Castellare's I Sodi di San Niccolò is the single most overlooked high-end wine in Tuscany today. The 2016 picks up where the 2015 left off. A rush of inky dark fruit, lavender, spice, licorice, gravel, blueberry and menthol builds as the 2016 shows off its exceptional balance and pedigree. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2016 needs a few years in bottle to fully come together. Even so, the 2016 has been nothing less than spectacular on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. In a word: monumental.

The initial impression is the charred, sweet oaky aromas, then aeration quickly reveals black cherry, plum, leather, tobacco, wild herb and iron flavors. There is a certain austerity here too, accentuated by the dense, dusty tannins, yet this is complex, balanced and long, with an acetic feel to the lingering finish. Be patient. Sangioveto and Malvasia Nera. Better than previously reviewed. Best from 2023 through 2048. BS