US LOW

94 points Wine Advocate
With 50% whole bunches, the Tenuta di Carleone 2024 Il Guercio is a wine that really stands out in this tasting. Presented with its distinctive white wax capsule, it opens to punchy white pepper and lavender sachet, with lots of peppery character set against bright, tangy fruit. There is terrific energy and aromatic intensity over a medium-lean mouthfeel that feels perhaps a little leaner in this vintage. Raw, perfumed and vibrant, this is a distinctive expression of Sangiovese. The wine undergoes six months of maceration in cement and is aged in cement. Production is 15,000 bottles.

Tenuta di Carleone is a distinctive organic estate in Radda in Chianti, with vineyards between 450 and 650 meters in elevation on predominantly alberese soils with some galestro. The wines have a wonderfully wild and untamed personality, emphasizing whole-bunch fermentation, long macerations, bright fruit, peppery aromatics and energy over extraction. Recent renovations to the winery and tasting room accompany an increasingly creative range that includes Spanda, an unusual zero-dosage metodo classico made from Sangiovese. - Monica Larner September 2026

96 points Vinous Media
Drinking window: 2028 - 2042
|The 2024 Il Guercio is fabulous. Bright and intensely aromatic, the 2024 is so impressive. Rose petal, lavender, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper lend tons of nuance. Stems exalt floral and savory character. Il Guercio is one of the most original wines in Chianti Classico, and one of the finest 2024s I have tasted so far. Magnificent.

Sean O’Callaghan is one of the most inspired growers in Chianti Classico. These new releases are absolute knockouts. Minimalist intervention in the vineyard, vinification with a healthy percentage of stems and a very light hand with oak are some of the signatures of a house style that is all about finesse. The 2024 Guercio, 100% Sangiovese, is one of my early favorites in this tricky vintage. I can’t recommend these wines highly enough. - Antonio Galloni August 2026

Fermentation: in cement and open bins, maceration 4 months in cement, 30 % whole clusters
Ageing: 12 months cement
Working organically and biodynamically, O’Callahan and his colleague Karl Egger are looking for a lighter-bodied, fresher wine, that strikes a balance between structure and fruit. Fermentation is spontaneous in cement. A small portion of the wine is crushed by foot and begins fermentation in an open bin, and then remains in maceration in that same bin for over three months. Using about 30% whole cluster, the rest of the grapes are destemmed. The wine macerates 40-60 days, with very small pump-overs. The wine from each vineyard site is fermented and aged separately until final blending. Aged 18 months in a mix of tonneaux, cement and stainless steel. Sean avoids filtration and fining.