Castello Di Verrazzano Chianti Classico Riserva 2016 (750ml)

 

Rated 93 Points by Wine Enthusiast

 

Full bodied and savory, this has aromas of fruitcake, pipe tobacco, new leather and blue flower.  Made with organically grown grapes, the chewy, rounded palate doles out juicy black cherry, baked plum and licorice framed in velvety tannins.

 

Rated 92 Points by Vinous

 

The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva is a super-classic wine from the estate.  A blast of dark cherry, plum, leather, spice, tobacco and incense makes a strong opening statement.  This old-school, strapping Riserva has a ton of character, but it needs a lot of air, as well as the right setting, which is the dinner table.  For readers who want to understand what Castello di Verrazzano is all about, well, this is it.

 

Rated 90 James Suckling

 

Quite an autumnal, savory nose with dried leaves and earth.  Some ripe berries there, but subdued for now.  Then a sudden burst of oak on the palate that leaves a chewy finish.  Needs two or three years to ease up and give more balance and pleasure.  Best after 2022.

 

Castello Di Verrazzano Chianti Classico Riserva 2016

 

Produced only in top vintages, the "Riserva" is one of the most representative wines of the winery and best expresses the varietal characteristics of Sangiovese.  Intense ruby colour, bright, with light garnet reflections.  The nose gives off aromas of red ripe fruits, followed by hints of tobacco, black pepper and sweet woods, that become more complex with maturity.  At first binding and full, the tannins blend in well with the fruity component.  Long lasting taste, which expresses itself in excellent depth.

 

Winemaker Notes

 

In terms of color, this wine takes on a deep, dark purple in youth, tending gradually to garnet over time.  On the nose, richly perfumed, aroma of violets and cherry.  On the palate, smooth and elegant with opulent flavors reminiscent of ripe plums, sour cherries and other red berry fruit; with its extended aging capacity, it develops in complexity and finesse.

 

Pairings

 

Well-matched with red meat dishes, roasts and aged cheeses.

 

Suggested Serving Temperature:  18-20 °C

 

Typology:  Chianti Classico DOCG

 

Grapes Varieties:  95% Sangiovese, 5% Complementary red grapes from the estate

 

Alcohol:  14.5%

 

Production Area:  Greve in Chianti

 

Soil:  Prevalence of limestone

 

Harvesting:  By hand from October 1st to 5th.  Average Grapes/hectare quantity: 60 quintals.

 

Vinification:  Fermentation at a controlled temperature with a maximum of 28°C and maceration for 15-17 days with frequent pumping over and fulling.

 

Fining:  Obtained in oak barrels of small capacity (20 hl) for minimum 24 months, followed by a 6 Months refining in bottles

 

First Vintage:  1924

 

Average Annual Production:  60.000 Bottles

 

Terroir

 

Since acquiring the estate, the Cappellini family has replanted Verrazzano's vineyards, which fan out from the forest limits down to the valley below.

 

Located on a hilltop in the Greve, the heart of Chianti Classico, Verrazzano’s 220 acre estate includes 52 hectares of vineyards at altitudes between 280 and 400 meters above sea level, higher than average Chianti Classico vineyards.

 

Though present in southern parts of the Classico area, limestone is unique to Verrazzano which is in the cooler, northern part of the zone.  This singular combination of limestone soil and cooler growing conditions accounts for the wines’ muscularity and finesse.

 

The true lifeblood of the vineyards comes from the surrounding Verrazzano-owned woodland area, which acts as a cocoon for the vines; offering pollution protection and maintaining freshness.  In addition, the entire winery is heated by wood from these forests.

 

 

Castello di Verrazzano

 

Stewards of Chianti Classico, Castello di Verrazzano has played an indelible role in Tuscan winemaking and American history.  Owners Luigi and Silvia Cappellini pour their passion into the estate, producing traditional organic wines that deservedly enjoy an incredibly loyal following around the world.  They farm organically and have been certified since 2014.

 

A founding member of the Consorzio del Chianti Classico, Verrazzano has made wine since the earliest times.

 

The Castle of Verrazzano is located in Greve in Chianti, in the heart of the Chianti Classico area, between Florence and Siena.

 

Initially the Castle was an Etruscan then a Roman settlement and it has remained within its boundaries for over 1000 years: it has represented a firm and safe post in an area interested for many centuries by political and dynastic conflicts.

 

There is a great tradition of winemaking here: the “vineyards situated in Verrazzano” are mentioned in a manuscript which dates back to 1150 and is preserved at the abbey of Passignano (wrongly reported as “1170”).

 

The Castle became the property of the Verrazzano family in the VII century.  Giovanni da Verrazzano, the navigator and discoverer of the bay of New York and of the majority of the East coast of nowadays U.S. was born here in 1485.  The famous bridge in New York between Brooklyn and Staten Island was named after him in 1964.

 

The important Florentine family of Ridolfi succeeded to the Verrazzanos after the death of the last descendant, in 1819.  In the 20’ of 1900 Luigi Ridolfi promoted the building of the Football Stadium in Florence and in 1926 he founded the Fiorentina, the football team of the city of Florence.  Ridolfi was the President of the Athletic Association and in 1936 he allowed the National Athletic team to train at Verrazzano for the Olympic Games.

 

1958 the Cappellini family took over the Castle on the road of decadence and brought it back to its former glory by restoring the villa and rebuilding the agricultural tissue and the vineyards, according to an ancient model, respecting the historical and architectonic features of the place.

 

Cavalier Cappellini understood since the beginning the importance of the history and the beauty of the Chianti area for a better promotion of farming productions.  He laid the foundations for that awareness that inspired the institution of the Agritourism practice.

 

Taub Family Selections

 

Taub Family Selections represents a portfolio of fine wines produced by highly-regarded winemaking families with deep, long-established roots.  Our portfolio centers on true terroir-driven expressions that are benchmarks from the most heralded wine regions of the world.  Each wine in our portfolio embodies not only the terroir, but the passion of each family intimately involved from the vineyard to the table.  Join us in experiencing our unique, diverse and authentic fine wines.

 

 

Rated 93 Points by Wine Enthusiast

 

Full bodied and savory, this has aromas of fruitcake, pipe tobacco, new leather and blue flower.  Made with organically grown grapes, the chewy, rounded palate doles out juicy black cherry, baked plum and licorice framed in velvety tannins.