This Winery Is Permanently Closed.
Winery Rating
Located at:
Strada Comunale della Lama, 6, 53019 Castelnuovo Berardenga SI
Wine Club Rating
Price Range For Tasting
La Lama has quietly operated for over five decades in the southern reaches of the Chianti Classico zone, where the climate tends to be slightly warmer and drier than in the north. Owned and run by the Campani family, the estate has maintained a distinctly hands-on approach to viticulture and vinification. Rather than expanding production or chasing trends, the winery has built its identity on restrained volume, long maturation times, and a clear stylistic direction rooted in the Sangiovese grape.
Duccio, Tiziana, and Sarah Campani now oversee the winery’s operations, continuing their family’s philosophy of crafting structured, age-worthy wines without rushing them to market.
The estate sits at approximately 350 meters above sea level in the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, an area known for producing wines with a bit more density and warmth than those from the northern Chianti Classico communes. La Lama cultivates just 2.5 hectares of vines, mainly Sangiovese, on clay-limestone soils. The low-yielding vineyards are farmed manually and harvested with a careful selection process.
Winemaking is traditional in method but disciplined in execution. Fermentation is carried out in small stainless steel tanks, followed by at least 18 months of aging in 10-hectoliter French oak barrels. The wines then undergo a further bottle aging of no less than five years before release. This unusually delayed release policy sets the winery apart in a region where most Chianti Classico wines are on the market within two to three years of harvest.
La Lama does not operate a conventional wine club, but its limited production and extended aging schedule create a natural allocation dynamic. Returning customers often purchase directly from the cellar door or through select importers. Those interested in ongoing access may benefit from contacting the winery in advance, especially for Riserva or IGT bottlings.
Visits to La Lama are by reservation only and include a guided tour and tasting experience led by a member of the Campani family. Tastings are held in a relaxed but informative setting, either in the cellar or on the outdoor terrace with views of the surrounding vineyards. The $30 tasting fee covers an introduction to all three estate wines, Chianti Classico, Riserva, and IGT Rosso Toscano (our favorite), often across multiple vintages.
Each wine reflects the house style: lifted acidity, firm but resolved tannins, and a restrained fruit profile that leans more toward red plum and dried cherry than overt ripeness. The extended bottle aging brings out savory and tertiary notes, think dried herbs, tobacco leaf, and subtle leather, particularly in the Riserva.
La Lama operates at a scale and pace rarely seen in Chianti Classico today. Its small size, deliberate aging regimen, and consistent focus on structure over immediacy place it firmly in the category of producers worth knowing for those who appreciate Sangiovese’s more contemplative side. With just three labels and a cellar-first philosophy, the winery holds its place among the quieter but more serious estates of southern Chianti Classico.
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