The Coltassala vineyard shares its location and name with a villa. The first Super-Tuscans were created in the 1970s by Chianti Classico producers who rejected government mandates that determined which grapes were required to go into their wine, especially with grapes like Trebbiano and Malvasia. The Super-Tuscans were also treated differently from Chianti, aged in small French barriques rather than large Slavonian oak casks. Because the Super-Tuscans did not follow the DOC regulations, the Super-Tuscans were entitled only to the lowest official designation of the time—Vino da tavola. It wasn’t until 1994 that government recognized the high quality of Super-Tuscans and gave the wine it’s own category—IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica). Volpaia first released Coltassala in 1980 as a Super-Tuscan. The Chianti Classico appellation followed suit, closing the quality gap between Chianti Classico and SuperTuscans. Now Coltassala is a Chianti Classico Riserva Cru even though it’s the same SuperTuscan wine of 1980.

March was unusually hot, followed by a cold and wet April and May. Good weather began on June 10 and lasted through the end of the month. Early July was very hot and dry. From mid-July to the end of August, the heat was sometimes intense, with occasional rainfall that kept the soil suitably wet. The weather was mostly beautiful through September and the first half of October, with a few periods of rain.

The Coltassala has a vivid ruby color. This is a well-structured, complex wine with an elegant nose and hints of vanilla, cacao and fruit.