Tenuta di Carleone - Tasting with Sean O'Callaghan
Winery - Radda in Chianti
Tasted Thursday, August 14, 2025 by Outplaying with 75 views
Introduction
This was a very informative visit. I was very impressed with the wines and the people we met at the winery. Just good vibes and good wine. Sean is doing a few things that are not considered traditional. He uses quite a bit of stems and whole bunches and also large cement tanks. He is looking for freshness and elegance, and the wines clearly show that.
We tasted three different 2024's from concrete tanks. One spent 3 months on the skins and is for the C.C. Another was old vines, 97% Sangio and 3% mixed native grapes. The last was 7 months on the skins 50% stems from Lamole grapes. This is destined for Il Guercio. It shows some stem influence, licorice, mineral, red tones and tannin. Sean says Lamole may have a different clone.
We tasted from one barrel. The wine had been in concrete before. 2023 from an 8 Hectare vineyard Belvedere. Some mint and great fruit - delicious! Destined for Uno.
NV Tenuta di Carleone Spanda
Italy, Tuscany, Vino da Tavola
From 2018 Sangiovese, 5 years on the lees, no dosage. Metodo Classico.
Pale copper color. Light scrub brush and dry herbs on nose. Some leesy autolytic notes. Dry and refreshing. Pretty good.
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2024 Tenuta di Carleone Pianvecchio
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Sean said he missed making a white. 50% Riesling and 50% Vermentino. Used to be cofermented now separate vinification.
Nose took a little coaxing. Some floral notes. Crystalline and Verdicchio-like. Clean, fresh, bright. Slighty roundish but refreshing at the same time. Stoney. I like this.
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2024 Tenuta di Carleone Rosato
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
15,000 bottles. Pale pink in color. My notes say10.6% alcohol. The nose reminds me of a Provence rose. This is an easier, friendly wine. A little simplier than the white. Pale red fruits. Solid, but I preferred the Bianco which seemed to have more energy and acidity.
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2022 Tenuta di Carleone Il Randagio
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
I have had a couple vintages of these now and I have been impressed. 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot. This is not an Italian blend that I would normally search out, or purchase. Sees only cement and lots of whole bunches. Screw cap now.
Some herb and spice accents. There is purity to the fruit, and a freshness that resonates with me. Quite a bit of tannin in this vintage. 20,000 bottles. Great value for what is in the bottle.
Sean says the 2023 is gorgeous and I am looking forward to eventually trying that one.
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2022 Tenuta di Carleone Chianti Classico
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
This bottle was opened yesterday. Pretty nose. Clean with a purity to the fruit, fine tannin, fresh. Gorgeous, elegant Chianti Classico. 60,000 bottles.
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2020 Tenuta di Carleone Uno
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Consumed in a flight along with the 21 and 22 vintages. Uno is made from special selections, rather than different vineyards. 2020 was hot with drought. 30-40% stems.
There is more fruit concentration depth and structure here. Starting to show a little aged character already, and slightly muddled at first. With about 15 minutes of air the wine cleaned up and became fresher. I like this, but the 2021 and 2022 are excellent and overshadowed this one.
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2021 Tenuta di Carleone Uno
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Consumed in a flight with the 2020 and 2022. 30-40% stems again.
Wow, this is excellent. Perfumey nose, with spice and mint. Beautifully balanced, again with the purity of red fruits and elegance. There is sneaky structure here with quite a bit of tannin.
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2022 Tenuta di Carleone Uno
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Tasted in a flight with the 2020 and 2021. Another case on this trip where the 2022's showed just as well as the 2021's.
A little more fruit and concentration than the 2021 but it is still elegant, fine, structured. Some red fruit tones mixed in again. Excellent, but I think the 2021 just edges this out. I will be happy to buy both.
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2016 Tenuta di Carleone Il Guercio
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
100% cement, 4-5 months on the skins, 40-50% stems.
Softer, riper, broader and fatter than the Uno. There is no over ripeness here - no black tones, no raisin. Less noticeable tannin than the Uno. Different, but still made in the house style, which I would say is elegance.
This is interesting, and not what I think of when it comes to Chianti Classico. I would like to have tried this 5 years or so ago to see what it was like younger. I would also like to spend some time with it to understand it better.
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2023 Tenuta di Carleone Il Guercio
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
I liked this quite a bit more than the 2016. This spent 6 months on the skins! More structured and vibrant. Spice and floral accents. Fine and elegant.
Sean called Il Guercio his "test kitchen"
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