2017 Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco Proprietary Blend

2017 Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco

98 JS

From the critics:

96 WE

95 WS

95 RP

95 AG

94 JG

Featured Review

Such beautiful balance and refinement to this legendary red with cherries, chocolate, walnuts, hazelnuts and autumn leaves. It’s medium to full-bodied with wonderful, creamy tannins and a persistent and complete finish. Better than the exquisite 2015? A blend of cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese and merlot. Needs three to four years to show all it has. Definitely one for the cellar. James Suckling

James Suckling | 98 JS

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot, this delicious, juicy red offers inviting aromas of new leather, blue flower, ripe black-skinned fruit and grilled herb. On the smooth, savory palate, tightly knit, fine-grained tannins seamlessly support fleshy black cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and tobacco before closing on a mocha note. Drink through 2029.

Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a tiny part Sangiovese, the 2017 Sammarco is lush, generous and soft. This wine captures the spirit of generosity and richness that characterizes this sunny vintage. It reveals softer lines and more pliant contours compared to some of the cooler vintages of the past, and you get a generous down pouring of dark fruit, dried blackberry, cinnamon spice and cured leather or tobacco. The tannins are quite robust, but the wine also shows an immediate and accessible approach that distinguishes this growing season. You might notice that my review for the 2016 vintage is missing. That’s because the 2016 vintage will be released after 2017 when that older wine has benefitted from more cellaring.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

The 2017 Sammarco is heady, exotic and totally beautiful. It is also not anywhere near ready to show all it’s got. Iron, smoke, red cherry fruit, leather, blood orange and spice are some of the many notes that infuse the 2017 with layers of complexity. Firm, muscular tannins are going to need time to soften. Even so, the 2017 is a rare Sammarco that will require only minimal cellaring, which is why the estate decided to release it ahead of the 2016.

Antonio Galloni | 95 AG

A beam of pure cherry energizes this red, which is defined by vivid acidity. Floral, loamy earth, cocoa and sanguine notes add depth as the muscular tannins take hold on the finish. This has the goods, but just needs time. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2043. 2,400 cases made, 300 cases imported.

Wine Spectator | 95 WS

(Sammarco- Castello di Rampolla) Sammarco has been one of my favorite Super Tuscans for as long as I can remember, which is not surprising, as this was first produced in the 1980 vintage, making it a longer-running bottling than Ornellaia! The wine is made from a blend of ninety percent Cabernet Sauvignon and five percent each of Sangiovese and Merlot, with all of the vineyards farmed biodynamically. The wine is fermented in cement vats and aged in a combination of three thousand liter botti and five hundred liter tonneaux for fully two years prior to bottling. The 2017 Sammarco comes in at fourteen percent octane and offers up a superb young bouquet of cassis, black cherries, cigar smoke, a touch of fresh oregano, cumin, a superb base of soil tones, just a whisper of road tar and a framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a fine chassis of chewy tannin, a rock solid core of fruit, fine mineral drive and grip and a long, youthfully complex and very promising finish. With the frost in the spring of 2017, this wine is quite structured and will need plenty of time in the cellar to blossom, but it will be simply outstanding once it is ready to drink. (Drink between 2035-2075)

John Gilman | 94 JG

Type of Wine	Super Tuscan/IGT : Many grape varietals are planted all over the world so they're not typical for one single country anymore. For instance, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc form part of many blends coming from different countries. Super Tuscan wines are produced in this Italian region, but grape varietals used in the making are not indigenous - those are mostly Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France. Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate. The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned. The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market. With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.
Region	Tuscany : Italian culture worships the concept of a shared meal, and their wines scream for a chance to be uncorked with your friends and family. The region's Mediterranean climate and hilly landscape combine to create a beautiful viticultural environment, where every chosen grape is brought to its full potential and transmuted into drinks worthy of gods. The vineyards are planted along the higher reaches of the hill slopes, creating a gorgeous view of the Italian landscape. Once your lips kiss the wine, you're sent spiraling down a veritable whirlpool of pure flavor, touching upon notes of sensuous cherry, nuts, floral hints and undertones of honey and minerals. The wines can be as sweet as a fresh summer romance, and carry an air of dignity and elegance about them that can stimulate your intellect for months as you contemplate the seemingly infinite intricacies and details in the texture. Tuscany is an important part of Italian viticulture, and sampling their wines is the closest you can get to visiting this heavenly region and experiencing the culture.
Subregion	Toscana IGT