Castello di Ama Haiku
カステッロ・ディ・アマ ハイク
Castello di Ama
Sangiovese · Cabernet Franc · Merlot
About this wine
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.
A rich, full-bodied introduction to Castello di Ama's international-variety side, more immediately fruit-forward than the Gran Selezione crus.
Sommelier's Note
"Haiku says as much as a Gran Selezione in far fewer words — dense and fruit-driven, it's the most immediately seductive red in Castello di Ama's range."
Food Pairings
Excellent with grilled red meats (Florentine steak, roast beef), pappardelle with wild boar ragù, baked lasagna, and mature cheeses.
When to drink it
Dinner parties centred on grilled meat or hearty pasta, and gifts for fans of modern Super Tuscan blends.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
- Style
- Red
- Alcohol
- 14%
- Price Range
- ¥12,000-16,000 (reference estimate converted from overseas market averages around US$70-80 ex-tax)
Terroir & Winemaking
Approximately 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 25% Merlot from hillside vineyards at 420-500m on clay-limestone soils. Fermented separately by variety with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, then blended and aged about 12 months in barriques (roughly 24% new oak) before bottling as Toscana IGT.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is this wine called Haiku?
- Winemaker Marco Palanty named it after the Japanese poetic form, admiring how haiku expresses deep meaning in very few words — his goal for capturing Ama's terroir in one bottle, unconstrained by Chianti Classico's blending rules.
- What grapes are blended into Haiku?
- Roughly 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 25% Merlot.
- Is Haiku a Chianti Classico?
- No — because its blend falls outside Chianti Classico's regulations, it is bottled as Toscana IGT rather than Chianti Classico DOCG.
- What food pairs well with Haiku?
- Grilled red meats, wild boar pappardelle, baked lasagna, and mature cheeses all match its rich, spicy character.
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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
Castello di Ama Chianti Classico
RedSangiovese · Merlot
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.
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 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.