Castello di Ama, Haiku, 2018
Castello di Ama, Haiku, 2018
- 75cl
- 13.5%
- Red Still
- Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2040
Est. delivery in November, 2026
Ama is undisputedly one of Tuscany's most exciting growers. For Galloni there are "few estates in Italy at this level", whilst for the Wine Advocate's Monica Larner, Ama remains "a reference-point producer in Tuscany".
Haiku, the hidden gem of the range, is all poetry as the name might suggest. A blend of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, this is simply a gorgeous wine that has incredible richness and intensity of fruit, yet there is a sense of lift and lightness at play here too.
The estate uses words like "honesty" and "simplicity", although don't let that fool you into thinking this isn't capable of taking on the most hallowed of SuperTuscans.
What the critics say:
"The 2018 Haiku is fabulous, In fact, the 2018 might be the best vintage yet, as it has a bit more resonance and persistence than some of the earlier editions. Succulent dark cherry, plum, spice, new leather and spice build into the resonant finish."
"A blend of mostly Sangiovese with Cabernet Franc and Merlot in supporting roles, the Castello di Ama 2018 Haiku is a very interesting and somewhat unexpected expression that delivers big richness and lovely concentration, yet the fruit is never too ripe. In fact, it might be a tad underripe in this vintage that saw a few cooler weeks in early summer and some rain toward the end of the growing season. In all, it shows careful balance with an elegant, medium-bodied approach that is propped up by fresh and lively fruit. There are some Cabernet Franc-driven aromas of black olive tapenade. Like the other wines in this portfolio, Haiku is distinctively Mediterranean in personality."
The fruit comes from high-altitude vineyards around Gaiole in Chianti, typically 450 to 500 metres above sea level, where galestro and alberese soils give wines their characteristic lift and mineral edge. The altitude brings cool nights even in a warm Tuscan summer, preserving acidity and the perfume that makes this wine so distinctive. It is a site built for elegance over brawn, and the wine shows it.
Haiku is bottled as IGT Toscana rather than Chianti Classico, a deliberate choice that frees Castello di Ama from the blending rules of the DOCG, particularly around the inclusion of Malvasia Nera and Merlot in these proportions. This puts it in the company of Tuscany's so-called Super Tuscans, wines that prize a single estate's vision over appellation orthodoxy. Compared with the estate's own Chianti Classico bottlings, Haiku is rarer, more experimental, and arguably more personal.
The 2018 growing season in Tuscany served up drama worthy of a Renaissance plot. A wet spring had producers fretting about disease pressure, but summer heat arrived with perfect timing to dry things out and concentrate the fruit. The crucial factor proved to be autumn's extended dry spell, which allowed for leisurely harvest decisions and let each variety ripen at its own pace without the usual scramble against September storms.
What emerged from the cellars shows Tuscany at its most approachable. The Sangiovese displays that lovely balance of bright cherry fruit and earthy backbone that makes Chianti sing, whilst the international varieties found their footing beautifully in the coastal zones. These aren't the brooding, tannic monsters that demand a decade of patience, but wines with enough structure to age gracefully if you fancy waiting. Most are drinking beautifully now, though the finest examples from established producers will reward those who can resist temptation until the mid-2020s.
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