The 1982 Chianti Classico Vigneto Bellavista boasts an extraordinary bouquet that is to die for. Sweet dried rose petals, tobacco, anise, flowers, herbs and leather are some of the many notes that emerge from this beautiful, delineated wine. At thirty years of age the wine shows marvelous depth of color and plenty of fruit. Bright, saline notes frame the exotic and extraordinarily beautiful finish. The 1982 is exquisite and also a historical wine for Chianti Classico, Tuscany and all of Italy. Ama aged the 1982 Bellavista in cask. The blend was Sangiovese, Malvasia Nera and Canaiolo. Beginning in 1985 the estate moved to French oak barrels and grafted over the Canaiolo with Merlot, which would then be used for the Apparita. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. This vertical of Castello di Ama’s flagship Chianti Classico Vigneto Bellavista was one of the more remarkable tastings I have ever had the privilege of participating in. From his very first vintage, 1982, Marco Pallanti was clearly onto something big. Readers still lucky enough to own that wine are in for a real treat. The single-vineyard Bellavista is 80% Sangiovese and 20% Malvasia Nera, a combination of indigenous grapes that works beautifully. The early vintages included a dollop of Canaiolo that was planted in the vineyard up until 1988, when it was ripped out in favor of the Merlot that would go on to produce L’Apparita. I also tasted the 2011 Bellavista in barrel, the first since 2007, and a year that it resembles from a stylistic standpoint. Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Bellavista Key Points: 1. 80% Sangiovese/20% Malvasia Nera aged in French oak barrels 2. Made from Ama’s Bellavista vineyard, a high-altitude plot in Castellina 3. A powerful, intense Chianti Classico 4. Aging potential: 20-30 years