Castello di Ama

Castello di Ama is an estate founded in the 1960s in the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany, particularly known for its range of single-vineyard Gran Selezione red wines, and the spicy, floral, dark fruit-laden IGT Toscana, l'Apparita, made from Merlot. It is one of the most highly regarded producers in the region, and has gained numerous awards – the San Lorenzo Gran Selezione was rated in the top ten of the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines in 2010 and 2014.

The estate has about 80 hectares (198 acres) of vineyards located on stony soils within a two-miles radius of the village of Ama, including San Lorenzo, La Casuccia and Bellavista. These vineyards were all acquired in 1972, and each make a single-vineyard wine made predominantly from Sangiovese, with various secondary varieties. Bellavista is generally regarded as the most elegant, La Casuccia the richest and lushest, with San Lorenzo somewhere in the middle. A small plot of Merlot in the San Lorenzo vineyard is the source of L'Apparita.

Castello di Ama also produces a couple of IGT Toscana wines, Haiku and Il Chiuso, combining Sangiovese with Bordeaux varieties for the former and Pinot Noir for the latter. There is also a white wine, Al Poggio, and a highly prized Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Occhio de Pernice.

The red wines are fermented in vats then undergo malolactic fermentation in barrels. All of the reds are aged for 12 months in barrique, except for Il Chiuso, which receives six months. Proportions of new oak vary with each wine.