Castello dei Rampolla

The di Napoli Rampolla family has farmed the same land near Panzano since 1739, but the estate's modern winemaking identity began in 1965 when Alceo di Napoli Rampolla planted Cabernet Sauvignon alongside the traditional Sangiovese, taking inspiration from the trailblazing work at Sassicaia. The first Chianti Classico was released in 1975, and in 1980 Alceo collaborated with Giacomo Tachis, the oenologist who also shaped Sassicaia and Tignanello, to produce the inaugural vintage of Sammarco, a Cabernet-forward blend that became one of the original Super Tuscans. Alceo passed away in 1991, and leadership transferred to his children Luca and Maurizia, who deepened the estate's commitment to both quality and natural farming. That legacy of intellectual curiosity and willingness to challenge convention has defined Castello dei Rampolla across every era.

• Family ownership of the land dates to 1739; estate covers 120 hectares total, with 42 under vine
• Alceo planted Cabernet Sauvignon in 1965, among the first Chianti Classico producers to do so
• First Sammarco vintage released 1980 with consulting input from Giacomo Tachis
• Alceo di Napoli Rampolla died in 1991; second-generation siblings assumed control the same year

Luca and Maurizia di Napoli Rampolla have steered the estate since 1991, and their influence is felt in every aspect of how Castello dei Rampolla operates today. Just three years after inheriting the estate, Luca introduced biodynamic farming across the vineyards in 1994, a decision that placed the estate well ahead of the curve in Tuscany. The siblings have pursued a progressive, low-intervention philosophy without seeking formal biodynamic certification, allowing them flexibility while maintaining the discipline that biodynamics demands. German winemaker Marcus Edler von der Planitz oversees winemaking, bringing an outside perspective to the cellar. The Vigna d'Alceo wine, created in 1996 from a dedicated south-facing block, was named in honor of their father and remains a tribute to his vision as well as the estate's ongoing commitment to quality.

• Luca and Maurizia di Napoli Rampolla are second-generation owners who took over in 1991
• Biodynamic practices introduced 1994; the estate holds no formal biodynamic certification
• Vigna d'Alceo wine created 1996 as tribute to founder Alceo, the first wine made under biodynamic protocols
• German winemaker Marcus Edler von der Planitz leads winemaking at the estate

All estate vineyards sit within the Conca d'Oro, the natural amphitheater around Panzano that is widely regarded as one of Chianti Classico's finest growing zones. Vines are planted at 350 to 360 metres altitude on calcareous soils and include Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc alongside small plots of Gewürztraminer. The Sammarco vineyard provides Cabernet Sauvignon as the primary component for the estate's flagship blend, while the Vigna d'Alceo block is trained to alberello at high planting density, maximising concentration in what becomes the estate's most prized single-vineyard wine. A separate Sangiovese di Santa Lucia site supplies the grapes for the estate's natural Sangiovese bottling, and a Vendemmia Tardive site planted with white varieties provides fruit for late-harvest and no-sulfite white wines.

• 42 hectares of vines within the Conca d'Oro, Panzano, at 350 to 360 metres altitude on calcareous soils
• Vigna d'Alceo block uses alberello training at high planting density on a south-facing slope
• Sangiovese di Santa Lucia and Vendemmia Tardive sites support the estate's natural and white wine range
• Varieties planted include Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewürztraminer

The winery at Castello dei Rampolla has been systematically stripped of all metal fermentation and aging vessels over roughly the past 15 years, leaving only cement vats, ceramic, cocciopesto (a Roman-style lime-and-terracotta composite), and terracotta amphorae in the cellar. This commitment to inert, natural materials reflects the estate's belief that the vessels themselves should not impose flavour on the wine. Harvesting is done entirely by hand, yields are kept deliberately low, and the philosophy throughout is one of minimal intervention. The Sangiovese di Santa Lucia is fermented and aged in terracotta amphorae and bottled with no added sulfites, while the Bianco di Santa Lucia follows the same approach for white grapes. In 2025, the estate added a new 12-hectoliter wooden botte for fermentation, marking an ongoing willingness to refine the approach. Ninety percent of vineyard machinery has been replaced with lightweight, partly electric equipment consistent with the biodynamic ethos.

• All metal vessels removed from the winery approximately 15 years ago; only cement, ceramic, cocciopesto, and terracotta remain
• Sangiovese di Santa Lucia and Bianco di Santa Lucia both fermented in terracotta amphorae with no added sulfites
• New 12-hectoliter botte introduced in 2025 for fermentation experiments
• 90 percent of vineyard machinery replaced with lightweight, partly electric equipment

Castello dei Rampolla sits at an important crossroads in the story of Italian wine. As one of the first Chianti Classico estates to blend Cabernet Sauvignon with Sangiovese and release it as a Super Tuscan, it helped define a movement that reshaped how the world thought about Tuscan wine in the 1980s. At the same time, its early and deep commitment to biodynamic farming and no-intervention winemaking connects it just as firmly to the natural wine conversation that dominates today. The estate produces a tiny volume, scores at the very top of international critics' scales, and operates with a conviction that sets it apart from larger commercial producers. For students of Italian wine, Rampolla illustrates the evolution of Chianti Classico, the origins of the Super Tuscan category, and the influence that individual visionaries like Alceo di Napoli Rampolla and Giacomo Tachis had on reshaping Italian fine wine.

• Pioneer of the Super Tuscan movement, with Sammarco first released in 1980 alongside contemporaries like Tignanello and Sassicaia
• 2008 Vigna d'Alceo scored 100 points (James Suckling), with multiple subsequent vintages scoring 97 to 99 points
• Biodynamic since 1994, making it one of the longest-practising biodynamic estates in Chianti Classico
• Production ceiling of 25,000 bottles per year keeps the estate in the top tier of rarity among Chianti Classico producers