Castello dei Rampolla d’Alceo 2019

Castello dei Rampolla sits in the Conca d'Oro amphitheatre of Panzano in Chianti, farmed by the Di Napoli family and biodynamic since 1994. This flagship red is built on Cabernet Sauvignon with a small share of Petit Verdot, made with advice from the noted oenologist Giacomo Tachis. The Conca d'Oro is a natural sun trap of galestro and alberese soils, stony schist and limestone that drain well and hold heat, ripening Cabernet fully while the elevation keeps the acidity fresh. Biodynamic farming and low-intervention winemaking aim to carry the site through to the glass. The wine spends fifteen months in French oak barrels, which build its firm structure and add spice and depth through oxygen exchange with the wood. It is deep, almost opaque ruby, with blackcurrant, plum and blackberry on the nose over dark chocolate, mint, cedar and tobacco. The palate is full-bodied and powerful, with firm, ripe tannin, bright acidity and a long, savoury, oak-framed finish. This is a structured red made to age for many years. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanted well ahead, in a large Bordeaux glass. It suits roast and grilled red meat and mature hard cheese.