Castello di Ama Chianti Classico
カステッロ・ディ・アマ キャンティ・クラッシコ
Castello di Ama
Sangiovese · Merlot
About this wine
Simply labelled "Ama," this is Castello di Ama's entry-level Chianti Classico, made from a blend of roughly 96% Sangiovese and 4% Merlot sourced largely from the estate's younger vines. Fermentation and malolactic fermentation take place separately in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts, and the wine is aged around 12 months in second-passage French oak barriques before blending and bottling. It offers a fragrant, fruit-driven expression of cherry, raspberry, and fresh red fruit with polished tannins and lively acidity — the most accessible expression of the estate's Sangiovese character.
The easiest and most affordable way into Castello di Ama's style — bright, fruity, and food-friendly without heavy tannins.
Sommelier's Note
"This is Castello di Ama without the fireworks — but it still shows the estate's hallmark elegance, proving great Chianti Classico doesn't need a cru vineyard to over-deliver."
Food Pairings
Versatile at the table: grilled sausages, tomato-based pasta, margherita pizza, and simple roasted chicken all work well.
When to drink it
Everyday dinners, casual gatherings with friends, and a reliable introduction to Chianti Classico.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Sangiovese, Merlot
- Style
- Red
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
- Price Range
- ¥4,500-6,500 (reference estimate; typically the most affordable bottling in the estate's range)
Terroir & Winemaking
Approximately 96% Sangiovese and 4% Merlot, fermented separately in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts, malolactic fermentation in stainless steel, then aged about 12 months in second-passage French oak barriques before blending and bottling as Chianti Classico DOCG.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Castello di Ama's "Ama" Chianti Classico the estate's basic bottling?
- Yes, it is the entry-level Chianti Classico in the range, made primarily from younger vines, positioned below the Gran Selezione crus (San Lorenzo, Bellavista, La Casuccia).
- What is the grape composition of Ama Chianti Classico?
- Approximately 96% Sangiovese and 4% Merlot.
- Is Ama Chianti Classico good for everyday drinking?
- Yes — its bright red-fruit character, polished tannins, and food-friendly acidity make it well suited to casual meals, unlike the more structured, age-worthy Gran Selezione wines.
- What food goes well with Ama Chianti Classico?
- Its versatility works with grilled sausages, tomato-sauced pasta, pizza, and simple roasted or grilled chicken.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
カステッロ・ディ・アマ キャンティ・クラッシコ・グラン・セレツィオーネ サン・ロレンツォ
Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo
RedSangiovese · Merlot · Malvasia Nera
Castello di Ama San Lorenzo is a prestigious Gran Selezione from the heart of Gaiole in Chianti. Sourced from the estate's historic vineyards—Bellavista, Casuccia, San Lorenzo, and Montebuoni—this wine is a masterful expression of Sangiovese blended with small amounts of Merlot and Malvasia Nera. It is renowned for its remarkable finesse, elegance, and intensity, offering a complex aromatic profile of black cherries, violets, tobacco, and subtle mineral nuances. With firm yet silky tannins and vibrant acidity, it embodies the unique terroir of the San Lorenzo valley, delivering a long, balanced, and age-worthy finish that stands as a benchmark for contemporary Chianti Classico.
カステッロ・ディ・アマ キャンティ・クラッシコ・グラン・セレツィオーネ ヴィニェート・ベッラヴィスタ
Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista
RedSangiovese · Malvasia Nera
Vigneto Bellavista is a single-vineyard Gran Selezione from the 22.5-hectare Bellavista site, which faces south/south-west at 427-515 metres above sea level on pebbly, clay-and-chalk soil. The blend of roughly 80% Sangiovese and 20% Malvasia Nera is bottled only in the finest vintages, with annual production limited to about 5,000-6,000 bottles. Expect a dense, structured wine marked by graphite, crushed rock, lavender, and dark-toned fruit, with firm, powerful tannins that reward extended cellaring.
カステッロ・ディ・アマ キャンティ・クラッシコ・グラン・セレツィオーネ ヴィニェート・ラ・カズッチャ
Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto La Casuccia
RedSangiovese · Merlot
Vigneto La Casuccia is a single-vineyard Gran Selezione grown on clay-limestone soils at roughly 469-495 metres altitude, blending about 80% Sangiovese with 20% Merlot. It is produced only in the best vintages, in extremely limited quantities of around 5,000-7,000 bottles. The wine is intense and profound, layered with red berry fruit, tobacco, liquorice, and mint, showing crushed rose petal and blackcurrant character with silky, enveloping tannins — energetic in youth and built to gain complexity with age.
カステッロ・ディ・アマ ハイク
Castello di Ama Haiku
RedSangiovese · Cabernet Franc · Merlot
Haiku, first produced with the 2016 vintage, was created by winemaker Marco Palanty as an expression of Ama's terroir unbound by Chianti Classico's blending rules — named for the Japanese poetry form he admires for saying so much in so few words. The blend of roughly 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 25% Merlot comes from hillside vineyards between 420 and 500 metres on clay-limestone soils, fermented separately by variety with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel, then aged about 12 months in barriques (around 24% new). The result is an inky, richly fruited Toscana IGT with dark fruit, spice, and iron-tinged minerality.
カステッロ・ディ・アマ ラッパリータ
Castello di Ama L'Apparita
RedMerlot
L'Apparita is widely regarded as the wine that pioneered pure Merlot in Chianti Classico, first produced in the historic 1985 vintage from Clone 342 vines planted in 1982 at the top of the Bellavista vineyard, 490 metres above sea level, on calcareous clay soils. Fermentation relies on indigenous yeasts with a 28-day maceration, malolactic fermentation takes place in tank, and the wine is aged around 18 months in French oak barriques (roughly 50% new). Annual production is limited to about 11,400 bottles. Critics have repeatedly ranked it among the world's finest Merlots, at times outscoring top Pomerol estates in blind tastings.
カステッロ・ディ・アマ パープル・ローズ
Castello di Ama Purple Rose
RoséSangiovese · Merlot
Castello di Ama has produced a rosé since 1982, and Purple Rose — launched with the 2017 vintage — is its modern incarnation: a deep, structured rosato made mainly from Sangiovese with a small addition of Merlot, obtained by bleeding (saignée) the best red-wine vats after about 12 hours of skin contact. Roughly 30% of the must is fermented in second-passage oak barriques and the rest in stainless steel, giving the wine unusual depth and ageability for a rosé. The result is an intensely coloured cherry-pink wine with ripe cherry and wild strawberry aromas and a firm, food-friendly grip of tannin.