The property on which Castello dei Rampolla exists has been owned by the di Napoli family since 1739, but no vineyards were planted there until visionary Alceo di Napoli Rampolla inherited the farmland in 1965. By 1975, the first bottles of Chianti Classico were produced, but Alceo, who was always striving to create a greater wine, decided to plant Cabernet Sauvignon to blend with the Sangiovese. With the help of friend and famed oenologist, Giacomo Tachis, the concept for one of the first “Super Tuscans” was born and Sammarco would eventually release with the 1980 vintage.
In 1991, Alceo unexpectedly passed away, and in 1994 his second son Luca returned to the estate to help his sister Maurizia manage the property. To further his father’s vision, Luca immediately began implementing biodynamic practices. In his 2015 article covering three decades of Sammarco, Antonio Galloni noted: “there is a clear dividing line at 1994, when the wines acquire more density, power and pedigree. It’s not just a matter of the age of the wines or vineyards. It is clearly something more than that. Luca di Napoli credits a move to biodynamic farming that year with the improvement in quality...While Alceo di Napoli made a number of fabulous Sammarcos in the pre-1994 era, the wines simply explode in quality after that.” As for the ’94 in particular, Antonio Galloni gave the following 96pt review: “The 1994 Sammarco is fabulous. Still deep, dark and concentrated, the 1994 possesses remarkable density and sheer power. The only problem with the 1994 is that it still isn't ready to drink! That's how intense the flavors and structural elements are. Drink 2016-2026.”
As you can imagine, we were extremely intrigued after reading all this and wanted to taste this transitional vintage for ourselves. To our good fortune, not only did we recently get to taste a sample, but we have acquired a pristine stash of a dozen or so six-packs. Remarkably, the wine does come across as youthful, with sturdy tannins and a massive palate. But then again what’s probably equally remarkable is that the pricing of this 22-year-old treasure is in line with the most recent release! At $69.95, you get to enjoy this 96-pointer without ever having to worry about two previous decades of storage. With that in mind, I strongly suggest you grab some up to enjoy over the next decade. Perhaps give it some air and pair it up with some steaks this quickly approaching grilling season.