POGGIO ai MERLI - Merlot 2002

Castellare di Castellina, Tuscany

---

The Castellare di Castellina estate

Minerally, austere, Patrician and precise, the style of the wines from this venerable estate reflect the hard, rocky "i sodi" soils of the Chianti Classico hills. In an area and time where international varieties (Merlot and Cabernet specifically) have threatened to all but replace indigenous grapes, Castellare has led the resistance, complementing Sangioveto (the local clone of Sangiovese) with Malvasia Nera, Canaiolo, Colorino and Ciliegiolo for its Chianti and top Super Tuscan. The various birds repesented on the wine labels symbolise Castellare's commitment to environmentally sound cultivation. In the vineyards, no chemical treatments, pesticides or herbicides are used and hunting is not allowed, thus the Estate has become a haven for endagered birdlife and local flora and fauna.