Bacco’s Wine Club January 2026
It All Begins Here
Pictured: Sean O’Callagan of Tenuta di Carleone
Tenuta di Carleone - Il Randagio Toscana Rosso
Sean O’Callaghan—who’ll describe himself, with a wink, as a “one-eyed rascal”—works in rarefied air in the Tuscan countryside, quite literally. Tenuta di Carleone sits in Radda, the highest subzone of Chianti Classico, where elevation brings cooler temperatures, longer growing seasons, and a natural sense of lift. It’s a place that tends to reward transparency over amplitude—wines with line, brightness, and detail rather than bulk.
O’Callaghan first made his name in Chianti at Riecine before building Tenuta di Carleone as a tightly focused, two-person project. His core wines—his Chianti offerings—lean fully into Sangiovese, and the point is not to modernize the grape but to let Radda speak clearly through it. We’ve had the pleasure of featuring his Chianti Classico in the club in the past, and this time around, we’re putting the spotlight on Il Randagio, or “the stray”, due to its focus on the two non-native varietals of the region, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
In a warmer zone, that blend can easily drift into something plush, sweet-fruited, and oak-led. Here, at altitude, it lands differently. Il Randagio keeps the profile taut and savory: Cabernet Franc’s herbal lift and graphite-like edge, Merlot bringing shape and mid-palate without turning the wine soft. The result feels more “composed” than showy—Tuscan in its structure and dryness, but not trying to play the Chianti Classico game.
In other words, this isn’t your ordinary Super Tuscan.