The 2005 Chianti Classico Castello di Ama is a terrific effort. It offers incredible purity and vibrancy in its core of sweet dark cherries and refined, elegant tannins. The wine shows nice density buffered by firm tannins that will need another year or two to soften. The wine clearly benefits from the addition of the fruit that normally goes into the estate’s top Chianti Classico bottings, which were not made in 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2017. Castello di Ama only has two new wines this year. The estate decided against producing its top Chianti Classico selections, Vigneto Bellavista and Vigneto La Casuccia in the difficult 2005 vintage. The Merlot L’Apparita was produced but proprietors Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebasti Pallanti decided the wine needed further bottle age before it was ready to be evaluated. Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1461