Castellare di Castellina, picture courtesy of the estate.

A Tuscan GEM! A rarity we love.
"...the single most overlooked high-end wine in Tuscany today." AG

One of our all-time favorite wines from Chianti Classico is Castellare’s I Sodi di San Niccolo. While it does not carry the Chianti Classico designation on the label, this is one of Chianti’s most important wines today.

A blend of Sangiovese from the rare Sangioveto clone with Malvasia Nera, the I Sodi di San Niccolo is one of the most powerful and structured expressions of the region. A long distance runner by nature, I Sodi is one of those wines that is impressive young but is something completely rewarding with bottle age. These wines last and blossom to reveal the earthy and savory qualities of Sangiovese and the vineyards of Castellina in Chianti.

There really is not any other wine in Tuscany that we can compare the I Sodi to. It is truly one of a kind, and one of the last remaining wines of the region to express this unique and forgotten blend.  

In 2020 when Antonio Galloni published his notes on the 2016 vintage, he started his commentary on the wine making this statement that still holds true today.

Castellare's I Sodi di San Niccolò is the single most overlooked high-end wine in Tuscany today.
- Antonio Galloni

The 2017 vintage of I Sodi is the 40th vintage for this landmark wine and the bottle to commemorate this significant achievement is adorned with a black label. Like all bottlings at Castellare a different bird is featured on the label in homage to the biodiversity of the vineyards. Serving as a reminder that as cultivators people must respect and preserve the land and biodiversity. As a result, Castellare is farmed and produced organically with a mission to preserve Chianit’s diverse bird populations that were being destroyed by the region's embrace of pesticides in the 1940s.

The 2017 I Sodi opens with seductive and alluring fruit with purple florals that quickly reveals the dark and powerful side of Sangiovese. The fresh herbal character is intense as always and the elements of tar and tobacco linger on the finish. It is an expression of Tuscan Sangiovese that is unparalleled in the region as there are no Chianti, Brunello or Super-Tuscans that come close to the quality and character of I Sodi.  

Yet for all its unique personality, I Sodi remains one of the hidden gems of Italy. For our own good, we should stop beating the drum and highlighting this, but then again it is a wine we love to stock up on and so should you!

Cheers,
Jeremy