Castello di Nipozzano Chianti Riserva Vecchie Viti DOCG 2018 - Tuscany, Italy

93/100 Falstaff 
16.5/20 Jancis Robinson
Bronze - Raffaele Vecchione
91/100 Wine Enthusiast (2017 vintage)
90/100 Decanter (2017 vintage)
93/100 Falstaff (2016 vintage)
91/100 Decanter (2016 vintage)
90/100 Wine Spectator (2016 vintage)
17.5/20 Vinum Wine Magazine (2016, 2017 vintage)
Bronze - Cellar Tracker (2016 vintage)

Gold - Mundus Vini (2016 vintage)
Silver - International Wine Awards (2016 vintage)

Falstaff "Brilliant ruby ​​red with a sparkling core. In the nose of sour cherries, wild berries and a hint of black pepper, cranberries in the aftertaste. Fresh and balanced on the palate, shows well-integrated acidity, great nerve, balanced, drinks very well" (2018 vintage)

Raffaele Vecchione, Wine Critics "Herbaceous in the main profile alternates notes of raspberries, currants, broken stalk and cut grass. Medium body, little extracted tannins and a simple finish that lacks juiciness and smoothness. Probable deviation in the bottle. Drink now." (2018 vintage)

Decanter "a subtle aroma of fresh red berries and spice, followed in the mouth by integrated, chocolatey tannins and tangy red fruit. The mid-palate opens up to reveal chocolate, sweet spices and a dash of black pepper, with black fruit, wood and tobacco notes on the persistent finish, carried by the acidity." (2017 vintage)


Falstaff “Rich ruby with a fine garnet shimmer. Very clear and intense nose, cherries and cloves ripe after cranberries. Firm and substantial in approach and course, shows a lot of ripe fruit, fine-meshed tannin, wrapped in sweet melt, very juicy in the finish.” (2016 vintage)

Castello di Nipozzano is owned by the famous Frescobaldi family – a Tuscan wine producer which can trace its history back 700 years the time of the Florentine Republic. The Castello di Nipozzano, built in year 1000 as a defensive fortress, became the centre of communal life for the village. Today the castle houses the wine cellar, where the estate red wines are produced and cask-aged. Nipozzano also serves as Frescobaldi’s centre for fine food and wine.The estate lies in the heart of the Chianti Rufina area, covering 626 hectares at elevations between 250 and 400 metres. 240 hectares are planted with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The soil, rich in clay and limestone, and its dry, well-ventilated weather compose the ideal terroir for the production of wines that are elegant and well balanced, full bodied, with firm structures to last them over many years.

Tuscany is Italy's third most planted region (behind Sicily and Apulia) but it is eighth in terms of output, reflecting both the poor soil of Tuscany and deliberate efforts to limit yields and increase the quality in the wine. Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Super Tuscans are Tuscany’s best known wines. The Chianti DOCG designation covers wines from six Chianti sub-zones (Colli Pisane, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini, Montalbano and Rufina) as well as all other Chianti wines. The Chianti Classico DOCG is located in the very center of Tuscany, between Florence and Sienna.

Sangiovese (or Nielluccio in Corsica), a dark-berried vine, is the most widely planted grape variety in Italy. Virtually synonymous with the red wines of Tuscany, and all the romanticism that goes with the territory, Sangiovese is the core constituent in some of the great names in Italian wine. Italy's love affair with Sangiovese – and indeed the world's – is generations old, though recent grapevine research suggests the variety is not as ancient as once thought.