Podere Castellinuzza di Coccia Paola

Lamole’s distinctiveness is as much geological as it is climatic. Its soils, derived from weathered sandstone of the Macigno formation and nourished by underground springs, favor graceful, finely-etched wines over raw power. Many vineyards still follow centuries-old traditions, clinging to dry-stacked terraces where vines are often trained in the Lamolese Albarello (bush form)—a testament to more than a century of intuitive, hands-on farming.

Lamole might still fly under the radar were it not for a few persistent voices. One was Piero Lanza of Fattoria Poggerino in Radda, who introduced us to Serena Coccia of Podere Castellinuzza—a second-generation vigernonne. Like Lanza, Serena believes in honoring Chianti’s Burgundian-like nuance: a celebration of site, microclimate, and individuality.

Podere Castellinuzza’s story begins in the early 1900s, when Serena’s great-great-grandfather worked these hills as a sharecropper. Life could be harsh but deeply in tune with the rhythms of the land. When the estate—then Montagliari & Castellinuzza di Cappelli—was put up for sale in 1962, some moved on, but Serena’s grandfather chose to stay. He and his brother bought the property his family had tended for generations—not out of necessity alone, but from love, vision, and a deep sense of duty to the land that shaped them.

The estate was later divided among Paolo Coccia, Serena’s father, and the extended family. Of the 9 hectares inherited, just 3.5 hectares are planted to vines that flank each side of a ridge crowned by the family home and cellar; the rest is covered in chestnut groves and olive trees.

After more than 70 harvests, Paolo remains a master of Lamole’s terroir—and a beacon at Castellinuzza. But in the early 2010s, Serena stepped in to steward the family legacy, backed by an all-female family team.

Five years later, something clicked. Recognizing the distinct identity of each plot, Serena began vinifying them separately, allowing each site’s character to reveal itself prior to blending.

The winery now produces three wines—Chianti Classico, Riserva, and Gran Selezione (in exceptional years)—each a pure expression of Lamole. Just about everything on these steep hillsides is done by hand through fermentation in cement vats. Macerations last two to three weeks, with gentle pump-overs and punch-downs to extract depth without overworking the fruit.

Production is small—just 10,000 bottles per year—but remarkably refined. The youngest vines, used for the Chianti Classico, are already five to six decades old, featuring both northern and southern exposures. The Riserva and Gran Selezione are drawn exclusively from a tiny plot of ancient-vine Albarello terrace that face northwest—a rarity in Chianti, and a direct connection to Lamole’s heritage.

The wines are refined and deeply expressive. Firm, silken tannins that exude class frame a seductive mix of dark fruits, violets, and spice, all lifted by a stony, mineral backbone that clearly reflects Lamole’s high-altitude Macigno soils. These are not wines chasing trends—they are timeless, elegant, and profoundly rooted in place.

As longtime students and fans of Chianti’s many identities, we’re proud to introduce Podere Castellinuzza to the U.S. market—not as a symbol of where Chianti is going, but as a reminder of what it has always been at its best.