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Castello dei Rampolla 2018 'Sammarco' Toscana IGT

Castello dei Rampolla 2018 'Sammarco' Toscana IGT

...off the charts...
Antonio Galloni's Vinous
dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
V 98
...off the charts...
Antonio Galloni's Vinous

Mission Codename Ramping it up

“These new releases from the Di Napoli family are off the charts. I tasted the wines twice, just to make sure my enthusiasm was not more a reflection of being here after two years. It wasn’t. The wines are off the charts.” – Vinous

OFF THE CHARTS!! 98 points! If it’s anything like previous vintages, there’s more to come (the 2017 came with a stack of FIVE 95-98 scores).

You know what else is off the charts? Off the meter? Totally out of pocket?! OUR PRICE. We previously brought you the 2017 for $65. Today we’re dropping in from the top rope and crushing this to an even more compelling $57!!

Quick side note - for the hardcore collectors out there, we have a handful of their flagship d’Alceo as well. You can find those here in the Store today while they last.

Ok, back to the lecture at hand. Where we we… oh yea GO TO TOWN! Is there enough to last the day? We sure hope so, but you never know. The 2017 and the 2016 sold out pretty quickly. Just sayin’.

Oh, what makes this so HOT? Almost forgot that part, read on…

Wine Spectator explains “Rampolla is one of Tuscany’s most intriguingly unconventional estates - farming biodynamically long before it was fashionable and experimenting with everything from grape varieties to sulfite-free winemaking to wine amphorae made with an ancient material I’ll bet you’ve never heard of. Rampolla has gotten so good that, of late, it seldom produces a wine scoring less than Outstanding in Wine Spectator’s blind tastings.”

Continuing to recite the story of Sammarco “In 1980, Tachis and di Napoli vinified a Rampolla super Tuscan from Sangiovese and Cabernet. But in 1982, when the wine was ready for release, tragedy struck when di Napoli’s son Marco died in a helicopter crash. As a small way to cope with the crushing loss, friends urged him to name the wine for his son. The result, called Sammarco, has evolved over time to become dominantly Cabernet, consistently remaining a flagship.”

In a vertical of Sammarco back to 1981, Antonio Galloni for Vinous remarked “Rampolla has been one of Tuscany’s leading estates for more than 4 decades. This once-in-a-lifetime tasting encompassed every vintage of Sammarco back to 1981 and provided a rare opportunity to trace the arc of one of Tuscany’s most groundbreaking reds… The Rampolla wines are world-class, something that comes through loud and clear in this unforgettable tasting.”

Need a little more convincing of the immense value at hand here?

A few other Super Tuscans rated 98 points by Vinous include:

  • Ornellaia’s Masseto, roughly $800 a bottle
  • Antinori’s Solaia which goes for a lot more affordable $400 a bottle.

This price is a joke and we’re laughing all the way to the bank. Do. Not. Miss. Out.

98 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“Castello dei Rampolla’s Sammarco and d’Alceo have been benchmarks for several decades. Both 2018s will take their place among the best wines ever made here. Maurizia di Napoli and her brother, Luca, craft wines of notable intensity and pedigree. Biodynamic farming and low intervention winemaking are the rule. Of the two flagship wines, d’Alceo is a bit more opulent, likely because the terraced vineyards are south and south-east facing, while Sammarco has a bit more tannic backbone and energy. Both are off the charts great. The 2018 Sammarco is brilliant. Bright and explosive, with tons of linear drive, the 2018 is exceptionally polished. Cabernet Sauvignon is up to 80% of the blend, and that very much comes through in a wine endowed with tremendous purity. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, sage, mint and blood orange all race across the palate. I love the freshness here. Drink 2028-2058.”

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What the Winery Says 2018 'Sammarco' Toscana IGT

Castello dei Rampolla
Castello dei Rampolla
Proprietor/winemaker
Maurizia di Napoli
Varietals
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 5% Sangiovese
Vintage
2018
Alcohol
14.5%
Vineyard
Sammarco Vineyard
Vineyard size
15 Ha
Vines/hectare
6,500/Ha
Soils
Galestro
Elevation
380 meters above sea level
Exposure
Southwest to southeast
Total acidity
6.2 g/L
Residual sugar
< 1.0 g/l
Aging
16 months
Barrels
French barriques, 30 Hl & 500L tonneaux

About the Winery Castello dei Rampolla

Castello dei Rampolla Winemaker Maurizia di Napoli
Castello dei Rampolla Winemaker Maurizia di Napoli
Castello dei Rampolla 2018 'Sammarco' Toscana IGT 750ml Wine Bottle
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Castello dei Rampolla 2018 'Sammarco' Toscana IGT 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired May 10, 2023 at 11:59 pm
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