Tenuta di Carleone

Thirty years ago, world traveler and one-eyed dreamer Sean O’Callahan handed in his thesis at a German winemaking school then blasted off on his motorcycle for an Italian vineyard adventure. He rolled into Chianti and never left. Today he's the winemaker at Tenuta di Carleone, a gorgeous property in Radda whose vineyards are situated between 400-700 meters in elevation (remember, elevation = freshness!).

Using organic and biodynamic practices, he farms a collection of small plots - 20 hectares in total - nestled among wooded hills, small streams and aged olive trees. Each site is vinified and aged separately before the final blend is made. His M.O. is to craft wines with "bevibilità,” that utter drinkability that makes bottles disappear once opened. And once they are, they do.

Sean's wines spin like a perfectly balanced top going at full speed. They have endless energy and transport you squarely to the patio off his tasting room at midday where you're overlooking Radda, watching the bees collect floral nectar, feeling the soft breeze and breathing in the notes of the surrounding herb garden and late spring fruit blossoms. Few other properties share this superlative view.