2011 Sammarco Vino da Tavola Castello dei Rampolla

Aromas of tar, chilis, raspberries and dark chocolate follow through to a full body with super velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Need three years to soften. Another superb blend of sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon from the organic estate in Panzano. Try in 2018.

The 2011 Sammarco is so youthful it almost tastes like a barrel sample! Dark, rich and inviting, the 2011 possesses notable concentration and depth, with round yet powerful tannins and a surprising level of freshness for the year. A host of black cherry, graphite, smoke, plum and lavender notes accompany the powerful finish. It will be quite some time before the 2011 is ready to drink, but there is plenty to look forward to.

The fullness and generosity here is absolutely amazing. The 2011 Sammarco is one of the protagonists of this vintage. In fact, I think Sammarco represents the hot 2011 growing season better than any other wine from the Chianti Classico area. The bend this year is 94% Sangiovese with 6% Merlot (the breakdown between the two grapes is usually 90-10) and the wine is fermented with ambient yeasts. The bouquet is beautifully redolent of dark berry fruit, soft spice, licorice and cola. The wine's overall elegance and length are both impressive.

The 2011 Sammarco displays a dark, inky color with aromas of blackberries and dark currants woven together with spices, pepper, smoke and violets all coming through beautifully on the nose. This full-bodied red shows remarkable depth and concentration with excellent underlying acidity and layers of dark fruits and exotic spices cascading onto the finish. While this Sammarco is already showing many impressive qualities at this early stage, it is still quite youthful and will ultimately require at least a few more years to mature. (Best 2019- 2034).

Ripe, sweet cherry and blackberry fruit is augmented by baking spices, thyme and graphite in this compact, dense red. Muscular tannins lend a chunky feel, but this finishes long and balanced. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. Best from 2018 through 2027. 200 cases imported. -BS