98 points James Suckling: "Such beautiful balance and refinement to this legendary red with cherries, chocolate, walnuts, hazelnuts and autumn leaves. It’s medium to full-bodied with wonderful, creamy tannins and a persistent and complete finish. Better than the exquisite 2015? A blend of cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese and merlot. Needs three to four years to show all it has. Definitely one for the cellar. (12/21/20)"
96 points Kerin O'Keefe (Wine Enthusiast): "A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot, this delicious, juicy red offers inviting aromas of new leather, blue flower, ripe black-skinned fruit and grilled herb. On the smooth, savory palate, tightly knit, fine-grained tannins seamlessly support fleshy black cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and tobacco before closing on a mocha note. Drink through 2029. (Dec 2021)"
95 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "[$99 list] Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a tiny part Sangiovese, the 2017 Sammarco is lush, generous and soft. This wine captures the spirit of generosity and richness that characterizes this sunny vintage. It reveals softer lines and more pliant contours compared to some of the cooler vintages of the past, and you get a generous down pouring of dark fruit, dried blackberry, cinnamon spice and cured leather or tobacco. The tannins are quite robust, but the wine also shows an immediate and accessible approach that distinguishes this growing season. You might notice that my review for the 2016 vintage is missing. That's because the 2016 vintage will be released after 2017 when that older wine has benefitted from more cellaring. Drink: 2022-2040. (Sep 2020)"
95 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2017 Sammarco is heady, exotic and totally beautiful. It is also not anywhere near ready to show all it's got. Iron, smoke, red cherry fruit, leather, blood orange and spice are some of the many notes that infuse the 2017 with layers of complexity. Firm, muscular tannins are going to need time to soften. Even so, the 2017 is a rare Sammarco that will require only minimal cellaring, which is why the estate decided to release it ahead of the 2016. Drink: 2022-2037. (Sep 2020)"
94 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "Sammarco has been one of my favorite Super Tuscans for as long as I can remember, which is not surprising, as this was first produced in the 1980 vintage, making it a longer-running bottling than Ornellaia! The wine is made from a blend of ninety percent Cabernet Sauvignon and five percent each of Sangiovese and Merlot, with all of the vineyards farmed biodynamically. The wine is fermented in cement vats and aged in a combination of three thousand liter botti and five hundred liter tonneaux for fully two years prior to bottling. The 2017 Sammarco comes in at fourteen percent octane and offers up a superb young bouquet of cassis, black cherries, cigar smoke, a touch of fresh oregano, cumin, a superb base of soil tones, just a whisper of road tar and a framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a fine chassis of chewy tannin, a rock solid core of fruit, fine mineral drive and grip and a long, youthfully complex and very promising finish. With the frost in the spring of 2017, this wine is quite structured and will need plenty of time in the cellar to blossom, but it will be simply outstanding once it is ready to drink. 2035-2075+. (Jul/Aug 2021)"
94 points Falstaff: "Vibrant ruby colour. Delicately aromatic nose with notes of bay leaf, cardamom, followed by ripe blackcurrant and tobacco. Round and polished on first impressions, followed up by grippy tannin, hearty and with real vigour on the finish. (2/14/21)"
96 points Kerin O'Keefe (Wine Enthusiast): "A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot, this delicious, juicy red offers inviting aromas of new leather, blue flower, ripe black-skinned fruit and grilled herb. On the smooth, savory palate, tightly knit, fine-grained tannins seamlessly support fleshy black cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and tobacco before closing on a mocha note. Drink through 2029. (Dec 2021)"
95 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "[$99 list] Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a tiny part Sangiovese, the 2017 Sammarco is lush, generous and soft. This wine captures the spirit of generosity and richness that characterizes this sunny vintage. It reveals softer lines and more pliant contours compared to some of the cooler vintages of the past, and you get a generous down pouring of dark fruit, dried blackberry, cinnamon spice and cured leather or tobacco. The tannins are quite robust, but the wine also shows an immediate and accessible approach that distinguishes this growing season. You might notice that my review for the 2016 vintage is missing. That's because the 2016 vintage will be released after 2017 when that older wine has benefitted from more cellaring. Drink: 2022-2040. (Sep 2020)"
95 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2017 Sammarco is heady, exotic and totally beautiful. It is also not anywhere near ready to show all it's got. Iron, smoke, red cherry fruit, leather, blood orange and spice are some of the many notes that infuse the 2017 with layers of complexity. Firm, muscular tannins are going to need time to soften. Even so, the 2017 is a rare Sammarco that will require only minimal cellaring, which is why the estate decided to release it ahead of the 2016. Drink: 2022-2037. (Sep 2020)"
94 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "Sammarco has been one of my favorite Super Tuscans for as long as I can remember, which is not surprising, as this was first produced in the 1980 vintage, making it a longer-running bottling than Ornellaia! The wine is made from a blend of ninety percent Cabernet Sauvignon and five percent each of Sangiovese and Merlot, with all of the vineyards farmed biodynamically. The wine is fermented in cement vats and aged in a combination of three thousand liter botti and five hundred liter tonneaux for fully two years prior to bottling. The 2017 Sammarco comes in at fourteen percent octane and offers up a superb young bouquet of cassis, black cherries, cigar smoke, a touch of fresh oregano, cumin, a superb base of soil tones, just a whisper of road tar and a framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a fine chassis of chewy tannin, a rock solid core of fruit, fine mineral drive and grip and a long, youthfully complex and very promising finish. With the frost in the spring of 2017, this wine is quite structured and will need plenty of time in the cellar to blossom, but it will be simply outstanding once it is ready to drink. 2035-2075+. (Jul/Aug 2021)"
94 points Falstaff: "Vibrant ruby colour. Delicately aromatic nose with notes of bay leaf, cardamom, followed by ripe blackcurrant and tobacco. Round and polished on first impressions, followed up by grippy tannin, hearty and with real vigour on the finish. (2/14/21)"
| Product SKU | 338109 |
| Producer | Castello dei Rampolla |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Varietal | Other Red Blends |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Color | Red |
| Blend | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese |
| Ships To |
