Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Riserva Collezione Privata 2008

WS 95 / VM 92+ pts

WS: A complex bouquet of smoky cherry, plum, iron, leather and spice is enticing, while the supple texture is laden with fruit, spice, sanguine and tobacco flavours. Lively and long, it firms up on the finish, where the fruit and savoury elements converge. Drink now through to 2033.

VM: Good medium-deep red. Black cherry, redcurrant, licorice and menthol aromas are lifted by a floral element that carries through on the palate. Flavors of dark cherry, licorice and underbrush are complicated by a tarry quality. Finishes suave and smooth, with harmonious tannins and good subtle, spicy length. I was impressed by the purity of the sangiovese fruit, given the fact that the wine also includes cabernet franc and merlot components; chalk up another winner to the dynamic duo of Lorenza Sebaste and Marco Pallanti.