Castello dei Rampolla is located in Panzano’s famous Conca d’Oro or ‘golden basin' district, an amphitheatre of striking, pristine hillside vineyards. Undeniably 'one of Tuscany's most intriguingly unconventional estates' (Wine Spectator), the noble di Napoli family inherited the estate as part of a wedding dowry all the way back in 1739. With a long history of winemaking, Alceo di Napoli revolutionised the estate after he inherited it from his father in 1965.

According to Antonio Galloni, Castello dei Rampolla used to sell their fruit to Antinori until 1975, when Rampolla decided to make their own wines – obviously the right decision to make seeing how successful Antinori became! 

In the eyes of Galloni, Castello dei Rampolla produces 'some of the most compelling wines of Tuscany, and the world, for that matter'. Nestled in the heart of Chianti Classico, their biodynamic farming and minimalist winemaking give their wines a 'feeling of transparency that is incredibly distinctive' that, in Galloni’s eyes, ranks them as ‘one of the real stars of Chianti Classico”.

Today we are thrilled to offer a stunning parcel of fully mature back vintages of the Sammarco and d’Alceo, from 2005 to 2007, ready to deliver the utmost drinking pleasure while offering unbeatable value.

The top of the shelf expression of Castello dei Rampolla is the d’Alceo, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot borne out of Alceo’s dream of planting high-density vineyards with Bordeaux varietals. Average production ranges between 6,000 to 12,000 bottles. Since the first vintage in 1996, the d’Alceo has evolved towards a more elegant and polished style with less time in oak, though Galloni reports that he does not detect any overbearing oak presence even in the earlier vintages.     

The two vintages of d’Alceo offered today, the 2006 and 2007, are some of the best that Galloni has ever tasted. Awarding 97 points to both the 2006 and 2007, Galloni declares the 2006 “another epic d’Alceo from Rampolla that captures the purest essence of one of the great all-time Tuscan vintages”, while clearly adoring how “grace meets power” in the 2007. Both drinking well beyond 2030, the d’Alceo also looks like a very attractive alternative to other Super Tuscans, especially against those who used to buy fruit from them!

A predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon blend with annual production ranging between 8,000 to 25,000 bottles, the Sammarco offers excellent value for the quality it delivers. Scoring 94 points, the 2005 vintage delivers “striking harmony” amidst attractive notes of “sweet plum, violet, herbs, mint and sage notes” – a very approachable vintage that still drinks well out to 2030.

The Sammarco 2006 and 2007 harbour even greater aging potential. A “huge, powerful wine”, the Sammarco 2006 scores a massive 97+ points and was easily “one of the highlights among recent vintages”, thoroughly marvelling Galloni with “massive tannins that are matched pound for pound by the intensity of the fruit”. Equally impressive, the Sammarco 2007 is “deep, concentrated and explosive to the core” while showing “remarkable richness and intensity”.

“The 2007 is just beginning to show the early signs of aromatic development, but it has more than enough depth to drink well for many, many years.” – Antonio Galloni

These beautiful wines have all entered the recommended drinking window. Available from as low as HK$3,750 / SG$639 per case in bond, plenty awaits those quick enough to snap them up!