Browse using the new Vinous website now. Launch →

Printed by, and for the sole use of . All rights reserved © 2015 Vinous Media

Cellar Favorite: Castell’in Villa Library Releases

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | JULY 14, 2025

Time marches to its own beat at Castell’in Villa, where proprietor Princess Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa releases her wines only when she thinks they are ready. These current library releases are fabulous choices for readers who want to taste wines with some age from this reference-point property.

The 2016 Santa Croce is the estate's blend of equal parts Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon that spent close to eight years in cask during a time when proprietor Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa was ill and a few lots sat undisturbed in cellar for extended periods. Dark red fruit, rose petal, spice and menthol build in the glass. Most surprisingly, the 2016 is shockingly fresh for a wine of its age. This is a great, great wine. It's not Sangiovese, it's not Cabernet Sauvignon, it's not a blend. It’s simply Castell'in Villa at its most profound. 97/Drink 2025-2036.

The 2010 Chianti Classico Riserva, a library release, is stellar. Dark, ample and explosive, the 2010 is just entering the first part of its drinking window. Black cherry, graphite, leather, scorched earth and incense add to an impression of brooding intensity. There is a touch of oak sweetness, a reminder that the estate introduced some new French oak casks during this era. 95/Drink 2025-2040.

The 1996 Poggio delle Rose emerges from a single vineyard developed in 1990 that was once planted with wild roses. Tobacco, worn-in leather, menthol, licorice, dried flowers and cloves all take shape in the glass. There's a touch of oak sweetness that is not especially intrusive. The 1996 is now fully mature, but it will likely hold for some time. 93/Drink 2025-2032.

The 1994 Chianti Classico Riserva is epic. Aromatic with stunning depth, the 1994 is a total head-turner. What a wine. Dried herbs, mocha, licorice, graphite, black cherry and incense soar from the glass. The wine's concentration is off the charts. For readers who want to know what older wines from Castell'in Villa are like, this is it! 97/Drink 2025-2035.

© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.


You Might Also Enjoy

Castell’in Villa – An Icon Revisited: 1971-2007, Antonio Galloni, July 2013

Chianti Classico: Riding Out the Storm, Antonio Galloni, July 2025

Chianti Classico: The Magnificent 2021s, Antonio Galloni, July 2024

Chianti Classico: The Brilliant 2021s & Variable 2020s, Antonio Galloni, August 2023

Chianti Classico & Neighbors: Looking at the 2020s and 2019s, Antonio Galloni, July 2022



Related Articles