste the Castello di Ama wines, even if the range is a bit smaller this year. Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti have decided to give their San Lorenzo Gran Selezione more time in bottle before release, which does not surprise me given the personality of the year. There will be no Bellavista or La Casuccia in 2017, as Sebasti and Pallante did not feel the wines met their exacting standards. Although the Ama wines are quite plush and opulent, they really only blossom with time in the bottle, something I have been fortunate to witness on many occasions.

These new releases from Castello di Ama are exceptional. A memorable edition of the flagship 100% Merlot L'Apparita caps things off in grand style. The 2017 growing season was marked by very hot temperatures in May and June, followed by rain at the end of June and into July. The compact harvest produced small, light bunches with very little juice. Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti found the conditions too challenging to bottle their flaship Bellavista and La Casuccia crus, so for 2017 the reds that will be released are the Ama and San Lorenzo Chianti Classicos, Haiku and L'Apparita. The much more benign and picture-perfect 2016 growing season produced some of the most majestic, viscerally thrilling wines I have ever tasted here. Don't miss them!

Lorenza Sebaste and Marco Pallanti turned out a brilliant set of wines in 2015. No doubt Ama's high altitude helped preserve a measure of freshness in the wines. The three flagship reds - La Casuccia, Bellavista and L'Apparita - are all stellar and well worth considering. Pallanti describes 2015 as having similarities with the years of the 1990s, especially in the timing of the harvest, which took place between late September and early October. The high quality crop created the conditions for Ama to bottle all of their top selections. The Ama wines are often alluring when young, but they also have a track record of aging exceptionally well. If I have one quibble here, it is the use of the Gran Selezione denomination for the San Lorenzo, which creates a range with three Gran Seleziones of very different prices, a less than ideal situation for consumers trying to understand where wines fit in a qualitative hierarchy. As for the wines themselves, they are stellar, especially at the top of the range.

These new releases from Castello di Ama will give readers a very good idea of what to expect in coming years. The 2016 Il Chiuso is all finesse, the 2015 Chianti Classico Ama is bold and racy, and the 2014s make the best of a very challenging vintage in which Ama did not bottle their flagship La Casuccia and Bellavista Chianti Classicos. Above all else though, what I most appreciate about Ama is the way the wines age. The Vinous database contains several retrospectives of the estate’s wines, including a recent vertical of the flagship Merlot L’Apparita. Although the Ama wines are not inexpensive, they consistently deliver the goods.

This is a stunning set of wines from Castello di Ama. After deciding not to bottle their top selections in 2012, proprietors Marco and Lorenza Pallanti are back big time with a fabulous set of 2013 reds. It's hard to know where to start, as there are a number of wines that merit serious attention. The 100% Merlot L'Apparita is sublime. As always, the Casuccia is the more refined of the estate's top two Chianti Classicos, while the Bellavista, which is done with 15% Malvasia Nera, is the most structured and tannic of the wines. Readers who can find the 2013s should not hesitate, as they are sublime.

Unfortunately, vintage 2012 will be remembered with a great deal of sadness at Ama. The late season rains could not have come at a worse time given where the vines were in their development. As a result, proprietor Marco Pallanti made the difficult decision to skip the entire vintage. That's right, Ama will not bottle a single drop of red wine in 2012. Ama's struggle with 2012 is a perfect example of how irregular this vintage has turned out to be. Some estates were given the conditions to make great wines; others were not. Pallanti describes 2013 as a year with a cool, rainy spring, very hot summer and then cool temperatures at the end of the season that brought harvest times back within normal timeframes.

Castello di Ama is one of Tuscany's most heralded properties. Even though the Ama has been at the top for many years, the estate appears to prefer keeping a low profile, as don't see too much discussion of the estate among consumers, which is a shame. Over the years, owners Lorenza and Marco Pallanti have crafted some of the most riveting wines in Tuscany. As always, the Ama house style melds together a deep, textured expression of fruit and the bright acidity that is typical of these high altitude, hillside vineyards. The wines need time in bottle to blossom, but when they do, they are often magnificent. Ama is among the growers using the Gran Selezione designation for their top wines, but that is not surprising given Lorenza and Marco Pallanti's tireless dedication to the appellation.

Marco and Lorenza Pallanti have risked everything in their pursuit of excellence. A recent vertical of Ama's Merlot L'Apparita made that once again abundantly clear. Over the years, I have had the good fortune to taste almost every wine made at this pristine, hillside estate in Gaiole. Simply put, there are only a few estates in Italy at this level. Readers will note the addition of a new wine, the Chianti Classico Riserva that may become a Gran Selezione (see the introduction to this article for more information), as well as the Haiku, which is now in its second vintage. For more on Ama's flagship Chianti Classico Bellavista, readers may want to take a look at this vertical tasting from our Archive.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

This is a fabulous set of wines from Lorenza and Marco Pallanti. In addition to these wines, I also tasted the full range of 2010 and 2011s, two vintages that are shaping up beautifully at Ama. The single-vineyard Chianti Classicos return to the fray in 2011, the first vintage produced after 2007. The 2011s are full of promise although they naturally reflect the more exuberant quality of the year vis-à-vis the cool, structured 2010s. I also retasted Ama's 2008s, two wines that have improved markedly since I reviewed them last year. Pallanti describes 2008 as a good vintage up until September, when rain became problematic. Castello di Ama fans will want to check out my vertical of the Chianti Classico Bellavista, also in this issue. Lastly, let me add that any readers still holding the 2002 Chianti Classico (a year in which the single- vineyard wines weren't made) are in for a very pleasant surprise.

This is a fabulous set of wines from Lorenza and Marco Pallanti. In addition to these wines, I also tasted the full range of 2010 and 2011s, two vintages that are shaping up beautifully at Ama. The single-vineyard Chianti Classicos return to the fray in 2011, the first vintage produced after 2007. The 2011s are full of promise although they naturally reflect the more exuberant quality of the year vis-à-vis the cool, structured 2010s. I also retasted Ama's 2008s, two wines that have improved markedly since I reviewed them last year. Pallanti describes 2008 as a good vintage up until September, when rain became problematic. Castello di Ama fans will want to check out my vertical of the Chianti Classico Bellavista, also in this issue. Lastly, let me add that any readers still holding the 2002 Chianti Classico (a year in which the single- vineyard wines weren't made) are in for a very pleasant surprise.

Castello di Ama is one of the properties that suffered the most in 2008. Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti decided against bottling their single-vineyard Chiantis, and used all of their best fruit for the Castello di Ama bottling.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

Castello di Ama remains a reference-point producer in Tuscany. My visit to the property last year culminated with the stunning 1988 Apparita, still in great shape after all these years. The house style seeks a rich, bold expression of fruit that requires significant bottle aging to reach its apogee, even if the wines can be very showy when young. Make no mistake about it, these are some the most pedigreed wines being made anywhere.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

I am not sure I possess the vocabulary to do these majestic wines ( the reds in particular ( justice. Simply put, Castello di Ama's 2006s are spectacular and every bit as magnificent as they were when I tasted them late that year. Simply put, this is a profound set of new releases from Marco and Lorenza Pallanti. Sadly, few readers are likely to have an opportunity to experience the top wines, as pricing is way up in the stratosphere.

Proprietor Marco Pallanti describes 2005 as a year in which late season rains caused all sorts of issues. Ama did not bottle their flagship Chianti Classicos Bellavista and La Casuccia. The two wines that were made show what was possible with a total obsession with quality.

I am not sure I possess the vocabulary to do these majestic wines ( the reds in particular ( justice. Simply put, Castello di Ama's 2006s are spectacular and every bit as magnificent as they were when I tasted them late that year. Simply put, this is a profound set of new releases from Marco and Lorenza Pallanti. Sadly, few readers are likely to have an opportunity to experience the top wines, as pricing is way up in the stratosphere.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

Winemaker Marco Pallanti feels that the 2004s are the best wines he has made in some time, though fans of this estate know that Castello di Ama shows an uncanny and widely recognized Latour-like ability to excel in difficult vintages. Marco himself isn't sure of why this might be, though ruthless selection and high quality standards tell part of the story: 200,000 bottles of Chianti were made in '04 but only 70,000 in '03. The Apparita '03 is right up there with the best merlots Italy has ever produced.

No single producer has done more to promote an upscale image for Chianti Classico than Marco Pallanti and Castello di Ama. While the vast majority of estates market their top selections under the more fashionable IGT designation Ama continues to label their top bottlings as Chianti Classico. Perhaps for that reason Pallanti was recently elected as President for the Consorzio del Chianti Classico. Highly respected as well as admired by his colleagues, Pallanti appears to be the perfect choice to move the Consorzio forward. Castello di Ama's style could be synthesized as relying on low yields from old vineyards planted at high altitudes. The soil types range from those that are richer in clay, to those that feature a higher content of gravel and pebbles. The estate releases three Chianti Classicos. The normal bottling is typically one of the best wines in the region. In top vintages the single-vineyard Chianti Classicos La Casuccia and Bellavista are also produced. When vintages are deemed to be good enough to produce the selections the fruit from those plots is added to the normal Chianti Classico, as was the case in both 2002 and 2003. La Casuccia is divided into 17 parcels planted at 480 to 526 meters, with soils that are mostly composed of clay and limestone. The wine is a blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot, which gives the wine its characteristic round, supple character. At Bellavista the vines are planted at similar altitudes ranging from 456 to 530 meters, but the soils are a combination of clay and rocks. Ama's Chianti Classico Bellavista contains 20% Malvasia Nera in the blend, which gives the wine much of its structure. Ama also produces the distinctive single-vineyard Merlot, L'Apparita, from the upper portion of the Bellavista vineyard.

Winemaker Marco Pallanti feels that the 2004s are the best wines he has made in some time, though fans of this estate know that Castello di Ama shows an uncanny and widely recognized Latour-like ability to excel in difficult vintages. Marco himself isn't sure of why this might be, though ruthless selection and high quality standards tell part of the story: 200,000 bottles of Chianti were made in '04 but only 70,000 in '03. The Apparita '03 is right up there with the best merlots Italy has ever produced.

No single producer has done more to promote an upscale image for Chianti Classico than Marco Pallanti and Castello di Ama. While the vast majority of estates market their top selections under the more fashionable IGT designation Ama continues to label their top bottlings as Chianti Classico. Perhaps for that reason Pallanti was recently elected as President for the Consorzio del Chianti Classico. Highly respected as well as admired by his colleagues, Pallanti appears to be the perfect choice to move the Consorzio forward. Castello di Ama's style could be synthesized as relying on low yields from old vineyards planted at high altitudes. The soil types range from those that are richer in clay, to those that feature a higher content of gravel and pebbles. The estate releases three Chianti Classicos. The normal bottling is typically one of the best wines in the region. In top vintages the single-vineyard Chianti Classicos La Casuccia and Bellavista are also produced. When vintages are deemed to be good enough to produce the selections the fruit from those plots is added to the normal Chianti Classico, as was the case in both 2002 and 2003. La Casuccia is divided into 17 parcels planted at 480 to 526 meters, with soils that are mostly composed of clay and limestone. The wine is a blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot, which gives the wine its characteristic round, supple character. At Bellavista the vines are planted at similar altitudes ranging from 456 to 530 meters, but the soils are a combination of clay and rocks. Ama's Chianti Classico Bellavista contains 20% Malvasia Nera in the blend, which gives the wine much of its structure. Ama also produces the distinctive single-vineyard Merlot, L'Apparita, from the upper portion of the Bellavista vineyard.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.

I have been lucky to have had many fabulous tastings at Castello di Ama over the years, but this was one of the most remarkable. L'Apparita, a 100% Merlot from high-altitude vineyards in Gaiole, gets less attention than some of its peers, but it is right up there with the very finest wines, not just of Italy, but of the world. Of course, tasting wines with perfect provenance is always a privilege and helps remove any variability that can result from less than perfect storage. Proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebaste are true visionaries. An approach built on painstaking attention to detail, along with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a willingness to take risks places them among the world's elite producers. Even from the very first vintages, the Castello di Ama have been stunning. Best of all, the Castello di Ama wines age extraordinarily well. This survey of fourteen vintages of L'Apparita shows that the Pallantis' intuition to graft Merlot onto existing Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca rootstocks in 1982 and 1985 was spot on. One of the most fascinating aspects of vertical tastings is the ability to chart the development of a wine over several decades. The Merlot at Ama is usually harvested around the middle of September. Fermentations last between three to four weeks. In its first vintages, L'Apparita was aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels, as was the custom for high-end wines in the mid 1980's. Since 2004, new oak has been around 50%, while time in barrel has progressively increased from about 12 months in the 1980s and 1990s to 18 months today. Toast levels have also generally come down. Where to start with this tasting that traces L'Apparita all the way back to the inaugural 1985? I love the 2004 and 2006, two wines that capture the personalities of those vintages; the 2004 silky and polished, the 2006 a total powerhouse. I also admire the 1997, a wine that remains incredibly youthful and primary. Today, it is drop-dead gorgeous. A trio of wines from the early 1990s is stellar. The 1992 is pure refinement, while the 1991 is the product of a very late harvest that stretched into October, and the 1990 an exotic wine from a legendary vintage that more than lives up to its reputation.