“I Sodi di San Niccolò Edizione 100 anni Veronelli” Toscana IGT 2021

Castellare di Castellina | Tuscany
Castellare di Castellina | Str. Provinc. di Castagnoli 14-15 | IT 53011 Castellina in Chianti

29303221 · 0,75 l · 132,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

Luigi Veronelli would have turned one hundred years old on 2 February 2026. This is no ordinary anniversary for Castellare di Castellina, because without Veronelli, this wine would not exist. It was 1976 when he was walking through the vineyards of Castellare with Paolo Panerai and stopped at the descent to the estate's most beautiful parcel. "Paolo, call it I Sodi di S. Niccolò," he said. And then, even before Panerai could explain the choice of grape variety, he haunting: "Forget the French varieties. Sangioveto and Malvasia Nera – they are better." It was exactly what Panerai himself thought. The first harvest followed in 1977.

To mark the occasion, the 2021 vintage is being released in a special limited edition of 3,000 bottles: The already iconic Castellare bird on a red background – red as a symbol of personality, courage and love of wine. The outer label conceals a second layer: the story of the walk that created a wine name that became an icon. A small booklet on the neck of the bottle tells the story of Veronelli's life – his battles for small producers, his unerring eye for the terroir, his conviction that Italy's indigenous varieties need no apology.

The wine itself is unchanged: 85 per cent Sangioveto and 15 per cent Malvasia Nera, from the two best crus of the estate, on calcareous Galestro soils between 350 and 400 metres above sea level, around the medieval church of San Niccolò. Terreno sodo – rock-hard, unruly, incorruptible. 18 to 25 days of maceration, up to 30 months in barriques (two thirds new), twelve months in the bottle. The 2021 shows an intense ruby red colour with garnet reflections, a bouquet of ripe cherries in all facets – fresh, pickled, almost candied –Mediterranean herbs, liquorice, spices, vanilla and, in the background, the vibrant mineral precision that seems to speak of the stony Galestro terroir. The palate is dense and elegant, the Sangioveto acidity carries freshness and tension, the tannins are velvety and perfectly integrated, the final is long and remarkably complex. This bottle is both: a great Tuscan that still has its full potential ahead of it – and a piece of wine history. Veronelli gave the wine its name. The wine is a worthy monument to him. SUPERIORE.DE

"Powerful, bright ruby colour. Appealing nose with fine ripe fruit, dark cherry, blackberry and plum, followed by tobacco and liquorice. On the palate as if from a single mould, lots of well-ripened berry fruit, then opens up very precisely and long with fine-meshed tannins in many layers, good tension and a long finish." Falstaff

"The 2021 I Sodi di San Niccolò is a powerhouse. Many of the recent vintages have been more striking, but not the 2021. It is a wine that will need many years to get rid of its baby fat. Dark fruits, lavender, rose petals, menthol and grilled herbs emerge with air, but only very hesitantly. The 2021 is a wine for harvestwho can be patient." Vinous

"A dark and minerally wine with a fresh, meaty nose of violets and restrained red cherries. Dense and full-bodied, with tense fruit and acidity, firm yet velvety tannins and a savory and harmonious finish. This has the potential to last decades." James Suckling

"Cocoa powder and red berries on the nose, delicate ferrous notes, tobacco and rose petals. Thick and shiny, but lively with lots of life and energy. This wine is broad and powerful, complex and muscular with flesh and bite. The tannins are grippy, but they are accompanied by a delicious acidity that lifts the expression. Sun-kissed black fruits and spices on the finish. At this stage it still seems a little compact, but is full of concentration and finesse with graphite, slate and a bloody hint on the finish." Decanter

"Dark flavours of cherry, plum and blackberry are fresh, concentrated and framed by a light touch of toasted oak. Notes of iron, earth, eucalyptus and tobacco give this red wine depth in the long aftertaste. Intense and resonant, with outstanding balance and excellent potential." Wine Spectator