Castello di Volpaia is a winery cleverly hidden in a historic hillside Tuscan town, a historic walled commune that dates back to the 1100’s. Tanks are tucked in crumbling churches, barrel halls lie below stone piazzas, and a subterranean “vinoduct” flows underneath it all. It is one if Italy’s magical places, not to mention one of Tuscany’s best producers of Chianti Classico. Volpaia’s wines consistently make Wine Spectator’s list of the “Top 100 Wines of the Year”. This is no small feat.

Volpaia’s vineyards have been farmed organically for decades. Each vineyard is harvested and vinified separately. The winery recently invested in new cellar equipment that has enabled them to achieve better extraction of colour, flavour, and soft tannins. The wine incorporates fruit from vineyards that have been replanted with improved rootstocks and carefully selected clones.

This vintage reveals an attractive, youthful black cherry colour with aromas of spice and sour cherry. The palate opens with nicely extracted ripe fruit and mellow tannins, and finishes with harmonious balance.

“A perfectly dosed blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah, nose with notes of red currant, undergrowth and licorice, with closure of wild mint. It has a juicy, dense and crunchy taste, salty-sapid tannins and a very long persistence. The finish has traces of small red fruits and sensations of toasted coffee.”
96 points, Luca Gardini, Gardini Notes, 2023

“Selected from southeast- to southwest-facing plots rising from 400 to 600 metres, the harvest in 2021 was prolonged, with Riserva grapes brought in between the end of September and mid-October. The wine emerges with palpable yet attractive wood spice and vanilla notes along with an equal measure of pure red cherry. The palate brings in irony mineral and earthy jasmine nuances. Elegantly weighted and unmistakably sophisticated with smooth tannins, this rings out with tangy acidity.”
93 points, Michaela Morris, Decanter, February 2024