Castello di Ama
Vigneto Bellavista 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
The Bellavista vineyard covers an area of 56.39 acres/22.82 hectares, with 23 acres replanted from 1974 to 1978, and 33.4 acres replanted in 2007. The plot of 22 parcels of land were terraced to improve exposure and ensure more uniform ripening. In the best vintages, parcels 1 to 19 of Malvasia Nera, and 21 and 22 of Sangiovese contribute most to the production of this vineyard selection.
- Altitude: 1510-1720 feet/460–525 meters
- Exposure: North-East/South-West
- Soil: Clay-calcareous
- Vine Training Systems: Vertical trellis, simple Guyot
- Clone Selection: Sangiovese CC2000 1, CC2000 2, CC2000 4, CC2000 5, Malvasia Nera MN6 Portainnesto 420
- Vine Planting Density: 2800-5200 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
- Each variety fermented separately using only indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks at 89-91ºF: 22 days for Sangiovese, 27 days Malvasia Nera
- Manual pumpovers
- Malolactic fermentation in barriques
- Blended and aged 14 months in 40% new fine grained barriques, the remainder once used
Winemaker's Notes
Intense red ruby color. Potent aromas of spices and blackberries. The palate is juicy and succulent with a silky texture, complexed and nuanced. Built for cellaring.
Wine Summary
80% Sangiovese, 20% Malvasia Nera; alcohol: 13.5%; estate Bellavista vineyard at 1510-1720 feet in clay-calcareous soil; hand harvested from September 13 – October 6, 2021; varieties fermented separately using only indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks at 86–91°F; malolactic fermentation in barriques; blended and aged in 40% new, the balance once used barriques for 14 months.
Technical Information
- 80% Sangiovese, 20% Malvasia Nera
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Total Acidity: 5.3 g/l
- Residual Sugar: < 0.5 g/l
- Extract: 31.5 m/l
Reviews
98 Points
The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista is a stunner. Dense, powerful and forbidding, in classic Bellavista style, the 2021 packs an immense punch. It is also a very potent wine. All of the Bellavista signatures are present, but they are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Graphite, sage, crushed rocks, lavender, mint and dried herbs all play off a core of cool, dark-toned fruit. The 2021 is a bruiser—a beautiful, vivid bruiser. I can’t wait to see how it ages. 2027 – 2046
Vinous - Antonio Galloni, June, 2024
97 Points
The Castello di Ama 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista shows dark color saturation and elegantly restrained aromas of dark cherry and blackberry. The Vigneto Bellavista is one of the Gran Cru sites in this appellation, with vines planted over the tall ridge of a sun-drenched hillside. That special positioning always gives this wine more concentration and complexity, ultimately. There is sweet fruit, ripe plum and spice, and these aromas are framed by a dark slate-like mineral note. The mouthfeel is compact and firm with a beautiful sense of lasting richness. 2025 – 2047
© Wine Advocate, July, 2024
96 Points
You smell this and you know it’s a solid Bellavista, with blackcurrants, black cherries, blackberries, blood oranges and orange blossoms on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with a tight and focused palate that gives such precision in fruit and tannins. It needs another five year to soften and open. Try after 2028.
jamessuckling.com, August, 2024
96 Points
Concentrated and bursting with dark fruit flavors of blackberry, black cherry and black currant, this version is silky yet underlined with a layer of beefy tannins. Combines purity and intensity, with terrific harmony and a superlong, mineral-infused finish. The length reveals this red’s pedigree and potential. Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera. Best from 2028 through 2050.
Wine Spectator, May, 2025
97 Points
During a tasting with Castello di Ama’s Arturo Pallanti, he described Bellavista’s essence as complexity before elegance. Indeed, 2021 is an intricate and detailed tapestry of all its elements. It speaks deftly of cool heights, luminous exposures and an exceptionally warm vintage, yet is youthfully restrained rather than effusive. Traces of blood orange, blood, smoke and stone weave through dark berries. The palate is agile in its brawn and density, with definition to its blackcurrant and dark plum richness. Tactile tannins are tightly cinched. A magnificent follow up to the stunning 2020. 2027 – 2042
Decanter, June, 2025
100 Points
Ok, this is spectacular. Anybody who doesn’t think Chianti Classico can rank with the greatest red wines in the world needs to buy this beauty by the case. Bright, saturated ruby-red. The exceptionally multidimensional nose offers aromas of black cherry, raspberry, flinty minerality, rose, violet and aromatic spices that boast a really penetrating quality. Then youthfully reserved but already remarkably complex and deep, with flavors that are magically thick yet light on their feet. The sweet but firmly structured finish saturates the palate with red and blue fruits, minerals and spices boasting uncommon purity and delineation. The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista is a blend of Sangiovese and Malvasia that will also prove very long-lived. 2027 – 2042
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 |