2016 Sammarco, Castello dei Rampolla, Tuscany, Italy

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the Castello dei Rampolla 2016 Sammarco was held back for an extra year of ageing before its commercial release. In fact, I already reviewed the 2017 vintage last year because that wine is many times more accessible and immediate than this one. The issue at hand are the tannins, which remain very tight and grippy in this bottle. That extra year in bottle has helped them to integrate, but this wine still has a very long way to go. Keep that in mind if you collect Sammarco. Despite that slight astringency, this is a wine of courage and vision. It shows expertly measured fruit weight and lots of lively intensity on the bouquet.Castello dei Rampolla farms according to organic and biodynamic principals, and it has done so for three decades, although I'm not sure all the bottles show proof of certification.Drink 2024 – 2045monica_larner, Wine Advocate (October 2021)