Poco dopo aver fatto uscire le prime annate del Castagno nei primi anni 2000 con grande piacere (e un certo stupore) da parte nostra non sono tardati ad arrivare i primi riconoscimenti: dal diploma di gran Menzione al Vinitaly ai primi ottimi punteggi e recensioni sulle principali guide di settore.
Poco dopo l’uscita, nel 2005, della prima annata de Il Castagno (dalla vendemmia 2003) ci sono state le prime importanti apparizioni sulle più prestigiose guide a livello nazionale come I Vini d'Italia del Gambero Rosso, La Guida de l'Espresso, I Vini di Veronelli e Luca Maroni, quindi Duemilavini/Bibenda, Slow Wine, Vitae.
Subito dopo sono arrivati i primi attestati di merito anche dall'estero, come quelli del Wine Enthusiast Magazine, di James Suckling, già capo dell'ufficio europeo di Wine Spectator, poi fondatore e anima di www.jamesuckling.com, considerato a livello internazionale come uno dei critici di vino più influenti al mondo, quindi Wine Advocate con Monica Larner, Vinous con Antonio Galloni, Falstaff e altri.
In questa pagina vi segnaliamo, in ordine sparso e senza pretesa di elencarle tutte, alcune delle più importanti e significative recensioni ricevute dai nostri vini: da quelle dei nostri "storici" Il Castagno, "Castagnino" e Cuculaia a quelle dei nostri ultimi progetti come Linfa Syrah, Linfa Viognier e Bolla Galeotta.
Viognier Toscana IGT
Bibenda
Guida ai grandi vini d’Italia
4 GRAPPOLI
Paglierino tendente al dorato, luminoso. Naso ordinato ed intenso, ricco di profumi floreali di acacia e magnolia, fiori di mandorlo, poi pesca gialla e mela, agrume maturo, fondo celato da note boisé e mineralità. Sorso pieno e morbido, lunga la verve acida e sapida, giusto l'ausilio dell'alcol e della nota glicerica a bilanciare.
Vinous
by Antonio Galloni
89/100
Linfa Viognier is a classy, dry white that marries varietal character in a dry, bracing style
I Vini di Veronelli
Luigi Veronelli
90/100
-
Luca Maroni
I Migliori Vini Italiani
94/100
-
Syrah Rosato Frizzante Toscana IGT Metodo Ancestrale
Bibenda
I Migliori Vini Italiani
2 GRAPPOLI
Rosa tenue velato con ricca spuma. Timbro fruttato e note floreali con cenni di agrumi all'olfatto. Brioso il sorso, giustamente lungo ed equilibrato.
James Suckling
Wine Ratings
91/100
A lightly hazy, deep-pink sparkling with aromas of apples, pink guava, sourdough and citrus zest. It’s medium-bodied with soft bubbles and bright acidity. Textured and fresh.
Vinous
by Antonio Galloni
89/100
A mix of wild strawberry, dusty rose and crushed rocks rises from the Toscana Rosato Bolla Galeotta. It’s soft-textured and savory, with soothing bubbles and saline-mineral tones that keep the tension high, and finishes a bit tropical, to hints of green melon and young mango.
I Vini di Veronelli
Luigi Veronelli
82/100
-
Luca Maroni
I Migliori Vini Italiani
90/100
-
Syrah Cortona DOC
I Vini di Veronelli
Luigi Veronelli
4 GRAPPOLI
Rubino. Profuma di ciliegie e prugne, pepe e mix floreale. Sorso vigoroso e tannino integrato, delineano un gusto già ben apprezzabile.
Ernesto Gentili
Wine Ratings
87/100
Delicatamente fruttato e floreale nei profumi, ha un profilo semplice ma registrato con precisione su una struttura serrata e non priva di energia; il finale si alleggerisce ma l'insieme è senza dubbio piacevole.
James Suckling
Wine Ratings
94/100
This is rich and decadent with dark fruits, spice and sweet tobacco as well as tea and smoked meat. Full body, round tannins and a flavorful finish.
Vinous
by Antonio Galloni
89/100
Il Castagnino is a fruity, easygoing wine in this range from Fabrizio Dionisio. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, mint, spice and licorice are front and center. This juicy, uncomplicated Syrah is a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years.
Wine Advocat
88+/100
The Cortona Syrah Castagnino is the self-proclaimed "little brother" of the Syrah Castagno. This wine is made from a broader selection of fruit and is released within a year of the harvest more or less. It pours from the bottle with dark intensity and offers lush primary aromas of dark cherry, blackberry and subtle spice. This is a soft and rich wine to drink at outdoor barbecues and easy home dinners.
Wine Spectator
89/100
This rich red boasts blackberry, black cherry and pepper flavors, with a serious backbone that emerges as this glides to a lingering conclusion.
Stephen Tanzer's
International Wine Cellars
90/100
Deep ruby-purple. Smoky violet and dark plum on the bright nose. Fresh and sweet in the mouth, with dark plum and berry flavors carrying nicely through a smooth, long finish. Very well done.
I Vini di Veronelli
Luigi Veronelli
89/100 - 2 Stelle
-
Luca Maroni
I Migliori Vini Italiani
93/100
-
AIS
Associazione Italiana Sommelier
3 VITI
-
Falstaff
90/100
-
Wine Enthusiast
87/100
-
Australia Waterfront
90/100
-
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles
Silver Medal
-
Syrah Rosato Toscana IGT
James Suckling
Wine Ratings
92/100
Lovely freshness and poise to this vivacious rosé, which opens with a nose of strawberries, cream, pink guava and tulips. Medium-bodied and very lithe and subtle with a beautiful line of acidity puncturing the vibrant berries and cherries.
Vinous
by Antonio Galloni
90/100
Bright pale orange-pink. Aromas and fLavors of apple jelly, nectarine and lily of the valley. Clean and fresh, with an enticing juiciness and a zingy mouthfeel on the long close.
Bibenda
Guida ai grandi vini d’Italia
3 GRAPPOLI
Rosa tenue. Regala copiose sensazioni di ciliegie e agrumi, fiori rossi e pepe bianco. Bocca fresca e ben strutturata, sapida in coda.
Wine Advocat
by Robert Parker
89/100
Luminous and bright rosé from one of the most beautiful corners of Tuscany near the hilltop town of Cortona. Delicate perfumes of rose, wild raspberry and cassis lift quietly from the bouquet, revealing some bitter almond and blue flower at the back. The wine ends with dusty notes of crushed limestone.
Ernesto Gentili
Wine Ratings
88/100
Di color rosa antico, è delicatamente floreale al naso ma decisamente più incisivo in bocca, dove rivela dinamismo, una trama continua e una combinazione riuscita tra acidità e sapidità.
I Vini di Veronelli
Luigi Veronelli
88/100
-
Luca Maroni
I Migliori Vini Italiani
91/100
-
AIS
Associazione Italiana Sommelier
3 VITI
-
Syrah Cortona DOC
I Vini di Veronelli
Luigi Veronelli
92/100
Linfa, ovvero una versione originale e romantica del Syrah di Cortona nelle mani sapienti di Fabrizio Dionisio che la dedica alla sua famiglia introducendo tecniche enologiche di sicuro effetto.
Bibenda
Guida ai grandi vini d’Italia
4 GRAPPOLI
Rubino limpido. Profuma di viole appassite, un bel vegetale di felce e macchia boschiva, frutta scura di ribes e more, erbe aromatiche come timo e alloro, radice di liquirizia e un fondo gentile speziato. Gusto morbido, calore alcolico moderato, gradevolmente fresco, tannini felpati, chiude con buon equilibrio d'insieme.
James Suckling
Wine Ratings
92/100
This is very typical for syrah with cloves, sweet tobacco and red fruits on both the nose and palate. Medium to full body. Tight and round tannins and a juicy finish. Reserved yet polished tannins that end and yet it’s attractive and fresh
Vinous
by Antonio Galloni
93/100
The 2020 Syrah Linfa is fabulous. Bright, punchy and effusive, the Linfa is bursting with fruit. There is a feeling of joy to this wine that is hard to describe, but that comes through loud and clear. Aging in terracotta works beautifully in emphasizing the purity of this fruit. I am not sure how the 2020 will age, but I am not sure it matters, as most bottles will probably have been finished before longevity is an issue.
Wine Advocat
by Robert Parker
88/100
Here's a new discovery from Fabrizio Dionisio. The easy-drinking 2019 Cortona Syrah Linfa is a rich and vinous wine with plenty of raw fruit and dark intensity. This is Tuscan Syrah in its naked essence. It opens to an inky appearance and shows concentrated aromas of dried blackberry, plum and spicy tobacco. There is a lot of youth and brightness in this rich Tuscan red
Luca Maroni
I Migliori Vini Italiani
94/100
..
AIS
Associazione Italiana Sommelier
3 VITI
..
Golosaria
di Paolo Massobrio
Top 100 Wines
..
Syrah Cortona DOC
Bibenda
I Migliori Vini Italiani
4 GRAPPOLI
Rubino vivido. Profilo olfattivo coinvolgente, fatto di belle note di fragole e amarene, toni di torrefazione e spezie dolci, tabacco biondo e pepe. Bocca calda e di grande estratto, splende per eleganza fenolica ed integrazione della sponda morbida. Persistente.
Ernesto Gentili
Wine Ratings
91/100
Mostra scioltezza, equilibrio, freschezza di fondo, profumi ben definiti con prevalenza speziata-floreale, tannini ben registrati e un finale non trascinante ma coerente.
James Suckling
Wine Ratings
94/100
There’s a delicious, herbal streak of cypress and lightly dried stems, before this moves expertly through dark plums, hot stones and dried violets. Full-bodied and structured with encompassing tannins and a long, chewy finish.
Wine Enthusiast
92/100
A stellar example of Syrah from Cortona, Il Castagno is a soft and delicious wine with loads of ripe fruit, dark chocolate and leather. It’s a finely textured, smooth red with power and plump cherry on the finish.
Vinous
by Antonio Galloni
94/100
Il Castagno is fabulous. Aromatically expressive and yet also powerful on the palate, is super-impressive its balance, persistence and pure character. Mediterranean herbs, black olive, leather, tobacco and game build into the explosive finish. What a gorgeous wine this is.
Wine Advocat
by Robert Parker
93/100
Here's a standup Syrah from the sun-drenched countryside that surrounds the little city of Cortona in eastern Tuscany. Il Castagno is a generous and softly layered wine with an inviting and cheerful personality. The bouquet opens evenly to showcase dark fruit, blackberry, spice and even a touch of powdered mocha or bitter chocolate. There are some very distant tones of charred meat and black pepper that are a standard feature of most quality Syrah-based wines. However, this wine delivers a magic touch of Tuscany as well.
Stephen Tanzer's
International Wine Cellars
90+/100
Deep ruby. Smoky herbs and smoked beef on the big nose. Then full and dense on the palate, with lively acidity lifting the saline black fruit and tar flavors. Finishes youthfully chewy and persistent.
Wine Spectator
93/100
This has a complex, deep and fascinating nose of tar, grilled meat, blackberry and plum. Full-bodied, with gorgeous fruit and velvety tannins. Finishes with wonderful multi-layers of character, from clove and meat to coffee and berries.
I Vini di Veronelli
Luigi Veronelli
Super 3 Stelle
-
Luca Maroni
I Migliori Vini Italiani
94/100
-
AIS
Associazione Italiana Sommelier
4 VITI
-
Falstaff
94/100
-
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles
Silver Medal
-
Decanter
World Wine Awards
Silver Medal
--
International Wine Challenge
Silver Medal
-
Slow Wine
Vino Slow
-
Syrah Cortona DOC
Bibenda
I Migliori Vini Italiani
4 GRAPPOLI
Colore rubino denso e naso elegantemente complesso, polifonico nelle note di amarene e more, pot-pourri, salamoia, e ancora grafite e spezie scure in chiosa. Sorso dirompente per struttura, morbido nell'interezza, caratterizzato da degna spinta fresco/sapida. Lunga la persistenza.
Ernesto Gentili
Wine Ratings
93/100
Molto scuro e compatto, presenta un naso dai decisi contorni "pepati" ed ematici in aggiunta ai sentori di prugne e violette; in bocca è molto denso ma non stucchevole, il frutto è pieno e maturo, lo sviluppo continuo e bilanciato e il finale molto lungo e sostenuto da adeguata base tannica. In questa fase è incentrato decisamente sulla ricchezza del frutto che avvolge efficacemente il resto della struttura e assorbe l’imponente peso alcolico (15°) attenuandone l’ingerenza, anche se probabilmente limita, pur facendola intuire, la percezione di complessità.
Wine Advocat
by Robert Parker
94+/100
This is a dazzling and beautiful wine. The Fabrizio Dionisio Cortona Syrah Cuculaia is richly concentrated and softly layered. Cuculaia emphasizes softness, darkness and textural ?ber. Black fruit and plum segue to tobacco, leather and camp?re ash. The spirit of the wine is modern and contemporary, no doubt, but this classic vintage plays up its winning assets: the intensity of Syrah and the generosity of Tuscany. It is very nicely done.
Vinous
by Antonio Galloni
94/100
Il Cuculaia is wonderfully sleek and elegant in this vintage, and that's not a bad thing, as this wine has been a bit bombastic in the past. Silky, perfumed and light on its feet, but with plenty of depth, the 2018 is an absolute charmer. Blueberry, lavender, licorice, cloves and new leather linger.
James Suckling
Wine Ratings
96/100
This is a crazy syrah with graphite, iodine, steak tartar, iron rust, blackberries and dark cherries. Incredibly polished, yet muscular with so much dark fruit that’s so well formed and vertical. Full-bodied and very long and mineral on the finish.
Stephen Tanzer's
International Wine Cellars
91/100
Deep ruby. Blueberry, chocolate and herbs on the somewhat balsamic nose. Big and dense, with bitter herb and cocoa nuances complicating dark berry, coffee and black pepper flavors. Finishes long, with serious mouthcoating tannins. I suggest forgetting about this one in the cellar for another six to eight years. This is Il Castagno's top syrah, a selection of the best barrels, but isn't made every year . "With syrah, vine age is all-important," according to winemaker Valentino Ciarla. "Here in Tuscany we find that the vines need to be more than ten years of age to really express much of a syrah personality."
Wine Enthusiast
92/100
Syrah seems to enjoy the Cortona area of eastern Tuscany and this version, from vintner Fabrizio Dionisio, is a prime example. The wine is plump and rich, with lasting flavors of black cherry, sweet spice, tobacco, cured meat and black olive.
Luca Maroni
I Migliori Vini Italiani
96/100
3° Miglior Vino Rosso Italiano
I Vini di Veronelli
Luigi Veronelli
3 StelleOro
-
AIS
Associazione Italiana Sommelier
4 VITI
-
Falstaff
94/100
-
Decanter
World Wine Awards
Silver Medal
-