Castello di Ama
San Lorenzo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG – 2021
Region: ITALY - TUSCANY
Castello di Ama
Castello di Ama was founded in 1976, and is located in Gaiole in Chianti, within the additional geographical unit of the same name (UGA), located in the heart of Tuscany. It is located about 12 miles northeast of Siena in the hills of Gaiole. This is the heart of Chianti Classico, a bucolic rolling landscape of woods, vineyards and olive groves.
The estate is currently helmed by CEO Lorenza Sebasti, a member of the second generation of one of the four founding families. Marco Pallanti, who was once the President of the Chianti Classico Consorzio, has been the winemaker and technical director at Castello di Ama since 1982.
The goal of the estate is to have each bottle of Castello di Ama express the uniqueness of the terroir, and be an authentic expression of the vintage. Ama has practiced sustainable viticulture since the end of the 1990s, and recently received Equalitas (Italy) certification.
The Wine
Vineyard Profile
Castello di Ama San Lorenzo is named after the picturesque San Lorenzo valley viewed from the estate’s eighteenth-century Villa Pianigiani and Villa Ricucci. This wine is produced from the finest grapes grown in the historic vineyards Bellavista, Casuccia, San Lorenzo and Montebuoni.
- Altitude: 1510-1720 feet/460-525 meters
- Exposure: North-East/South-West
- Soil: Clay and calcareous
- Clone Selections: Sangiovese CC2000 1, CC2000 2, CC2000 4, CC2000 5, Merlot 343, 347. Malvasia N, MN6. Rootstock 420
- Vine Training Systems: Vertical trellis, simple Guyot
- Vine Planting Density: 2800–5500 vines/ha
Harvest Notes
- Mild, rainy winter with few days below freezing followed by rather cold spring
- Almost no rain in June, average temperatures
- Hot July followed by dry August
- Cooler nights in late August
- Hand harvested September 13 – October 6, 2021
- Fermented using only indigenous yeasts at in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks from 86–91ºF, each variety separately: 22 days Sangiovese, 25 days Merlot, 26 days Malvasia Nera
- Manual pumpovers
- Wines racked, transferred to barriques for malolactic fermentation
- Blended before aging 12 months in 22% new, fine grained barriques, the balance in 2nd passage
- Bottled June 2023
Winemaker's Notes
The complex Castello di Ama San Lorenzo is elegant, fresh and intense with finesse and length. Deep red ruby. Fruity aromas of red cherry, strawberry, licorice and orange zest complemented by hints of leather. Juicy and succulent with silky texture. A long-lasting palate of red ripe fruits and delicate, firm tannins. The finish is fresh and lively, expressing deep red fruit, wood and damp earth, developing exemplary intensity and aromatic complexity over time.
Wine Summary
80% Sangiovese, 13% Merlot, 7% Malvasia Nera; alcohol: 13.5%; vines from Bellavista, Casuccia, San Lorenzo and Montebuoni vineyards between 1510-1720 feet; hand harvested September 13 – October 6, 2021; lots vinified separately using only ambient yeasts; fermented at controlled temperatures 86–91°F in stainless steel tanks; malolactic fermentation then blending in oak barriques; aged in 22% new oak barriques for 12 months; bottled in June 2023.
Technical Information
- 80% Sangiovese, 13% Merlot, 7% Malvasia Nera
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Total Acidity: 5.3 g/l
- Residual Sugar: < 1 g/l
- Extract: 30 m/l
Reviews
99 Points
#13 Top 100 Wines of 2024, #6 Top 100 Wines of Italy 2024
This is really perfumed and gorgeous, with black cherries, blackcurrants and violets. Full-bodied with totally integrated tannins and a palate presence that is pretty spectacular. Wonderful finish. Give this three or four years. Try after 2027.
jamessuckling.com, August, 2024
95 Points
This wine represents a selection of the best Sangiovese sourced from various plots with a tiny addition of Merlot and Malvasia Nera. The Castello di Ama 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo takes a few extra moments to open in the glass, but unlike the La Casuccia that holds back, this wine comes into full view quickly enough. The wine’s flavor profile is a little meatier and fuller, and this could be linked to the warm vintage conditions. San Lorenzo is a generous wine, and it is a bottle you can enjoy in the medium or long term. 2024 – 2040
© Wine Advocate, July, 2024
94 Points
The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Ama San Lorenzo is packed with dark red fruit, licorice, spice, leather and graphite. This is a decidedly potent, backward Gran Selezione. Clean mineral notes extend the finish, presaging a brilliant future. The sculpted style is hugely appealing. Here, too, readers will have to be patient, as the 2021 is very young. 2027 – 2046
Vinous - Antonio Galloni, June, 2024
95 Points
#9 of Top 10 Wines of 2025
Deep, dark and densely wrought, featuring black cherry, blackberry, violet, iron and tobacco aromas and flavors. Its sinewy tannins are enhanced by the vivid acidity. Everything comes together on the crystalline aftertaste, which echoes the fruit and floral elements. Power meets finesse. Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from 2028 through 2050.
Wine Spectator, May, 2025
17++ Points
Gaiole. Deep crimson. Complex oak and opulent sweet-sour cherry on the nose with savoury-spice hints. Suave, juicy cherry fruit with firm finely ground tannins. Long aromatic length with notes of cigar box and with tannic bite. Not ready yet. 2026 – 2036
JancisRobinson.com, May, 2025
95 Points
A clever bridge between the entire Castello di Ama stable, San Lorenzo is a selection of older vines from key estate vineyards. It also includes both Merlot and Malvasia Nera, which contribute to the identity of the cru bottlings. In 2021, this flagbearer is a brilliant balance of fruit and territorial expression with deftly integrated oak. Tobacco, iron and nutmeg infuse dark plum and cherry. There is great flow and length, with tangy, mouth-cleansing acidity. Articulate aromas and flavours along with finessed tannins give a sense of readiness – but that authoritative structure has the last word. 2026 – 2036
Decanter, June, 2025
94 Points
The 2021 Chianti “San Lorenzo” Gran Selezione from Castello di Ama was raised in twenty-two percent new oak this year, with the remainder of the barriques being “one wine barrels”. The cépages is eighty percent sangiovese, thirteen percent merlot and seven percent malvasia nera. The wine tips the scales at 13.5 percent octane in this vintage and delivers a truly beautiful bouquet of dark berries, black cherries, espresso, cigar ash, dark soil tones, Tuscan herb tones, woodsmoke and cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and shows off superb depth of fruit at the core, with fine soil signature, ripe, beautifully-integrated tannins, lovely balance and a long, complex and very classy finish. All this superb bottle of Chianti needs is enough time down in the cellar to properly soften up its tannins. 2035 – 2075
View From The Cellar, September, 2025
95+ Points
Moderately saturated ruby colour. Very pure, penetrating aromas and flavours of dark fruit, minerals, tobacco and nutmeg are powerful yet refined. A steely backbone provides nice support and extends the flavours on the long aftertaste. The close showcases nicely San Lorenzo’s classic austerity, but with more refinement than usual and plenty of freshness. A blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and a small percentage of Malvasia Nera, the 2021 Castello di Ama San Lorenzo is an excellent wine and arguably the best San Lorenzo in recent memory… 2026 – 2032
Ian D'Agata Wine Review, December, 2025
General Info
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Appellation(s) | Chianti Classico |
| Proprietor/CEO | Lorenza Sebasti |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Winemaker | Marco Pallanti |
| Annual Production | 25,000 9L cases |
| Farming (Sustainable, organic, biodynamic) | Sustainable certified by Equalitas Italy |