2004 I Sodi di San Nicolo

The 2004 I Sodi di San Niccolo shows the finesse of this great Tuscan vintage from the very first taste. Fine, silky tannins support a core of expressive dark fruit in this racy, sleek Sodi. All of the elements are woven together beautifully in a rich, textured fabric of inimitable class. The 2004 is a great Sodi with a bright, bright future. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2034. Proprietor Paolo Panerai is adamant about it. Sangioveto is the correct name and spelling of Tuscany’s main indigenous red variety. Panerai is one of Italy’s most successful entrepreneurs. His publishing empire is vast and encompasses a number of journals running the gamut from Milano Finanza, an Italian version of Barron’s, to Class and other glossy lifestyle magazines. Since the late 1970s, Panerai has owned Castellare, one of the jewels of Chianti Classico. Castellare isn’t as well known as the trendiest estates in Tuscany, but the wines rarely fail to impress. The last few years have seen a marked increase in quality throughout the range, especially among the entry-level bottlings. Quality has never been an issue with the flagship I Sodi di San Niccolo, one of the true icons of Chianti Classico that remains under the radar. Fortunately for consumers, prices have yet to catch up with quality. Sodi is 85% Sangioveto and 15% Malvasia Nera from a vineyard in the heart of the estate, where the bunches are typically loose and naturally low in vigor. Today Sodi is fermented in stainless steel, then racked into concrete for the malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged 24 months in French oak barrels, roughly 50% new. Consulting oenologist Maurizio Castelli made the first vintages. Current winemaker Alessandro Cellai arrived in 1997. Readers who want to learn more about Castellare and I Sodi di San Niccolo may want to take a look at my recent video interview with Cellai. Castellare I Sodi di San Niccolo Key Points: 1. 85% Sangioveto/15% Malvasia Nera aged in French oak barrels 2. Made from a low-vigor vineyard in the heart of the property in Castellina 3. Impeccable track record of consistency and excellence 4. Aging potential: 20-30 years

The 2004 I Sodi di San Niccolò is 85% Sangioveto and 15% Malvasia Nera made from a small, old-vine plot located in the center of the property. The bunches themselves are very sparse in production, and the vineyard is naturally low-yielding, which contributes to this wine's structure and ageability. Sweet, perfumed aromatics lead to wild cherries, tobacco, spices, leather and licorice, all of which are framed by fine, silky tannins. This is a wine of unusual grace that shows remarkable integrity in its fruit and superb overall balance. The 2004 I Sodi di San Niccolò spent 18 months in French oak, 50% of which was new.