From: Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
Blend: 96% Sangiovese, 4% Merlot
Taste & Critical Acclaim:
93 Points
Blue flower, sandalwood, cassis and spice shape the nose on this lovely red. All about finesse and youthful tension, the savory, elegantly structured palate features juicy Morello cherry, coffee bean and star anise framed in taut, fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced and focused. Drink through 2027.
Wine Enthusiast, July, 2022
90 Points
An expression of Castello di Ama’s young vines – 10 to 12 years old – Ama is aged in second passage barriques. The delightfully fruity and vibrant nose exudes rose and lavender, with oak notes in the background. Plump sweet fruit on the mid-palate speaks to the modest dollop of Merlot in the blend. The tannins are velvety and polished, and the acidity is refreshing. A citrussy tang brings this near-term charmer to a close. 2022 – 2026
Decanter, March, 2022
90 Points
The 2020 Chianti Classico Ama is a pretty, understated wine that shows the vivid side of Sangiovese in its bright, red-fleshed fruit. Medium bodied and vibrant, with brisk acids and lifted aromatics, the 2020 is a gorgeous wine to drink now and over the next 10-15 years. Ama is the estate’s young-vines Chianti Classico. I loved it. 2022 – 2032
This set of new releases from Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti is the most impressive I have ever tasted here. The wines are strong across the board, while the 2019 flagship wines – La Casuccia, Bellavista and L’Apparita – are off the charts great. Pallanti has long coaxed notable intensity from these vineyards, but the 2019s add dimensions of freshness and energy that are simply breathtaking. I tasted these wines a few weeks later in my home in New York, far away from the bucolic setting of Ama, and was equally blown away.
Vinous - Antonio Galloni, July, 2022
90 Points
Fleshy and firm, with plum, cherry, iron and Tuscan scrub flavors. Reveals tannins, but is mouthwatering in the end. Sangiovese and Merlot. Drink now through 2027.
Wine Spectator, September, 2022
93 Points
A fresh and composed red with blackcurrant and blueberry aromas with minerals and citrus underneath. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins and a racy, long finish. Drink or hold.
jamessuckling.com, August, 2022
91+ Points
The entry level bottling of Ama Chianti Classico is made from the younger vines in the estate’s vineyards. The wine is composed from a blend of ninety-six percent sangiovese and four percent merlot. The wine is aged in used barriques and comes in at 13.5 percent octane in this vintage. It offers up a beautiful bouquet of cherries, gamebird, bonfire, a touch of orange peel, fresh oregano and a lovely base of soil tones. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with an excellent core of fruit, a fair bit of ripe tannin and superb backend energy and grip on the long and still fairly youthful finish. This is approachable now with half an hour in decanter, but it is truly still a young wine and deserves at least a few years in the cellar to allow its backend tannins to soften up properly. It is an excellent Chianti! 2022 – 2045
View From The Cellar, November, 2022
Pairing: Thanks to its savory character, high acidity and medium body, Sangiovese pairs well with a wide range of dishes. The classic Sangiovese food pairing is basically… anything Tuscan, or anything with tomato. Sangiovese and tomato are simply one of those great flavor combinations. The rustic profile of the wine pairs perfectly with anything with tomatoes. By pairing it with savory dishes with tomato and herbs like rosemary, oregano, basil, sage, garlic, parsley, and time, the more fruity flavors in the wine will be brought out.
But that’s not all, those same characteristics make it possible for Chianti’s to pair with both rich and light dishes (our light dish pairing shared here in Pappa al Pomodoro aka Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup by Martha Rose Shulman). Peposa Dell'Impruneta (Tuscan Black Pepper Beef) is a perfect example of a rich dish pairing that’ll be the star of the show. Beef short ribs are braised in Chianti and lots of black pepper and fresh herbs until the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender. It is well worth the wait! This delicious Tuscan dish is typically served over polenta, but you could also serve it over rice or pasta.
