"This is a great, great wine."2016 Castell'in Villa Santacroce

"This is a great, great wine... It’s simply Castell'in Villa at its most profound." -Antonio Galloni

Castell’in Villa is one of the greatest producers of traditional Chianti Classico. Over the years, we've penned many, many emails about the wines.

Today's offer is a bit of a curveball. Castell'in Villa's Santacroce bottling is a fifty-fifty blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. On paper, this isn't a bottling that we would gravitate towards since it's rare that we find Bordeaux varietals beneficial to the wines of the Chianti area.

With that, the 2016 Santacroce blew us away when we tasted it. It was by far the standout of a recent tasting of fifteen different wines.

The wine has an unusual intensity and punch. Yet, it remains graceful and shows intricate layers of fruit, earth, spice, and herbs. The aromatics and finesse are undeniably stunning. As Antonio Galloni writes, "This is a great, great wine." It's simply that good.

Cabernet Sauvignon was first planted at Castell'in Villa in 1983 when it was grafted over Canaiolo vines. The 2016 is a special vintage for the wine. As Antonio Galloni notes below, the 2016 Santa Croce spent eight years in cask due to the owner being ill. What resulted was a wine of amazing freshness and heartbreaking nuance.

The 2016 is a special vintage in the Chianti area. I've never encountered a vintage so packed with complexity and sheer presence while remaining nimble. This helps explain how the wine could emerge from eight years in cask so bright and so complex.

This is a totally compelling wine. I suggest that you try at least a couple of bottles. It's one of the most surprising and exciting bottles I've tasted this year.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare
Crush Wine & Spirits

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Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media: "The 2016 Santa Croce is the estate's blend of equal parts Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon that spent close to eight years in cask during a time when proprietor Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa was ill and some lots sat undisturbed in cellar for extended periods. Dark red fruit, rose petal, spice and menthol build in the glass. Most suprisingly, the 2016 is shockingly fresh for a wine of its age . This is a great, great wine. It's not Sangiovese, it's not Cabernet Sauvignon, it's not a blend. It’s simply Castell'in Villa at its most profound."