2015 Castello di Bossi Girolamo Toscana Tuscany 750 ml

Castello di Bossi had our sizable allocation request for this Tuscan marvel within 20 minutes of us opening the bottle.

The 2015 Girolamo is truly that impressive, as polished and seamless a bottle as this region ever produces, without a single rough edge. Its inimitable mix of smooth power and luscious elegance led James Suckling to adorn it with a massive 96-point score for its “loads of richness” and “great tannins.” 

Luckily, because Wine Access members have been fans of Castello di Bossi for the better part of a decade, we snagged this allocation before Suckling incited a feeding frenzy for the Girolamo bottles on U.S. shores. 

The Girolamo, which emanates from the glass with a gorgeous mix of red currant and blackberry, isn’t just one of our personal favorites—America’s leading Italian wine expert, Antonio Galloni, famously called out Castello di Bossi as a shooting star: “If asked to name my favorite under the radar estates in Chianti Classico, Castello di Bossi would occupy a place pretty near the top of that list,” he said. “In particular, the flagships Corbaia and Girolamo are reliably outstanding and exceptionally fairly priced in today's market relative to the quality they consistently deliver.”

We’d say, “consistently over-deliver.” From one of the oldest Merlot vineyards in Tuscany, the 2015 Girolamo comes from a site that formerly supplied grapes to the Antinori family—makers of Tuscan icons Tignanello and Solaia—and was planted by legendary enologist Giacomo Tachis, known as the father of the Super Tuscans.

The ‘15 Girolamo exudes the confident sophistication we’d expect from such a pedigreed site with a mélange of wild berry aromas, subtle oak spice, and smooth, voluptuous texture. 

Castello di Bossi is famous for single-vineyard releases that rank among our most beloved (and best-selling) bottlings from the Chianti Classico region—exemplars of chiseled structure and vibrant tension, and the Girolamo proudly represents that tradition. The 2015 is 100% Merlot, maxing out plushness while maintaining a beautiful thread of acidity that never droops. While this red would perfectly elevate a medium-rare prime rib, it is likewise one of our top contenders for a wine to savor over contemplative conversations. 

The estate possesses 306 acres under vine, marked by the big, rich concentration of the southerly Castelnuovo Berardenga subzone. This unique bottling hails from the heritage Girolamo vineyard, a low-yielding, 15-acre plot with southern exposure and clay-limestone soils that ekes out just one ton of exquisitely fresh, deeply rich Merlot per acre.

Aging in Allier barriques for two years helps achieve perfect integration, leading to a finish that’s purely Italian, but with a generous mouthfeel that shows New World influence in the best possible way. One of the smartest ways to invest in a top Italian wine without shelling out big bucks, the top-rated 2015 Girolamo is a bet we’ll make again and again.