Sean O'Callaghan was born blind in one eye in Sri Lanka to an Irish tea trader. He studied winemaking in Germany, wrote his thesis, then hopped on a motorcycle and disappeared. He landed in Chianti Classico country and never left.

For years, he made wine at Riecine in Gaiole, until a change in ownership allowed him the opportunity to start over, at age 50, with his own vision. Ten vintages in, that vision is crystal clear. Sean's a Sangiovese purist and farms 100 hectares across 20 different plots in Radda, ranging from 1,300 to 2,200 feet elevation. The soils alternate between Alberese limestone and Galestro sandstone. Every plot gets harvested separately, fermented separately, then blended like a painter mixing colors.

When he took over the estate that became Carleone he immediately decided to ferment the plots planted with Cab Franc and Merlot separately, to keep his Sangioveses all at 100%. With "Il Randagio" (Merlot/Cab Franc blend) Sean is aiming for maximum drinking pleasure, purity of varietal character and that unique balance between juiciness and complexity to deliver what Italians refer to as "bevibilità" or "ease of drinking". 

In keeping with the style that has defined his wines at Carleone, Sean makes large use of whole clusters, and a few bins are crushed by foot. Fermented and aged in stainless steel and cement vats. For all these reasons, the wine is named "Il Randagio" (or the "stray dog") the "antithesis" of the Supertuscans of yesteryear.  

Why You’ll Love It

• This isn’t a throwback Supertuscan or a plush international red. It’s a precision-built, stainless-and-cement–raised blend that leans on freshness, lift, and varietal clarity—proof that Bordeaux grapes can speak fluent Tuscan without losing their soul.

• Sean O’Callaghan kept these vines separate so his Sangiovese could remain 100% Sangiovese—and treated this wine with the same long macerations, whole-cluster inclusion, and hands-off discipline that made Carleone famous. Nothing here is accidental.

• Juicy but serious, savory but supple. Think dark cherry, red currant, fresh herbs, graphite, and crushed stone carried by bright acidity and fine tannins. The kind of bottle that disappears faster than you expect—and leaves you thinking about it the next day.

How to Serve It

• Serve around 58–62°F to highlight the wine’s energy and aromatic lift. Too warm and you’ll miss the tension that makes it sing.

• Thirty minutes in a decanter softens the edges and brings out the wine’s savory, herbal side without muting its freshness.

• Ideal with grilled meats, herbed roast chicken, wild mushroom pasta, or anything olive-oil–driven. It’s especially good with food that leans savory rather than rich—this wine thrives in motion.