2016 Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco
Tuscany, Italy
One of the original Super Tuscans, this biodynamic Cabernet blend has concentration, structure, and longevity. A flagship for a stunningly good estate.
$128.00
Out of Stock
Sammarco is quite possibly the single greatest value in high-end Italian wine. Don't miss it.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
About The Wine
The first vintage of Sammarco was 1980, at the very start of the movement that brought us Tignanello & Solaia and, later, Sassicaia. Tuscany embraced international varieties and produced wines that attracted worldwide acclaim and changed the Italian wine landscape forever.
Like many 'Super Tuscans' Rampolla's Sammarco is a Cabernet dominant wine with a little Merlot and Sangiovese in the blend, however, unlike most, the vinification and aging are in concrete and primarily neutral wood. Far from being an oaky blockbuster this is the best the style has to offer, flowers, fruit, spice, earth, tobacco, and cedar all intermingle, and the balance is just beautiful. Energetic and driven this is top flight, exceptional value, and not to be missed by lovers of Italian reds.
About Castello Dei Rampolla
Castello dei Rampolla is a 100-acre estate in Santa Lucia in Faulle, in the valley of the “Conca d’Oro”, south of Panzano in Chianti. According to Christian and Orthodox tradition it bears the name of a Saint who came there around the time of the winter solstice, so as to bring light and life to the Earth.
It has been owned by the Di Napoli Rampolla family since the beginning of the 18th century. They have cultivated their vineyards biodynamically since 1994 and strive to produce great wines that reflect the philosophy of the winery and the place they come from.
Chianti, Italy
From The Producer
Sammarco is a very fresh wine with fine aromas of woodland undergrowth and a deep, intense colour. It is characterised by distinct aromas of ripe fruit and has a strong concentration of powerful tannins.
It is an elegant and refined wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with a percentage of Sangiovese and Merlot.
Blend : Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (30%), Sangiovese (5%)
ABV : 14.5%
Closure : Cork
Drink Until : 2045
Bottle Size : 750ml
Chianti, Italy
Critic Reviews
"The 2016 Sammarco is a dense, flamboyant wine. Inky red fruit, spice, cedar, tobacco, menthol and licorice are some of the notes that build in a statuesque Sammarco that dazzles from start to finish. A wine of stunning textural richness and intensity, Sammarco is translucent, sculpted and full of character. All the elements are so well balanced. Rose petal, cedar, tobacco and mint linger on the eternal finish."- Antonio Galloni (Vinous)
"A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the Castello dei Rampolla 2016 Sammarco was held back for an extra year of aging before its commercial release. In fact, I already reviewed the 2017 vintage last year because that wine is many times more accessible and immediate than this one. The issue at hand are the tannins, which remain very tight and grippy in this bottle. That extra year in bottle has helped them to integrate, but this wine still has a very long way to go. Keep that in mind if you collect Sammarco. Despite that slight astringency, this is a wine of courage and vision. It shows expertly measured fruit weight and lots of lively intensity on the bouquet." - Monica Larner (The Wine Advocate)
"Ripe, opulent, ripe cherry and mixed berries, earth, tobacco, liquorice, dried flowers. It’s fleshy, with lavish savoury flavours and crushed stone tannin, also kind of gamey and rustic, crisp acidity, very firm to close, with ferrous character and some orange zest and dried herb. So much Italian Cabernet character here, and that’s a wonderful thing. It’s pretty sullen on opening, very tight and quite reductive, so splash it around a bit if you want to drink it now."- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
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