Castello di Ama VINSANTO Tuscany

Woody, chesnut nose vanilla and ripe berry fruit. Light and refreshing. Pleasant character. Leather notes. VINEYARD CHARACTERISTICS The estate operates 90 hectares of specialized vineyards at altitudes ranging from the 390 of Vigneto Bertinga to the 530 meters of Vigneto Bellavista. The soil is clayey-calcareous and rich in crumbled stone. Fifty-five hectares are entered on the Chianti Classico DOCG register. The vineyard, with a plant density of 3,000 vines per hectare, was planted between 1964 and 1978. The main training systems are Guyot, used on 56 hectares, and the so-called ''Lira Aperta'' , present on the remaining 25 hectares. The grown grape varieties, which are all grafted on to 420 A and Kober 5BB, are: Sangiovese 80%, Canaiolo 8%, Malvasia Nera and Merlot 12%. VINIFICATION The 190 tons of grapes were harvested between the 9th and the 15th of October. The grapes, carefully selected, were crushed and destemmed. Fermentation proceeded regularly in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks between 30º and 33ºC . Frequent delicate pumpings-over during the entire fermentation process and extended maceration of 25 days. After the primary fermentation, 800 hectolitres of wine were drawn off mainly in French oak barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation. AGEING The wine was blended and then aged in French oak barrels, of which 30% were new and the rest one to three years old. The wine was then bottled during the month of April as follows: 13,300 halves-bottles, 97,600 standard bottles, 1,000 magnums, 100 double magnums. (6 x 75 cl)

Woody chesnut nose, vanilla and ripe black fruit. Light and refreshing. Pleasant character. Leather notes (6 x 37.5 cl)

Voted Winery of the Year 2005 by the Gambero Rosso, Ama’s history goes back to 1972 when four Roman families united to purchase the Ama estate with the goal of restoring it to the splendour of its 18th century heyday. New cellars were built, new plantings began with experimentation into non-indigenous varietals, and new methods of viticulture were pursued while in 1982. Marco Pallanti was introduced as winemaker. In 1984 Castello di Ama decided to increase the area devoted to chardonnay, and planted 4 more hectares in the area known as 'Poggio.' The grapes, were hand-picked with 60% fermented in stainless steel tanks and the rest in oak barrels. This has produced an interesting blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Malvasia showing apple, peach and honey character. Medium-bodied, with a creamy texture and a long finish this is a wine to enjoy. (6 x 75 cl)

Voted Winery of the Year 2005 by the Gambero Rosso, Ama’s history goes back to 1972 when four Roman families united to purchase the Ama estate with the goal of restoring it to the splendour of its 18th century heyday. New cellars were built, new plantings began with experimentation into non-indigenous varietals, and new methods of viticulture were pursued while in 1982. Marco Pallanti was introduced as winemaker. In 1984 Castello di Ama decided to increase the area devoted to chardonnay, and planted 4 more hectares in the area known as 'Poggio.' The grapes, were hand-picked with 60% fermented in stainless steel tanks and the rest in oak barrels. This has produced an interesting blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Malvasia showing apple, peach and honey character. Medium-bodied, with a creamy texture and a long finish this is a wine to enjoy. Available in 37.5 cl Half Bottles. (6 x 37.5 cl)

Voted Winery of the Year 2005 by the Gambero Rosso, Ama’s history goes back to 1972 when four Roman families united to purchase the Ama estate with the goal of restoring it to the splendour of its 18th century heyday. New cellars were built, new plantings began with experimentation into non-indigenous varietals, and new methods of viticulture were pursued while in 1982. Marco Pallanti was introduced as winemaker. In 1984 Castello di Ama decided to increase the area devoted to chardonnay, and planted 4 more hectares in the area known as 'Poggio.' The grapes, were hand-picked with 60% fermented in stainless steel tanks and the rest in oak barrels. This has produced an interesting blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Malvasia showing an intense nose of honey and toasted nuts. The palate is loaded with rich stone fruits and a lovely creamy mouthfeel with a long finish. (6 x 75 cl)

Voted Winery of the Year 2005 by the Gambero Rosso, Ama’s history goes back to 1972 when four Roman families united to purchase the Ama estate with the goal of restoring it to the splendour of its 18th century heyday. New cellars were built, new plantings began with experimentation into non-indigenous varietals, and new methods of viticulture were pursued while in 1982 Marco Pallanti was introduced as winemaker. The Apparita vineyard is formed by several small parcels situated at the upper end of the Vigneto Bellavista vineyard. The area amounts to only 3.844 hectares and therefore production is strictly limited. This wine is a blend of Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca grapes planted in 1975 as well as a Merlot clone regrafted to the rootstocks in 1982-1985. The vines are trained in the open lyre system and the soils are particularly rich in clay. Both factors make this small cru a jewel of world enology. Once malolactic fermentation had been completed, the wine was racked and assembled, then returned to the barrels. Maturation in wood, during which the wine was periodically tasted, lasted about 12 months, finally, the wine was then bottled. 'Beautiful nose of chocolate, cappuccino and berries. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a fruity finish. Refined and well done.' (6 x 75 cl)

The terroir that yields Castello di Ama’s Rose is the same that yields its Chianti Classico. These vineyards were planted between 1964 and 1978, trained partly to vertical trellis and partly to Open Lyre. The wine, 90% sangiovese and 10% canaiolo, gains its considerable body from bleeding-off lots that will produce Chianti Classico; for this reason, the resulting wine is closer to a young red wine than to a white. Excellent structure and good holding potential over time are its principal qualities. But its fresh approachability, a hallmark of wines from fully ripe sangiovese, and the lushness of its fragrances combine to ensure that this rosato can be appreciated right from its first months in the bottle. (6 x 75 cl)

Castello di Ama L'APPARITA Toscana from Italy, Tuscany by Castello di Ama (12 x 75 cl)

Castello di Ama L'APPARITA Toscana from Italy, Tuscany by Castello di Ama (1 x 75 cl)