Tenuta di Carleone

From tea plantations in Sri Lanka to Tre Bicchieri in Tuscany

The story sounds invented: an Englishman from a family of tea planters who studies at Geisenheim, works as cellar master at Schlossgut Diel and then becomes the most celebrated interpreter of Sangiovese of his generation. Yet Sean O'Callaghan, born blind in his right eye (hence his nickname "Il Guercio"), took exactly this path. For more than 20 years he shaped the legendary Riecine estate, before founding Tenuta di Carleone in 2012 with the Austrian entrepreneur Karl Egger, on a property first documented in 1078 as Castiglioni.

Mountain coolness at 700 metres

Tenuta di Carleone's roughly 30 hectares of vineyards lie between Radda and Gaiole, in the historic heartland of Chianti Classico. What makes the location so special is altitude: up to 700 metres, which creates almost alpine conditions. A fresh wind blows constantly over the rows, the nights are cool and the difference between day and night temperatures is enormous. The result is Sangiovese of vibrant acidity and crystalline precision. The limestone and clay soils add mineral depth, a combination reminiscent of the best sites in Burgundy. Some of the Sangiovese vines are more than 60 years old and bring their history to every drop.

Concrete instead of barrique

In the cellar at Tenuta di Carleone, O'Callaghan consistently goes his own way. Where others rely on new barriques, he prefers concrete tanks and large, used wooden casks. The reason: he wants Sangiovese to taste of Sangiovese, not of toast and vanilla. Fermentation is with natural yeasts, and there is no filtration or fining. For wines such as Il Randagio he uses up to four months of maceration with a proportion of whole bunches, a technique that builds structure and complexity without sacrificing the characteristic freshness. Corzano e Paterno, another traditional Tuscan estate south of Florence, takes a similarly respectful approach to terroir; there, sheep even graze between the vines.

The wines: from Pianvecchio to the Tre Bicchieri Chianti

The portfolio covers a wide range. Spanda, a Metodo Classico Spumante Rosato from Sangiovese, shows O'Callaghan's appetite for the unconventional and surprises with fine bubbles and spicy freshness. Il Guercio, which shares his nickname, is pure, concentrated Sangiovese: dark and dense, with notes of black cherry and fig, carried by ripe acidity and velvety tannins. The Chianti Classico, now awarded Gambero Rosso's coveted Tre Bicchieri, embodies the essence of Radda: brilliant energy, crunchy fruit and that unmistakable tension that only this altitude can produce. Antonio Galloni of Vinous puts it in a nutshell: "Sean O'Callaghan makes some of the most distinctive wines in all of Chianti Classico."