About this wine
Castell'in Villa's flagship 'Super Tuscan,' Santacroce is a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, aged around 18 months in 225-liter Bordeaux barriques. Because the blend falls outside DOCG rules, it is classified as Toscana IGT. Expect a dense, multi-layered wine with dark berry fruit, pine, tobacco, licorice, and firm, grippy tannins — built for long aging, with library releases from the 1990s still showing well decades later.
Bolder and more international in style than the estate's Sangiovese-based wines — a good bridge for Cabernet lovers.
Sommelier's Note
"Proof that Castell'in Villa's discipline works with Cabernet too — Santacroce ages as gracefully as any classified growth from Bordeaux."
Food Pairings
A powerful, Bordeaux-leaning red that suits grilled ribeye, wild boar stew, and rich braised dishes with dark sauces.
When to drink it
Steak dinners, cellar aging, gifting to Bordeaux-style wine lovers
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese
- Style
- Red
- Alcohol
- 14%
- Price Range
- $70-90 (750ml, US retail)
Terroir & Winemaking
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Sangiovese, both estate-grown. Aged approximately 18 months in 225-liter French oak barriques. Classified as Toscana IGT rather than Chianti Classico DOCG because the blend falls outside the appellation's varietal rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is Santacroce not labeled Chianti Classico?
- Its 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese blend falls outside the varietal rules for Chianti Classico DOCG, so it is classified as Toscana IGT — the same category used for many 'Super Tuscan' wines.
- How long can Santacroce be cellared?
- Very long — library releases from the 1990s and early 2000s continue to drink well decades after vintage, reflecting the estate's traditional, structure-forward winemaking.
- What food pairs best with Santacroce?
- Rich, protein-forward dishes like grilled ribeye, wild boar stew, or braised beef in dark sauce match its concentrated fruit and firm tannin.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
キャンティ・クラシコ
Chianti Classico
RedSangiovese
Castell'in Villa's entry-level Chianti Classico is 100% estate-grown Sangiovese from Castelnuovo Berardenga, at the southern edge of the Chianti Classico zone. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel with roughly two weeks of skin contact, it is then aged for about two years in large traditional Slavonian oak botti before bottling, unfined and unfiltered. It shows the estate's uncompromising, old-school approach even at the base tier: bright acidity, firm tannins, and real ageability rather than a soft, modernized style.
キャンティ・クラシコ・リゼルヴァ
Chianti Classico Riserva
RedSangiovese
Made entirely from Sangiovese sourced from Castell'in Villa's best vineyard blocks, the Riserva is aged for 24-36 months in large Slavonian oak casks before release — considerably longer than most peers. The result is a concentrated, structured wine with ripe black cherry fruit, dried herbs, leather, and earthy spice, built for a decade or more of further cellaring.
キャンティ・クラシコ・リゼルヴァ・イン
Chianti Classico Riserva 'IN'
RedSangiovese
Named after 'IN,' the estate's symbol, Riserva 'IN' is Castell'in Villa's highest expression of Sangiovese — produced as a distinct, separately bottled selection only in the best vintages, on top of the estate's standard Riserva. It is sourced from the finest lots and receives the estate's full traditional treatment: long maceration and extended aging in large Slavonian oak, resulting in a wine of exceptional depth, spice, and longevity that has drawn strong scores from critics such as Vinous and James Suckling.
キャンティ・クラシコ・リゼルヴァ・ポッジョ・デッレ・ローゼ
Chianti Classico Riserva Poggio delle Rose
RedSangiovese
A single-vineyard Chianti Classico Riserva from the Poggio delle Rose cru, planted in 1990 with a clonal selection taken from Castell'in Villa's original vineyards; the first commercial release followed in 1996. Unlike the estate's other reds, which favor large traditional oak, Poggio delle Rose is aged in new French oak barriques for over 18 months, giving it a slightly more polished, structured profile while retaining the estate's hallmark tension and ageability.
ラ・ガッザーラ
La Gazzara
RoséSangiovese
Named after the medieval hamlet and convent on the Castell'in Villa estate, La Gazzara is a 100% Sangiovese rosé from Toscana IGT. Rather than a light, easy-quaffing summer rosé, it is built more like a delicate red: notes of red currant, rose petal, cherry, and unripe strawberry, with herbal hints and a long, dry, fresh finish.
ヴィン・サント・デル・キャンティ・クラシコ
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico
dessertWhiteTrebbiano · Malvasia
A traditional Tuscan Vin Santo made in very limited quantities. Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes are hand-picked and dried on straw mats in a high loft before pressing, then the wine ages a minimum of fifteen years in small oak caratelli with a 'mother' inherited from generations past — one of the longest Vin Santo aging regimes in Italy. The result is a rich, medium-dry wine with dried fruit, honey, spice, and toasted nut character, balanced by remarkable freshness and length.