Castellare di Castellina’s I Sodi di San Niccolò 2017 is the estate’s flagship Toscana IGT red from Castellina in Chianti, built around native varieties rather than international grapes. The blend is 85% Sangioveto (Sangiovese) and 15% Malvasia Nera, drawn from the producer’s best hillside sites on limestone-rich soils at roughly 430 meters. Winemaking is modern and controlled: fermentation in temperature-managed stainless steel, followed by extended aging of about two years in French oak barriques (around half new) and additional bottle time before release.
The 2017 has earned excellent reviews across major outlets, highlighted by a trio of 96-point scores. James Suckling (96) emphasizes its dark-fruited, spiced profile—“blueberries, blackberries, cloves, tobacco, walnuts and chocolate”—and describes a wine that is “full-bodied with firm, tightly-knit tannins,” “structured and tight… with bright acidity,” finishing long and layered. He suggests waiting: “Try in 2023.”
Antonio Galloni at Vinous (96) calls the wine “supple, radiant and inviting,” noting it is “almost uncharacteristically so for a young vintage” of a wine he characterizes as “typically potent, brooding.” He adds that the 2017 is “an ideal vintage for readers who want to explore I Sodi,” with “soft contours” around “red berry fruit, dried flowers, licorice, mint and tobacco.”
Wine Spectator’s Bruce Sanderson (96) points to the wine’s polish and energy: “Toasty oak gives way to bright cherry, blackberry and violet,” with “wild herb, tobacco and mineral notes adding complexity.” He finds it “sleek” and “vibrant,” “supple” but supported by “a firm matrix of refined tannins,” and recommends cellaring: “Best from 2024 through 2045.” Production is limited at 2,500 cases, with 800 imported.
