Castellare di Castellina’s 2022 I Sodi di San Niccolò is the estate’s flagship “Grand Cru,” a Toscana IGT red from Castellina in Chianti. It is made from native varieties—typically 85% Sangioveto (here cited as Sangioveto) and 15% Malvasia Nera—sourced from the Vigna S. Niccolò vineyard on calcareous (limestone) soils. The winery notes a long, classic élevage: fermentation in stainless steel with malolactic fermentation, then aging in barriques (about 50% new) for roughly 24–30 months, followed by about 12 months in bottle before release.
While the producer’s detailed technical sheet available publicly is for 2021 rather than 2022, the 2022 bottling is positioned as a significant milestone: the winery shop describes it as the 45th harvest since the first vintage in 1977, released with a distinctive black-background label. A retailer report lists the wine at 15% alcohol, with production cited at 5,000 cases and 800 cases imported—figures to treat as informative, if not fully verified.
In the glass, professional notes point to a structured, savory-leaning Chianti-classic sensibility, but with the concentration expected from a top cuvée. James Suckling describes “a complex wine with vibrant aromas of restrained red cherries, rosebuds, cedar and chalky minerality,” suggesting aromatic precision rather than sheer ripeness. A separate tasting description highlights cherry and blackberry alongside orange peel, floral tones, iron and tar, with “a hint of oak spice” and “a compact finish,” consistent with its extended barrel aging.
Critically, the 2022 earns an excellent 94-point score from Wine Spectator (as reported via a retailer), placing it among the stronger contemporary releases and reinforcing its reputation as a serious, cellar-worthy Tuscan red built on Sangiovese and time.
