Rich and fresh, this Chianti Classico wine is made from late harvest Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

This is the signature wine of Dr Tommaso Bojola, the owner of La Castellina winery. It’s made from late-harvest grapes and follows a specific method of long maceration and long ageing to develop a richer flavour. The resulting wine has a deep garnet hue and bursts with flavours of black fruits, cinnamon and raisins.

In the best years, Tommaso keeps its Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet grapes on the vines for 15 days longer than usual. This helps to concentrate the flavours, acids and sugars. After hand-harvesting, the grapes are fermented in rotating barriques, where the juice remains in contact with skins for the whole process. The wine sees a very long maceration process lasting for 40 days. This helps to extract tannins and colour, and amplify the wine’s flavour. This Chianti Classico is then aged for 24 months in small 225-litre oak barriques and in medium-sized 500-litre tonneaux. This is well over the six-month standard maturation period for most Chianti Classico wines.

We visited Tommaso in Castellina, for the first time in 2019 and again in the first week of October in 2021 – just when the Merlot was being harvested. The Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards are planted at an altitude of about 500-550 metres, on the south-facing slope just behind Castellina. Merlot is slightly below, facing south-west. The soil is rich in clay, with dark compressed “galestro” stones and bits of “alberese” – white limestone.

Tasting notes

This wine is dark in the glass, and already has a garnet rim. Despite its age, this Chianti Classico is really fresh and has plenty of acidity to continue maturing for years. But, in addition to the fruitiness of Sangiovese, this Chianti Classico offers the most beautiful “meaty” notes I’ve ever encountered. These come from the well-matured Merlot and Cabernet. Additionally, this wine is packed with flavours of blueberry, black cherries and black forest fruits supported by notes of white pepper, vanilla, cinnamon, leather and raisins.

Awards

James Suckling – 90 points (2015 vintage) | The WineHunter – Rosso (2015 vintage)