One Saturday afternoon, about ten of us reached the winery Castellinuzza in Lamole (Tuscany). After leaving the regional road 222 Chiantigiana at Greve in Chianti, we drove uphill on a narrow and winding road. The road itself was the first sign of a change in landscape, but after a few bends we immediately found ourselves in a completely different place compared to the valley floor: with terraced crops and dry stone walls, it seemed like being in the mountains. In front of us, in fact, was the highest peak of the Chianti Mountains: Monte San Michele.
The slopes are seep, the vineyards, small plots of land, are surrounded by woods and overlook the Greve valley, enjoying great sunlight. This is Lamole, the smallest Additional Geographical Unit of the appellation “Chianti Classico Docg”. Lamole vineyards are all located at above 500 meters above sea level, and have no limestone in the soil, but only sand which is nothing other than the disintegration of the subsoil sandstone, also called “macigno”.
Castellinuzza is a historic farm of the Cinuzzi family, which has been working here since the 16th century. Wine production is a small business but its quality is remarkable. The production can only rely on 2 hectares of vineyards cultivated with local varieties (sangiovese, canaiolo, Malvasia nera). The winemaking is artisanal and compliant to the advice of the consulting oenologist Vittorio Fiore. All wines are made in a similar way, only the length of maturation in large oak barrels varies.
It is fascinating to see how the same vineyards, with the same workmanship, give different flavor profiles every year. But there is one constant in the wines of Castellinuzza: the color is pale; the scent, although different, is always expressive; the mouthfeel is slender. Castellinuzza’s wines have a strong personality without ever being too bold.
We tasted 8 different labels of Chianti Classico (including Riserva and Gran Selezione) to conclude with a passito and a vermouth.
The young Chianti Classico (so-called “annata”) matures for one year in wood and one year in cement before being bottled. The 2020, the youngest wine of our tasting, is juicy and lean with aromas of orange, cherry and pink pepper together with a common floral trait. The 2019 is more fruity, with black cherry and strawberry, has touches of star anise and a chinotto finish; on the palate the tannins are in relief compared to the acidity. The longevity potential of Sangiovese from Castellinuzza is proved by the tasting of Chianti Classico 2011: although it presents itself with an orange-red hue – consistent with its 12 years of age – it is savory, flavorful and dynamic when tasted with a developing bouquet that reminds of carob, tamarind, grapefruit and withered flowers.
The Chianti Classico Riserva wines come from a selection of grapes and are aged 2 years in barrel. We tasted 2 recent vintages. The Riserva 2017 has a bright garnet color, is balsamic, with a minty nose together with mace and fruit, with just a hint of jam. Despite the hot and dry summer, the wine has retained a precious acidity that almost prevails over the tannins, making the sip deep and lively at the same time. The Riserva 2019 has an entirely floral impact of hibiscus, behind which raspberry, apricot, rhubarb and wet earth are revealed. Full sip, well-rounded on entry with some tannins at mid-palate , driven by the freshness.
The Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is produced with the best selection of Sangiovese grapes of the estate. We compared 3 years. The Gran Selezione 2013 is a clear representative of the Lamole-style, thanks to its lean structure. It has excellent tannins and balanced acidity with a lingering finish and potential to age further, even though 10 years have already passed since the harvest. The Gran Selezione 2015 comes from a sunny summer and is very fruity with black cherry and canned fruit, has ripe tannins and a high flavor intensity. Finally, the Gran Selezione 2018 is very elegant: aromas of violet, alpine herbs, bitter orange, pomegranate and undergrowth anticipate a succulent sip, with smooth and tasty tannins and a delicious long finish.
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