Castello di Ama Haiku 2017

Cellar for up to 9 years. No need to decant before serving.

The Castello di Ama estate has played a vital role in Italy’s wine history thanks to their groundbreaking work with the Merlot grape variety. Their magnificent L’Apparita wine was one of the first Italian Merlots to compete on the world stage at a blind tasting organised by the Académie du Vin in Switzerland. This pioneering wine beat both Pétrus and Le Pin, two of Bordeaux’s most prestigious wineries, firmly putting Castello di Ama in the spotlight as a new rival to the world’s very finest Merlot-based wines.

Today the Castello di Ama estate boasts some 90 hectares of land set around a stunning 16th century mansion in the heart of Chianti Classico close to the town of Gaiole. In the 2000s the estate acquired the Montebuoni vineyard which they replanted with Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc and Merlot which is the signature blend of their elegant Haiku cuvee. The wine is named after the traditional Japanese poem composed of three lines which skilfully combines simplicity, elegance and a powerful depth of meaning.

To give the winemaker maximum control over the composition, each of the varieties is vinified separately and blended before being transferred to oak barrels where the finished wine is left to mature. This helps to fully integrate the different components, creating a stylish and polished red which exudes deep berry fruit, smoky oak, and delicate notes of dried herbs and dark chocolate on the long, powerful finish. A great wine to drink with barbecued meats, hearty stews and herby roast beef or lamb.