The Vigna La Casaccia, which lends its name to a Canalicchio Cru, represents our desire to valorize the uniqueness of a vineyard that is able to maintain its strong identity and quality of being recognizable even in different vintages. Over the years, it has been the vineyard that has shown us how opulence and freshness can coexist in the same bottle.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
100% Sangiovese
From 315 to 297 masl
Vigna La Casaccia
1990
Primarily clay with a good amount of mineral elements, mostly calcium alternating with pebbly soil. These characteristic make wines of great structure, bright colour, depth, and a great elegance that give appealing and silky tannins every year. The ideal location guarantees constant exposure to the sun to the vines from dawn to dusk.
Cordon trained and spur pruned
N/S
3,00 meters x1,00 meter
In steel tanks with fermentation temperature control, daily soft pumping over. Maceration on the skins for 25 days
36 months in slavonian Oak casks (2500 liters)
2015
15 %
6444 Bottiglie da 750 ml
318 Bottiglie da 1500 ml
30 Bottiglie da 3000 ml
The weather in 2019 can be defined as a moderately warm year, never scorching hot, without excessive or prolonged heatwaves which benefitted from considerable diurnal temperature ranges, which favored significant photosynthesis of the plant in support of a perfect maturation.
The winter was characterized by very low temperatures. During the month of January, the minimum temperatures constantly dropped below zero, helping to cool the soil which was crucial for a regular start to the growing season as opposed to an early one. Precipitation levels in the months of January, February, and March were 100mm, not very high but sufficient enough to guarantee water reserves for the start of the growing season, which were already sufficient after a rainy autumn. April with 88mm of rainfall and May with 148mm were two rainy months, characterized by average seasonal temperatures without any violent meteorological events, allowing for an optimal management of the vineyards guaranteeing excellent reserves for the summer. The rain ended on May 29, and a dry period began which lasted until July 26, with the exception of very little rainfall. It was, for us, one of the key moments of the year: regular flowering, without rainfall, with mild temperatures that were never excessive which continued until the end of June guaranteeing steady growth while respecting the phenological phases of the vines, balanced and uniform, and guaranteeing the absence of fungal disease. The period from June 25 to July 9 saw the hottest period of the year with highs reaching 35° and with lows hovering between 15° and 17°. In these conditions, even with warmer temperatures, the vines were able to “breathe” each day thanks to the cool nights, and this guaranteed a proper and regular growing season. On July 27, a providential rainfall averted any water stress from the vines: the 60mm which fell on July 27 and 28 along with the 30mm between August 22 and 24 and the 12mm on September 1 ensured that the vines always had that quantity of water available, neither too little nor too much, what was necessary to continue on a regular growing cycle. During this time, the temperatures were quite normal, without any heatwaves that might have compromised the quality of the grapes as the color changed and, later, during the ripening phase, with maximum temperatures around 30°-32° still compensated by the diurnal temperatures ranges of 15°-20° each day, which completely prevented any burning. Before the start of the harvest, we had a final rainfall of about 90mm on September 22, which did not affect the quality of the grapes in any way. Actually, it helped rebalance and wash the grapes before coming into the cellar.
The results of all the weather indices confirmed and justified that 2019 was an exceptional harvest with a rating on the Fregoni Index of about 400 and on the Huglin index 2500 with total rainfall at 520mm.
2019: ELEGANT POWER
Referring to 2019 as one of the best vintages in recent decades, counting this vintage among the greatest in the Montalcino territory, we believe that this wouldn’t be a stretch, or even a misjudgment.
The 2019 vintage, from our point of view, respects those canons of “Elegant Power” which only vintages with great balance are able to give, raising the bar of balance and bringing with it a lot of everything: from perfect phenolic maturation which brings out the “Power” to the extraordinary technological maturation, which, thanks to the continuity of the optimal acid profile, accentuates the “Elegance”. Perpetually poised between showing its muscles and its grace, aspects which differ so much but also magically complement one other in a great wine that is meant to age for a long time, the 2019 surprises for its harmony and balance, which only great vintages are able to achieve.
As for every vintage, the result is the fruit of an agronomic journey, which, in 2019, was regular with regards to the water supply, generally warm but never scorching hot and with diurnal temperature ranges that favored maturation and concentration, safeguarding the freshness and fragrance. These conditions favored great expression in the bouquet where the pureness of the fruit is exalted by the classic balsamic notes of the north zone of Montalcino without ever overpowering the elegant florality, a distinctive trait in “Canalicchio di Sopra” wines. The ideal weather conditions gave rise to a two-dimensional harvest, succeeding in uniting opulence with the verticality in the wines, silkiness with minerality, sweetness with sapidity.
A distinctive feature of this vintage is the ability to reveal the territory, the nuances of individual vineyards and of the subzones where we cultivate our Sangiovese, in such a distinct and deep way that it brings out its differences and uniqueness.
The harvest started on September 26 in the youngest vineyards for the production of Rosso di Montalcino DOC and continued without interruption until October 6, on sunny days with great diurnal temperature ranges which allowed us to bring fresh and fragrant grapes into the cellar, simplifying regular fermentation with a long extraction period. The quality of the skins, rich in polyphenols and perfectly ripe, resulted in a vinification which saw the usual delicate operations of the initial pumping over and délestage, followed by a long period of maceration on the skins which, in many cases, lasted up to 35 days.
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Vigna La Casaccia “Canalicchio di Sopra”, from the same vineyard as the Canalicchio Cru, represents the wine which reveals the characteristics of this vineyard, planted in 1990, through a vintage which brings out opulence and a balsamic nature. The Casaccia vineyard, thanks to its chalky and clayey soil, brings out the sweetness of the tannin, its silkiness, and its gradual lengthening.
The Vigna Casaccia 2018 opens with aromas of underbrush, leather, dark spice and whiffs of violet. More closed than the Brunello Annata, it’s also more structured, showing ripe dark-skinned berry, licorice, tobacco and balsamic notes recalling eucalyptus. Tight, fine-grained tannins provide support while great acidity keeps it fresh and balanced. Drink 2026–2040.
- Kerin O'Keefe
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2018 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia reveals medium-dark fruit and an open-knit approach with broad brushstrokes of black cherry, baked plum and spice. The alcohol content is too high at 15%, and that added power takes away from the finer nuances of the fruit. It ages in Slavonian oak for 36 months; however, the freshness is good in this wine. This is a limited release of 3,733 bottles and 200 magnums.
-Monica Larner
A delicate, graceful style, offering cherry, fruitcake, sage, eucalyptus, iron and leather flavors. Firm and nicely balanced, with a long, expanding aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2042.
- Bruce Sanderson -
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia is impossible to ignore; it is earthy and mineral, almost smoky and animal in nature. Ashes stones, violets and balsam herbs complicate depths of dried black cherries, sage and clove. This is deeply textural and seductive, balancing ripe red and black fruits with sweet spice and minty herbal tones that create a kaleidoscope of sensation on the palate. A salty flourish shines through the finale, along with a crunchy tinge of blackberry seeds to contrast, as fine-grained tannins wrap the sense with youthful poise and a bitter twang resonates. The 2019 may be immortal. La Casaccia is a showstopper. Drinking window 2026-2040.
- Eric Guido -
A dark mix of crushed rocks and flowery underbrush is lifted by nuances of dried strawberry and worn leather as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia smolders up from the glass. It’s silky in feel, communicating a wonderful elegance, with ripe red and hints of blue fruits accentuated by inner violet tones. This is potent and long through the finale, with sneaky tannins, staining the palate with liquid florals, as a hint of citrus-tinged black currant slowly fades. The 2018 is a beautifully balanced Brunello of this vintage.
- Eric Guido
Francesco Ripaccioli explains that La Casaccia’s clay soils absorbed the rains of September, initially diluting the grapes. He credits the subsequent dry northern winds with concentrating the berries as the estate waited until 28 September to pick. The resulting wine is certainly one of the vintage’s more solidly structured Brunello and also displays the darkest fruit of the estate’s trio of bottlings. Cherry and even blackcurrant are met with sage, rosemary and wet soil. The firmly built palate of dense fruit is framed by clingy tannins, while underlying juiciness keeps it bright and buoyant.
- Michaela Morris
Whereas Montosoli is more mineral-driven and finely stitched together, this wine is broad, big and driven by balsamic tones, vapor rub and dried rosemary.
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia, however, is more explosive with spice, toasted coffee, black licorice, cherry cola and rich cherry. The tannins feel chalky, although they are fine-grained, but they play a bigger role against the concentrated fruit. Only 7,200 bottles and larger formats were made. Drink Date 2025 - 2042.
- Monica Larner -
Rich and velvety, with cherry, raspberry, eucalyptus and juniper aromas and flavors, this is backed by a dense, steely structure, whose tannins leave a strong grip on the finish. Balanced, complex and long, with a saline, mineral impression persisting on the aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2043, 147 cases imported.
- Bruce Sanderson -
Bright medium red. Very pretty violet and red cherry aromas and flavours with hints of spicy cinnamon and nutmeg. Fleshy but precise, this finishes long clean and mineral. Owner Francesco Ripaccioli has arguably made the best pair of Brunellos of any estate from the 2018 vintage. Drinking window: 2027-2038.
- Ian D'Agata -
- Riccardo Viscardi -
Casaccia is a single vineyard in the Canalicchio area northeast of Montalcino. Here the cooler, windy mesoclimate and clay soils typically produce plump fruit, but with tannins of great finesse. This single cru bottling fulfils a long-term goal of owner Francesco Ripaccioli to capture the uniqueness of its various Sangiovese sites. The nose is initially earthy and dark with roasted chestnut, cigar and polished leather over amarena cherry. In keeping with the cooler 2018 vintage, a refreshing hit of acidity, menthol and eucalyptus strike the front palate just a beat before the fruit catches up. The tannins are like a finely woven wool suit that's cut close to the figure, but without being tight; the fruit returns on the finish, surprisingly fresher than before.
- Sarah Heller MW -
A single vineyard of great thickness and inimitable balance, nose with notes of cranberry, then touches of eucalyptus and gardenia, with hints of juniper. Brackish palate, thick, with a return of cranberry and spicy notes.
- Luca Gardini -
Very dark ruby with bricky rim. Spicy, minerally notes over generous cherry fruit. Lots of supple cherry fruit with a dose of well-judged tannins that cling to the fruit on the finish. A little riper and fuller than Montosoli, but has the bones to age gracefully. Drink 2026 – 2038.
- Walter Speller -
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Vigna La Casaccia is fantastic. Generous and powerfully built, it also has a weightless grace, featuring aromas of black-skinned fruit, iris and camphor while the enveloping palate delivers ripe plum, mature black-skinned berry, licorice and cake spice. Velvety, enveloping tannins give it a smooth texture while fresh acidity keeps it balanced.
- Kerin O’Keefe -
La Casaccia is a brown clay with a prominence of calcium carbonate that gives this single vineyard sangiovese its colour. A place of high (8.2-8.3) pH characterized by the clay. "For me it's sleekness," tells Francesco Ripaccioli, "not opulence and less heaviness than from (a vineyard) of dense clay." La Casaccia from that calcareous clay is no simple Rosso or classic Brunello for that matter and it is immediately apparent that concentration and depth of all parts manage the wine's breadth at levels those drink earlier propositions do not. Similar grip to Riserva but not the same power although without tasting Riserva at the same time it would be hard to imagine how this could be improved or extrapolated upon. Simple but crazy complex and a most evocative elucidation to see this Brunello wooing with as much substance and intensity as it does - but these are the 2019s. A matter of deliberately annotating sangiovese and Casaccia through this interaction with a Brunello that enhances a taster's understanding, recall and reaction to the vintage. Drink 2027-2038.
- Michael Godel -
Medium-deep. Vibrant aromas of strawberry, peppery herbs and truffle. Then smooth and sultry, with multilayered flavours of red cherry, preserved plum, star anise, cinnamon and oaky spices. Long, balanced and suave on the rising finish. This will be a knockout in due course. Drinking window: 2030-2044.
- Ian D'Agata -
Bright ruby red in colour. Aromatics of blue florals, dried herbs and mellow spice. Small dark fruits abound, liquorice, blonde tobacco and distant cinnamon. Close knit fine tannins. Not an easy wine to fully appreciate at first, it has tremendous resonance, great structural integrity and soft textural curves. This wine is unique in as much it plays “hide and seek” with its interviewer. Personally I know it’s a stunning wine that needs time to relax and show all its fine character.
- Tony Wood -
Produced since the 2015 vintage, Vigna Casaccia is fashioned from 30-year-old vines of the BBS11 clone. Reaching 315 metres, the plot is characterised by a high percentage of brown, magnesium-rich clay. Surely the most impressive release yet, the 2019 exhibits the cru’s intrinsic sumptuous character and girth, along with telltale resinous herb nuances of rosemary, thyme and eucalyptus. yet this year, there is an extra spark. Through that expansiveness, an underlying firmness keeps this from overflowing its limits. Plump fruit marked with a mineral lick and terracotta earthiness is all wrapped up in smooth, velvety tannins, and it carries its 15% alcohol with ease and grace. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2041
- Michaela Morris -
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2015 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia represents a new chapter in this estate's long history. This is a single-vineyard expression from the Canalicchio area, one of the most interesting subzones on the northeast side of Montalcino. Giving identity to individual parcels gives an estate like this huge potential for further expression and experimentation. The site is a little over two hectares, and it has dense, mineral-rich clay soils that add more power and a heavier center of gravity. The vines were planted in 1990. I notice slightly firmer tannin here, with a very distinct level of acidity purity. You also get lasting berry fruit favors with blueberry and dried raspberry followed by spice, licorice and lavender buds from the south of France and the rim of the Mediterranean. The wine is distinguished by endnotes of balsam or medicinal herb that grow in strength with time. It offers plenty of volume and weight. Not counting the various large format bottles made, only 3,610 750-milliliter bottles were produced. They were filled in May 2019, and the wine hit the market in January 2020.
- Monica Larner
The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia opens with an intense mix of zesty red fruits, spice and alluring sweet florals, backed by dark earth, crushed stone, hints of licorice, and a twang of savory herbs. On the palate, silky textures are contrasted by saline-minerals and brisk acids, as red berry fruits flood the senses along with savory herbs and spices, leaving a coating of fine-grained tannin. The finish is long, displaying lingering spiced red berries enlivened by resonating acids, saline-mineral tones and a hint of fine tannin. Talk about a great way to release a new single-vineyard bottling, The 2015 is classic to the core.
- Eric Guido
The intensity of fruit is staggering here, as this stacks up dried peaches, dried strawberries, red licorice, red-plum compote and glazed red cherries, in rapid succession. There’s a breadth of flavor to the palate that will take your breath away; muscular tannins draw in deeply set cherries, melding it together in a glistening coating of acidity, which only helps to carry it longer still. The finish is nearly endless. A stunning new single vineyard from Canalicchio di Sopra. Drink from 2026.
A significant new release for Canalicchio di Sopra, La Casaccia is a single vineyard close to the winery in the district of Canalicchio, north of the town of Montalcino. Comparing it to his plots in Montosoli, owner Francesco Ripaccioli describes the soil here as a heavier brown clay with lots of magnesium giving more generous growth. It produces a relatively weighty, substantial wine with firm, sturdy tannins and balancing acidity. Notes of sage, tobacco, liquorice root and heather weave through the plush dark currant fruit. Both this and the classic Brunello are equally accomplished, however I suspect La Casaccia may have longer ageing capacity.
- Michaela Morris
A spectacular wine in every sense: a firm, deep, minerally fruit nose, a composed but full palate with finely chiselled tannins and perfectly integrated juicy acidity. Long and layered and impossible to resist but deserves more bottle age.
- Walter Speller
This is a newish single-vineyard wine (it's the second vintage) created by Francesco Ripaccioli and the team at Canalicchio di Sopra at the conclusion of an ambitious estate-wide mapping project. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia draws its fruit from a two-hectare site planted in 1990 with clay soils and rich in mineral components. A precious 4,133 bottles were made. What I like most is the tightness of the fruit, which you chip away at slowly as the wine softens and yields in the glass. Each layer brings you forest fruit, sour cherry, almond, lilac and candied orange peel. On a second swirl, you might get black olive, bay leaf and scorched earth. There are subtle mineral notes, but what La Casaccia ultimately offers is that uniquely compact and extremely polished quality of fruit.
-Monica Larner
Lifting up with gorgeous floral perfumes and hints of white smoke, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia from Canalicchio di Sopra keeps you at the edge of your glass. It opens up with a dark and dramatic display of balsamic-tinged black cherry, sage and Indian spice, contrasted by savory notes of tobacco, rich earth tones and flowery undergrowth. There’s an amazing density of fruit here, offset by salty minerals, zesty acids and a hint of sour citrus. The textures are velvety-smooth, yet the expression remains feminine and lifted. In fact, you can hardly notice its underlying tannic heft until it’s too late, as the 2016 La Casaccia seems to youthfully fold in on itself, halting the expression but promising over a decade of further development.
- Eric Guido
A red with cherry, walnut, bark and hints of dried flowers. It’s full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a tight finish. Really reserved now. Needs three or four years to open. Best after 2024.
- James Suckling
English:
Sparkling, dark ruby with a shimmering garnet edge. Compact, somewhat closed nose with notes of dark blackberries and cherries, a fine nougat note in the background. Blooms great on the palate, tightly meshed, substantial tannin, embedded in fine fruit melt, salty and juicy, is still very young, but has a long life ahead of it.
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
Deutsche:
Funkelndes, dunkles Rubin mit schillerndem Granatrand. Kompakte, etwas verschlossene Nase mit Noten nach dunklen Brombeeren und Kirschen, im Hintergrund feiner Nougatton. Blüht am Gaumen toll auf, dichtmaschiges, stoffiges Tannin, eingebettet in feinen Fruchtschmelz, salzig und saftig, zeigt sich noch sehr jung, hat aber ein langes Leben vor sich.
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
This ripe red is bursting with plum, cherry, floral and mineral aromas and flavors. Succulent and balanced, with savory, sanguine and earthy accents, rolling on through the long, herb-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2024 through 2045.
- Bruce Sanderson
Lustrous mid ruby. Leafy cherry hints but otherwise quite closed on the nose, yet with a clear sense of purity. Dense, yet elegant and with tangy acidity shooting through the mouth-filling fruit. Firm noble tannins add depth and contour. Real cru pedigree.
- Walter Speller
The second release of this single vineyard, La Casaccia was planted in 1990. At an average altitude of 300 metres, it sits on predominantly clay soils and is bathed in sun from morning until evening. This doesn’t have quite the plushness or gregarious personality of the 2015 but takes on the 2016 vintage’s more vertical path, opening slowly. Aromas are evocative of pine, cedar and sage. Full but not weighty, the palate brings in earthy nuances with wild berries.
Acidity is cleansing, and silky tannins build up to a powerful finish.
Drinking Window 2024 - 2040
- Michaela Morris
Brunello di Montalcino LA CASACCIA 2016 obtained the CORONA, the highest recognition assigned by GUIDA VINI BUONI D'ITALIA
This shows the ripeness of the vintage, with ripe-berry, cherry and floral
aromas and flavors. Some cedar, too. It’s full and flavorful, with lots of chewy
yet polished and focused tannins. A little dusty in texture. Drinkable now,
but better in 2023.
- James Suckling
Nobile ed elegantissimo mostra note miste floreali e fruttate che ricordano i gerani, l’ibisco, le prugne rosse, la buccia di arancia arsa, la china e la terra bagnata. Corpo pieno, tannini perfettamente maturi ed integrati nella matrice ed un finale iconico punto di riferimento per la denominazione nel difficile millesimo. Meglio dal 2023.
- Raffaele Vecchione
The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia is aromatically stunning, blasting up mineral in style, with a dark floral and balsam lift, giving way to licorice, black cherry and hints of camphor. It gains further depth and volume the longer it sits in the glass. The textures are silken, fleshy and pliant at first, as contrasting tart red fruits and minty herbal tones come through, saturating the palate with primary concentration. This is even savory at times and displays smoother contours than past vintages, yet it’s supremely balanced and pure. Repeating minerality comes through in spades and this turns youthfully dry and perfumed, yet still juicy and classic in feel. La Casaccia is a huge success for the vintage.
- Eric Guido
This is where all the recent hard work put by Francesco Ripaccioli and team really comes to light and fruition. La Casaccia is northerly-ish but certainly not Montosoli and yet the aromatic profile of this Vigna-designate Brunello is laced with cool nuance and found to be full of fine finesse. As per the Canalicchio di Sopra idiom there is plenty of wood casking through the bones of the wine and yet one can feel the highest quality of those large vessels gifting a select strength leading to the chic style, surely to be followed by one and the half decades of aging. All what needs, what is and must be for La Casaccia. Drink 2023-2030. Tasted November 2021.
- Michael Godel
Da uve brunello, matura in botti da 30 hl per almeno 24 mesi. Classico rubino. Olfatto nitido e intenso su ciliegie nere mature e more. Una leggera affumicatura che introduce erbe officinali che danno freschezza. Trama e progressione fitte, nervose con tannino giovanile ma perfettamente integrato. Ottimo il finale per lunghezza e sobrietà. La zona nordica esprime le sue caratteristiche anche in annate torride ma qui c’e il trucco: piovve a metà settembre.
- Riccardo Viscardi
A great release of Brunello from the northeast slope of the denomination. Nose of freshness and finesse, notes of raspberry, touches of fresh marjoram and undergrowth. The mouthfeel is juicy-savoury, dense, with a nice spicy finish and persistence.
- Luca Gardini
Within the Canalicchio area, the Casaccia vineyard boasts a high clay content, which helped curb water stress in 2017. As with all Canalicchio di Sopra’s wines, the grapes were double-sorted to remove any green or sun-dried berries. Pristine in aromas and flavours, this offers clove, cardamom, mint and sweet dark earth on a backdrop of black cherries. The ample, mouth-filling palate is hemmed in by compact, sandy tannins. Underlying succulence makes this quite moreish. Drinking Window 2024 - 2032
- Michaela Morris
This is a relatively new addition to the Canalicchio di Sopra portfolio, and even its modern graphic label design represents a break from the rest of the line, which has more nostalgic labels that feature Montalcino's medieval main square. The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia takes a little longer to open, but it ultimately reveals the elegance and energy that comes with the house style. Wild cherry, ash and balsam herb drive a long, very polished finish. The La Casaccia site is distinguished by mineral-rich clay soils, which give this wine its power and density. Production is limited to 4,133 bottles in this vintage
- Monica Larner
Inviting aromas of baked plum, violet, baking spice and sun-warmed hay come to the forefront along with a whiff of leather. The enveloping palate is delicious, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and nutmeg framed in tightly woven, polished tannins that lend finesse and a smooth texture. Drink 2024–2029.
-Kerin O’Keefe
Black cherry and blackberry flavors hold court in this dense, yet vibrant red, which is defined by brisk acidity. Stays beautifully integrated, harmonious and long, while earth and savory herb accents add depth. This should really sing in about 2-3 years. Best from 2024 through 2040.
- Bruce Sanderson
Just mid ruby with orange tinges. A subdued nose with malt-bread notes. Needs to take a very deep breath, while revealing oak hints. The palate displays fragrant marasca-cherry fruit balanced by supple acidity. Very long, concentrated and with beautiful, coating tannins.
- Walter Speller
Profondo, un po' tabacco, catrame e un po' nocciola, aroma di bacche nere e rosse mature con sfumature floreali secche che ricordano i petali di rosa e un po' di note eteree. Crostata, matura, frutta piuttosto scura, aromi di noce e legno leggermente speziato di cacao, note pepate e di ginepro, mineralità salata, con tutta la sua potenza anche note rinfrescanti, buona profondità, struttura ferma, abbastanza complesso, ma trasparente e lucido, ancora giovane, molto buono, fermo, crostata e finale speziato.
Reviewed by Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
Brunello di Montalcino LA CASACCIA 2017 obtained the CORONA, the highest recognition assigned by GUIDA VINI BUONI D'ITALIA
Einladende Noten von Waldbeeren und Sandelholz; der Ansatz geschliffen, besitzt präzise Säure und engmaschiges Tannin, intensiv-würziges Fruchtfinale. Muss sich noch etwas abrunden.
- Christian Eder
Absorbing display of black cherry, blackberries, violet florals and menthol. Quickly followed by fresh juicy textured nuances of red berries and balsamic notes, leave you almost gasping for breath. Sweet notes then savoury ones bombard the senses on this hedonistic experience. Phenomenal length and balance.
- Tony Wood
From the highly vocated vineyard of the same name, a beautiful version of Brunello, typical of the north-eastern area of the denomination. Freshness to the nose, notes of black raspberry, touches of eucalyptus and undergrowth. The palate is juicy-sapid, dense, with return of fruit and undergrowth.
- Luca Gardini
A tiny bit more developed (than the classic 2018 Brunello) lustrous ruby with orange, bricky narrow rim. There is a sense of richness combined with mineral intensity on the nose. Pure cherry and raspberry with a hint of orange and cinnamon bark. Juicy, minerally and savoury on the palate and with finely chiselled tannins. 15% but very elegant and poised.
-Walter Speller
Cedro peel, lavender, sour cherries, redcurrants and hints of lemongrass on the nose. Full-bodied, silky and perfumed, with a fine tannin backbone and a weightlessness to it. Swathes of creamy ripe fruit. Drink after 2023.
- James Suckling
Boom! Vigna la Casaccia nel millesimo 2018 è denso e compatto nel calice senza perdere in leggiadria e complessità sensoriale. Si alternano lentamente note di prugne nere, more, cannella in polvere, incenso, mirto selvatico, cumino e pepe nero. L’arancia sanguinella descrive il profilo secondario che si anima con buoni muscoli. Corpo pieno, tannini perfettamente morbidi di grana finissima ed un finale di lodevole bellezza. Meglio dal 2025.
- Raffaele Vecchione
Great anticipation to taste La Casaccia and Montosoli side by each from a vintage carrying no option but to act out the passion play through the glaring clarity of a sense of place. There are facts involved and there is no hiding the truth formed by these plots of sangiovese in this vintage. By now it is understood how 2018 exists on its own accord at one with nature though Francesco Ripaccioli will tell you there are similarities with 2013, if only because that vintage was greatly ignored and is drinking well at this time. La Casaccia in the località of Canalicchio is the wildcard of Montalcino and tasting several wines from the frazione reveals a collective affinity supplied by the year’s gifts. Nothing was portioned or taken away from the ’18 Annata and yet this Vigna sings with even more range and depth than that wine. The acids are simply out of this proverbial world, the linear aspects drawn with precise architectural or even, in Old English speak, a Cutter’s line. Remarkable reserve in concentration and forward slicing finesse. Forever long. Forever young. Drink 2025-2038.
- Michael Godel
Ruby red in colour. Wild meadow florals and violet awaken the senses. Wild black berries, boysenberry, dark plum and blackberry assisted by refreshing acidity and rounded tannins lift the palate to experience the layered intensity and textural resonance. The sheer appeal of this wine is mind blowing. Balance and energy are a given…
- Tony Wood -
Funkelndes Rubingranat mit aufhellendem Rand. Intensive und viel schichtige Nase mit feinen Noten nach Waldhimbeere, Schwarzkirsche und Rosen, im Hintergrund etwas Rauch. Kompakt in Ansatz und Verlauf, zeigt schöne reife Frucht, griffiges, dichtmaschiges Tannin, baut sich in vielen Schichten auf.
Brunello di Montalcino Trophy 2023
- Wolfgang M. Rosam, Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler -
Ebenso sehr komplexes und dichtes, nobles Bouquet mit à point reifen, überwiegend dunkelroten Beeren, dunklen Kirschen, Veilchen, Pfeffer und wieder erdigkräutrigen Noten. Sehr klar umrissenes Duftbild, das sich am dichten und druckvollen Gaumen fortsetzt. Das feinsandige Tanninkleid umhüllt gekonnt und nobel die konzentrierte Frucht und die würzig-mineralischen Noten, spannt sich ganz weit und ist ewig lang. Schöne Liaison aus Kraft und Eleganz mit der typischen Sangiovese-Frucht und Würze mit herrlichen ätherischen Noten im persistenten, mineralisch geprägten Finale. Einer der besten der Verkostung. Top 3. Bravo!
Guida 2024 - sezione "Vini da vitigni autoctoni"
Ausladendes Bouquet mit einer schönen Liaison aus reifer Frucht und floralwürzigen Noten. Hier treffen die saftigen Pflaumen auf getrocknete Veilchen und Zedernwürze. So geht es auch am saftigen Gaumen: wunderschöne SangioveseFrucht (dunkle Kirsche, Zwetschge) umrahmt von floralwürzigen und zart ledrigen Noten. 2025 – 2036
- Giuseppe Lauria -
Coinvolgente e di notevole spessore enologico mostra complessità nella stratificazione di prugne rosse, fragoline di bosco, buccia di lime, glicine, timo selvatico, bosso e verbena. In sottofondo nuance nobili di carattere verde ricordano le foglie di tè verde e la menta piperita. Corpo medio, tannini morbidi di grana fine ed un finale equilibrato e piacevolissimo che fa della delicata potenza la sua arma migliore. Meglio dal 2025.
- Raffaele Vecchione -
Sweet sour cherries with rose stems and hints of green leaves on the nose. Medium body with firm, chewy tannins with some juicy fruit. Fresh and vivid. Better after two or three years.
- James Suckling -
Vitae, La Guida Vini 2024 - X edizione
Tra i 5 migliori Brunello di Montalcino 2018 Selezione
Bright medium red with garnet highlights. Aromas and flavours of ripe red cherry, plum, and orange peel are complemented by strong notes of tobacco and earth. Perfumed and luscious on entry, then somewhat broad and diffuse in the middle, with ripe red cherry, plum nectar and redcurrant jelly flavours complicated by a dusting of wild herbs. Very fine tannins leave a suave mouthfeel behind on the long, savoury finish that features repeating strong nuances of sweet pipe tobacco. Drinking window: 2023-2033.
- Ian D’Agata -
Ungemein komplexes und tiefgestaffeltes, ätherisch-kräutriges Bouquet mit à point reifen, überwiegend dunklen Beeren, Tabak und wieder erdig-kräutrigen Noten. Sehr klar umrissene Struktur am Gaumen, messerscharf konturiert, ungemein druckvoll, gekonnt umhüllt vom feinen, eleganten Tanninkleid, nobel mit konzentrierter Frucht und würzig-mineralischen Noten, spannt sich ganz weit mit wunderbarer Fruchtsüße und Frische. Schöne Liaison aus Kraft und Eleganz, sehr persistent und lang im Finale mit der typischen Sangiovese Würze und ätherischen Noten. Einer der besten der Verkostung. [2026 – 2042]
- Giuseppe Lauria -
Leuchtendes Rubinrot. In der Nase auf erdigen Tönen, satter Kirschfrucht, etwas Blutorange, nicht ganz präzise, wenngleich in sich stimmig. Am Gaumen geschliffen, elegant, mit engmaschigem, packendem Tannin, kompakt, sehr saftig, toller Stil, druckvoll, mit anhaltendem Abgang.
Brunello di Montalcino Trophy 2024
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler -
The Vigna La Casaccia, which lends its name to a Canalicchio Cru, represents our desire to valorize the uniqueness of a vineyard that is able to maintain its strong identity and quality of being recognizable even in different vintages. Over the years, it has been the vineyard that has shown us how opulence and freshness can coexist in the same bottle.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
100% Sangiovese
From 315 to 297 masl
Vigna La Casaccia
1990
Primarily clay with a good amount of mineral elements, mostly calcium alternating with pebbly soil. These characteristic make wines of great structure, bright colour, depth, and a great elegance that give appealing and silky tannins every year. The ideal location guarantees constant exposure to the sun to the vines from dawn to dusk.
Cordon trained and spur pruned
N/S
3,00 meters x1,00 meter
In steel tanks with fermentation temperature control, daily soft pumping over. Maceration on the skins for 25 days
36 months in slavonian Oak casks (2500 liters)
2015
15 %
3733 bottles by 750 ml
200 bottles by 1500 ml
From a climactic point of view, 2018 can be defined as a fresh year with above-average rainy trends compared to previous years, but which benefited from the effects of the wind in the month of September, which was a precious ally in guaranteeing proper balance in the weight of the grapes, bringing technological and phenolic balance. The winemaker’s choice to leave on the vines the quantity of grapes necessary for “big” maturation in the perspective of balance between structure and acidity was fundamental.
The winter was characterized by abundant precipitation (which re-balanced the water reserves in the soil that had been dried out by arid conditions in 2017) and cooler temperatures which ensured a subsequent vegetative regrowth with optimal healthy vines.
Spring saw cool temperatures and rainfall which delayed the bud break and flowering a few days.
Summer was characterized by high but never scorching temperatures that only rarely peaked above 30°C. Temperatures did reach 30°C practically every day from mid-June to the end of August and ensured a regular and continuous maturation in the vines. Apart from 2-3 days of the highest temperatures at 35°-36°C, the summer was consistently mild with significant diurnal temperature ranges that guaranteed a constant and uniform technological maturation.
In the first two weeks of September, there were big two rainfalls of 20mm on September 1 and 35mm on September 17. These rains could have compromised the quality of the vintage with an increase in the weight of the bunches and the natural dilution of the concentration and structure of the grapes. Fortunately, the Tramontana and Grecale winds from the north and northeast which accompanied the rainfall effectively dried out the excess water load from the bunches and brought the weight of the berries into balance, ensuring an optimal concentration and protecting the acidity at the same time.
In the 30 days preceding the harvest, there were significant diurnal temperature ranges which guaranteed the achievement of an elevated value on the Fregoni Index (above 500) which places the vintage among those with great ageing potential.
The harvest took place from September 28 to October 5 under sunny skies with significant diurnal temperature ranges and nighttime temperatures that were often below 10°C, which allowed us to bring healthy grapes into the cellar with an aromatic profile that was floral and fragrant with an optimal pureness of the fruit.
2018: A TRANSPARENT VINTAGE
We like to define the 2018 vintage as a TRANSPARENT vintage, wanting to capture the meaning of this term that refers to this vintage’s great capacity to let the uniqueness and the characteristics of the lands where the wines originated transpire in each bottle. In the concept of valorization, which is at the heart of our productive philosophy, several factors come into play: HUMAN EXPERIENCE, CLIMATE AND THE TERRAIN. We believe that the 2018 vintage clearly and distinctly brings out the third component, the TERRAIN, having been, in complete contrast to the latest vintages, a cooler and slightly rainier than average vintage in which the climate did not have a uniform standardizing effect but, on the contrary, let the features of the different soil types where the grapes originated “transpire” in the wine. Daring to make a comparison, the 2018 presents as a mix centered around the elegance and the tension between the fresh 2018 vintage and the classic 2013 vintage, creating a perfect balance between the two which translates into freshness, minerality, and tannin length without neglecting fullness and depth: a perfect mix to classify 2018 as a wine for long ageing and also of great pleasure that pairs extremely well.
In every vintage, there are two turning points, crucial moments which characterize the final result, its identity, and its main qualities: moments without which the results would have been very different. The turning point in the 2018 vintage came before the harvest when the Grecale and Tramontana winds from the north and northeast started blowing continuously and strongly, concentrating the grapes which, until that moment, had been slightly above average in weight after the rains in September. These conditions resulted in the drying and loss of a percentage of water that balanced the technological and phenolic maturation, ensuring optimal balance and maturation while preserving the acidity at the same time. Sunny days with significant diurnal temperature ranges during the harvest ensured an aromatic profile in the grapes that was floral and elegant, fresh and balsamic, that connects with a vibrant and full palate, long and sapid that plays on pleasantness and balance. The practice of reducing the bunches, removing those that were behind in maturation, in addition to a meticulous selection on the sorting table in the cellar guaranteed concentration and optimal phenolic maturation in the grapes that were brought into the cellar.
The harvest, precisely for of its quality of freshness, started a little later than the trend in previous years, during a period of cooler temperatures from September 28 to October 5.
The 2018 harvest was the first in the new Canalicchio di Sopra cellar, which was inaugurated specifically for the harvest.
Canalicchio di Sopra’s Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia DOCG 2018, from the same vineyard as the Canalicchio Cru, gives expression to the typical notes of this vineyard which, even during a cooler year, maintains its sweetness, the silkiness of the tannins, and the typical roundness of its terroir. The weather trend of 2018 added a more sustained acidity to the wine making it more lively and elegant while maintaining its classic opulence
The Vigna Casaccia 2018 opens with aromas of underbrush, leather, dark spice and whiffs of violet. More closed than the Brunello Annata, it’s also more structured, showing ripe dark-skinned berry, licorice, tobacco and balsamic notes recalling eucalyptus. Tight, fine-grained tannins provide support while great acidity keeps it fresh and balanced. Drink 2026–2040.
- Kerin O'Keefe
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2018 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia reveals medium-dark fruit and an open-knit approach with broad brushstrokes of black cherry, baked plum and spice. The alcohol content is too high at 15%, and that added power takes away from the finer nuances of the fruit. It ages in Slavonian oak for 36 months; however, the freshness is good in this wine. This is a limited release of 3,733 bottles and 200 magnums.
-Monica Larner
A delicate, graceful style, offering cherry, fruitcake, sage, eucalyptus, iron and leather flavors. Firm and nicely balanced, with a long, expanding aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2042.
- Bruce Sanderson -
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia is impossible to ignore; it is earthy and mineral, almost smoky and animal in nature. Ashes stones, violets and balsam herbs complicate depths of dried black cherries, sage and clove. This is deeply textural and seductive, balancing ripe red and black fruits with sweet spice and minty herbal tones that create a kaleidoscope of sensation on the palate. A salty flourish shines through the finale, along with a crunchy tinge of blackberry seeds to contrast, as fine-grained tannins wrap the sense with youthful poise and a bitter twang resonates. The 2019 may be immortal. La Casaccia is a showstopper. Drinking window 2026-2040.
- Eric Guido -
A dark mix of crushed rocks and flowery underbrush is lifted by nuances of dried strawberry and worn leather as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia smolders up from the glass. It’s silky in feel, communicating a wonderful elegance, with ripe red and hints of blue fruits accentuated by inner violet tones. This is potent and long through the finale, with sneaky tannins, staining the palate with liquid florals, as a hint of citrus-tinged black currant slowly fades. The 2018 is a beautifully balanced Brunello of this vintage.
- Eric Guido
Francesco Ripaccioli explains that La Casaccia’s clay soils absorbed the rains of September, initially diluting the grapes. He credits the subsequent dry northern winds with concentrating the berries as the estate waited until 28 September to pick. The resulting wine is certainly one of the vintage’s more solidly structured Brunello and also displays the darkest fruit of the estate’s trio of bottlings. Cherry and even blackcurrant are met with sage, rosemary and wet soil. The firmly built palate of dense fruit is framed by clingy tannins, while underlying juiciness keeps it bright and buoyant.
- Michaela Morris
Whereas Montosoli is more mineral-driven and finely stitched together, this wine is broad, big and driven by balsamic tones, vapor rub and dried rosemary.
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia, however, is more explosive with spice, toasted coffee, black licorice, cherry cola and rich cherry. The tannins feel chalky, although they are fine-grained, but they play a bigger role against the concentrated fruit. Only 7,200 bottles and larger formats were made. Drink Date 2025 - 2042.
- Monica Larner -
Rich and velvety, with cherry, raspberry, eucalyptus and juniper aromas and flavors, this is backed by a dense, steely structure, whose tannins leave a strong grip on the finish. Balanced, complex and long, with a saline, mineral impression persisting on the aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2043, 147 cases imported.
- Bruce Sanderson -
Bright medium red. Very pretty violet and red cherry aromas and flavours with hints of spicy cinnamon and nutmeg. Fleshy but precise, this finishes long clean and mineral. Owner Francesco Ripaccioli has arguably made the best pair of Brunellos of any estate from the 2018 vintage. Drinking window: 2027-2038.
- Ian D'Agata -
- Riccardo Viscardi -
Casaccia is a single vineyard in the Canalicchio area northeast of Montalcino. Here the cooler, windy mesoclimate and clay soils typically produce plump fruit, but with tannins of great finesse. This single cru bottling fulfils a long-term goal of owner Francesco Ripaccioli to capture the uniqueness of its various Sangiovese sites. The nose is initially earthy and dark with roasted chestnut, cigar and polished leather over amarena cherry. In keeping with the cooler 2018 vintage, a refreshing hit of acidity, menthol and eucalyptus strike the front palate just a beat before the fruit catches up. The tannins are like a finely woven wool suit that's cut close to the figure, but without being tight; the fruit returns on the finish, surprisingly fresher than before.
- Sarah Heller MW -
A single vineyard of great thickness and inimitable balance, nose with notes of cranberry, then touches of eucalyptus and gardenia, with hints of juniper. Brackish palate, thick, with a return of cranberry and spicy notes.
- Luca Gardini -
Very dark ruby with bricky rim. Spicy, minerally notes over generous cherry fruit. Lots of supple cherry fruit with a dose of well-judged tannins that cling to the fruit on the finish. A little riper and fuller than Montosoli, but has the bones to age gracefully. Drink 2026 – 2038.
- Walter Speller -
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Vigna La Casaccia is fantastic. Generous and powerfully built, it also has a weightless grace, featuring aromas of black-skinned fruit, iris and camphor while the enveloping palate delivers ripe plum, mature black-skinned berry, licorice and cake spice. Velvety, enveloping tannins give it a smooth texture while fresh acidity keeps it balanced.
- Kerin O’Keefe -
La Casaccia is a brown clay with a prominence of calcium carbonate that gives this single vineyard sangiovese its colour. A place of high (8.2-8.3) pH characterized by the clay. "For me it's sleekness," tells Francesco Ripaccioli, "not opulence and less heaviness than from (a vineyard) of dense clay." La Casaccia from that calcareous clay is no simple Rosso or classic Brunello for that matter and it is immediately apparent that concentration and depth of all parts manage the wine's breadth at levels those drink earlier propositions do not. Similar grip to Riserva but not the same power although without tasting Riserva at the same time it would be hard to imagine how this could be improved or extrapolated upon. Simple but crazy complex and a most evocative elucidation to see this Brunello wooing with as much substance and intensity as it does - but these are the 2019s. A matter of deliberately annotating sangiovese and Casaccia through this interaction with a Brunello that enhances a taster's understanding, recall and reaction to the vintage. Drink 2027-2038.
- Michael Godel -
Medium-deep. Vibrant aromas of strawberry, peppery herbs and truffle. Then smooth and sultry, with multilayered flavours of red cherry, preserved plum, star anise, cinnamon and oaky spices. Long, balanced and suave on the rising finish. This will be a knockout in due course. Drinking window: 2030-2044.
- Ian D'Agata -
Bright ruby red in colour. Aromatics of blue florals, dried herbs and mellow spice. Small dark fruits abound, liquorice, blonde tobacco and distant cinnamon. Close knit fine tannins. Not an easy wine to fully appreciate at first, it has tremendous resonance, great structural integrity and soft textural curves. This wine is unique in as much it plays “hide and seek” with its interviewer. Personally I know it’s a stunning wine that needs time to relax and show all its fine character.
- Tony Wood -
Produced since the 2015 vintage, Vigna Casaccia is fashioned from 30-year-old vines of the BBS11 clone. Reaching 315 metres, the plot is characterised by a high percentage of brown, magnesium-rich clay. Surely the most impressive release yet, the 2019 exhibits the cru’s intrinsic sumptuous character and girth, along with telltale resinous herb nuances of rosemary, thyme and eucalyptus. yet this year, there is an extra spark. Through that expansiveness, an underlying firmness keeps this from overflowing its limits. Plump fruit marked with a mineral lick and terracotta earthiness is all wrapped up in smooth, velvety tannins, and it carries its 15% alcohol with ease and grace. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2041
- Michaela Morris -
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2015 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia represents a new chapter in this estate's long history. This is a single-vineyard expression from the Canalicchio area, one of the most interesting subzones on the northeast side of Montalcino. Giving identity to individual parcels gives an estate like this huge potential for further expression and experimentation. The site is a little over two hectares, and it has dense, mineral-rich clay soils that add more power and a heavier center of gravity. The vines were planted in 1990. I notice slightly firmer tannin here, with a very distinct level of acidity purity. You also get lasting berry fruit favors with blueberry and dried raspberry followed by spice, licorice and lavender buds from the south of France and the rim of the Mediterranean. The wine is distinguished by endnotes of balsam or medicinal herb that grow in strength with time. It offers plenty of volume and weight. Not counting the various large format bottles made, only 3,610 750-milliliter bottles were produced. They were filled in May 2019, and the wine hit the market in January 2020.
- Monica Larner
The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia opens with an intense mix of zesty red fruits, spice and alluring sweet florals, backed by dark earth, crushed stone, hints of licorice, and a twang of savory herbs. On the palate, silky textures are contrasted by saline-minerals and brisk acids, as red berry fruits flood the senses along with savory herbs and spices, leaving a coating of fine-grained tannin. The finish is long, displaying lingering spiced red berries enlivened by resonating acids, saline-mineral tones and a hint of fine tannin. Talk about a great way to release a new single-vineyard bottling, The 2015 is classic to the core.
- Eric Guido
The intensity of fruit is staggering here, as this stacks up dried peaches, dried strawberries, red licorice, red-plum compote and glazed red cherries, in rapid succession. There’s a breadth of flavor to the palate that will take your breath away; muscular tannins draw in deeply set cherries, melding it together in a glistening coating of acidity, which only helps to carry it longer still. The finish is nearly endless. A stunning new single vineyard from Canalicchio di Sopra. Drink from 2026.
A significant new release for Canalicchio di Sopra, La Casaccia is a single vineyard close to the winery in the district of Canalicchio, north of the town of Montalcino. Comparing it to his plots in Montosoli, owner Francesco Ripaccioli describes the soil here as a heavier brown clay with lots of magnesium giving more generous growth. It produces a relatively weighty, substantial wine with firm, sturdy tannins and balancing acidity. Notes of sage, tobacco, liquorice root and heather weave through the plush dark currant fruit. Both this and the classic Brunello are equally accomplished, however I suspect La Casaccia may have longer ageing capacity.
- Michaela Morris
A spectacular wine in every sense: a firm, deep, minerally fruit nose, a composed but full palate with finely chiselled tannins and perfectly integrated juicy acidity. Long and layered and impossible to resist but deserves more bottle age.
- Walter Speller
This is a newish single-vineyard wine (it's the second vintage) created by Francesco Ripaccioli and the team at Canalicchio di Sopra at the conclusion of an ambitious estate-wide mapping project. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia draws its fruit from a two-hectare site planted in 1990 with clay soils and rich in mineral components. A precious 4,133 bottles were made. What I like most is the tightness of the fruit, which you chip away at slowly as the wine softens and yields in the glass. Each layer brings you forest fruit, sour cherry, almond, lilac and candied orange peel. On a second swirl, you might get black olive, bay leaf and scorched earth. There are subtle mineral notes, but what La Casaccia ultimately offers is that uniquely compact and extremely polished quality of fruit.
-Monica Larner
Lifting up with gorgeous floral perfumes and hints of white smoke, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia from Canalicchio di Sopra keeps you at the edge of your glass. It opens up with a dark and dramatic display of balsamic-tinged black cherry, sage and Indian spice, contrasted by savory notes of tobacco, rich earth tones and flowery undergrowth. There’s an amazing density of fruit here, offset by salty minerals, zesty acids and a hint of sour citrus. The textures are velvety-smooth, yet the expression remains feminine and lifted. In fact, you can hardly notice its underlying tannic heft until it’s too late, as the 2016 La Casaccia seems to youthfully fold in on itself, halting the expression but promising over a decade of further development.
- Eric Guido
A red with cherry, walnut, bark and hints of dried flowers. It’s full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a tight finish. Really reserved now. Needs three or four years to open. Best after 2024.
- James Suckling
English:
Sparkling, dark ruby with a shimmering garnet edge. Compact, somewhat closed nose with notes of dark blackberries and cherries, a fine nougat note in the background. Blooms great on the palate, tightly meshed, substantial tannin, embedded in fine fruit melt, salty and juicy, is still very young, but has a long life ahead of it.
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
Deutsche:
Funkelndes, dunkles Rubin mit schillerndem Granatrand. Kompakte, etwas verschlossene Nase mit Noten nach dunklen Brombeeren und Kirschen, im Hintergrund feiner Nougatton. Blüht am Gaumen toll auf, dichtmaschiges, stoffiges Tannin, eingebettet in feinen Fruchtschmelz, salzig und saftig, zeigt sich noch sehr jung, hat aber ein langes Leben vor sich.
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
This ripe red is bursting with plum, cherry, floral and mineral aromas and flavors. Succulent and balanced, with savory, sanguine and earthy accents, rolling on through the long, herb-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2024 through 2045.
- Bruce Sanderson
Lustrous mid ruby. Leafy cherry hints but otherwise quite closed on the nose, yet with a clear sense of purity. Dense, yet elegant and with tangy acidity shooting through the mouth-filling fruit. Firm noble tannins add depth and contour. Real cru pedigree.
- Walter Speller
The second release of this single vineyard, La Casaccia was planted in 1990. At an average altitude of 300 metres, it sits on predominantly clay soils and is bathed in sun from morning until evening. This doesn’t have quite the plushness or gregarious personality of the 2015 but takes on the 2016 vintage’s more vertical path, opening slowly. Aromas are evocative of pine, cedar and sage. Full but not weighty, the palate brings in earthy nuances with wild berries.
Acidity is cleansing, and silky tannins build up to a powerful finish.
Drinking Window 2024 - 2040
- Michaela Morris
Brunello di Montalcino LA CASACCIA 2016 obtained the CORONA, the highest recognition assigned by GUIDA VINI BUONI D'ITALIA
This shows the ripeness of the vintage, with ripe-berry, cherry and floral
aromas and flavors. Some cedar, too. It’s full and flavorful, with lots of chewy
yet polished and focused tannins. A little dusty in texture. Drinkable now,
but better in 2023.
- James Suckling
Nobile ed elegantissimo mostra note miste floreali e fruttate che ricordano i gerani, l’ibisco, le prugne rosse, la buccia di arancia arsa, la china e la terra bagnata. Corpo pieno, tannini perfettamente maturi ed integrati nella matrice ed un finale iconico punto di riferimento per la denominazione nel difficile millesimo. Meglio dal 2023.
- Raffaele Vecchione
The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia is aromatically stunning, blasting up mineral in style, with a dark floral and balsam lift, giving way to licorice, black cherry and hints of camphor. It gains further depth and volume the longer it sits in the glass. The textures are silken, fleshy and pliant at first, as contrasting tart red fruits and minty herbal tones come through, saturating the palate with primary concentration. This is even savory at times and displays smoother contours than past vintages, yet it’s supremely balanced and pure. Repeating minerality comes through in spades and this turns youthfully dry and perfumed, yet still juicy and classic in feel. La Casaccia is a huge success for the vintage.
- Eric Guido
This is where all the recent hard work put by Francesco Ripaccioli and team really comes to light and fruition. La Casaccia is northerly-ish but certainly not Montosoli and yet the aromatic profile of this Vigna-designate Brunello is laced with cool nuance and found to be full of fine finesse. As per the Canalicchio di Sopra idiom there is plenty of wood casking through the bones of the wine and yet one can feel the highest quality of those large vessels gifting a select strength leading to the chic style, surely to be followed by one and the half decades of aging. All what needs, what is and must be for La Casaccia. Drink 2023-2030. Tasted November 2021.
- Michael Godel
Da uve brunello, matura in botti da 30 hl per almeno 24 mesi. Classico rubino. Olfatto nitido e intenso su ciliegie nere mature e more. Una leggera affumicatura che introduce erbe officinali che danno freschezza. Trama e progressione fitte, nervose con tannino giovanile ma perfettamente integrato. Ottimo il finale per lunghezza e sobrietà. La zona nordica esprime le sue caratteristiche anche in annate torride ma qui c’e il trucco: piovve a metà settembre.
- Riccardo Viscardi
A great release of Brunello from the northeast slope of the denomination. Nose of freshness and finesse, notes of raspberry, touches of fresh marjoram and undergrowth. The mouthfeel is juicy-savoury, dense, with a nice spicy finish and persistence.
- Luca Gardini
Within the Canalicchio area, the Casaccia vineyard boasts a high clay content, which helped curb water stress in 2017. As with all Canalicchio di Sopra’s wines, the grapes were double-sorted to remove any green or sun-dried berries. Pristine in aromas and flavours, this offers clove, cardamom, mint and sweet dark earth on a backdrop of black cherries. The ample, mouth-filling palate is hemmed in by compact, sandy tannins. Underlying succulence makes this quite moreish. Drinking Window 2024 - 2032
- Michaela Morris
This is a relatively new addition to the Canalicchio di Sopra portfolio, and even its modern graphic label design represents a break from the rest of the line, which has more nostalgic labels that feature Montalcino's medieval main square. The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia takes a little longer to open, but it ultimately reveals the elegance and energy that comes with the house style. Wild cherry, ash and balsam herb drive a long, very polished finish. The La Casaccia site is distinguished by mineral-rich clay soils, which give this wine its power and density. Production is limited to 4,133 bottles in this vintage
- Monica Larner
Inviting aromas of baked plum, violet, baking spice and sun-warmed hay come to the forefront along with a whiff of leather. The enveloping palate is delicious, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and nutmeg framed in tightly woven, polished tannins that lend finesse and a smooth texture. Drink 2024–2029.
-Kerin O’Keefe
Black cherry and blackberry flavors hold court in this dense, yet vibrant red, which is defined by brisk acidity. Stays beautifully integrated, harmonious and long, while earth and savory herb accents add depth. This should really sing in about 2-3 years. Best from 2024 through 2040.
- Bruce Sanderson
Just mid ruby with orange tinges. A subdued nose with malt-bread notes. Needs to take a very deep breath, while revealing oak hints. The palate displays fragrant marasca-cherry fruit balanced by supple acidity. Very long, concentrated and with beautiful, coating tannins.
- Walter Speller
Profondo, un po' tabacco, catrame e un po' nocciola, aroma di bacche nere e rosse mature con sfumature floreali secche che ricordano i petali di rosa e un po' di note eteree. Crostata, matura, frutta piuttosto scura, aromi di noce e legno leggermente speziato di cacao, note pepate e di ginepro, mineralità salata, con tutta la sua potenza anche note rinfrescanti, buona profondità, struttura ferma, abbastanza complesso, ma trasparente e lucido, ancora giovane, molto buono, fermo, crostata e finale speziato.
Reviewed by Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
Brunello di Montalcino LA CASACCIA 2017 obtained the CORONA, the highest recognition assigned by GUIDA VINI BUONI D'ITALIA
Einladende Noten von Waldbeeren und Sandelholz; der Ansatz geschliffen, besitzt präzise Säure und engmaschiges Tannin, intensiv-würziges Fruchtfinale. Muss sich noch etwas abrunden.
- Christian Eder
Absorbing display of black cherry, blackberries, violet florals and menthol. Quickly followed by fresh juicy textured nuances of red berries and balsamic notes, leave you almost gasping for breath. Sweet notes then savoury ones bombard the senses on this hedonistic experience. Phenomenal length and balance.
- Tony Wood
From the highly vocated vineyard of the same name, a beautiful version of Brunello, typical of the north-eastern area of the denomination. Freshness to the nose, notes of black raspberry, touches of eucalyptus and undergrowth. The palate is juicy-sapid, dense, with return of fruit and undergrowth.
- Luca Gardini
A tiny bit more developed (than the classic 2018 Brunello) lustrous ruby with orange, bricky narrow rim. There is a sense of richness combined with mineral intensity on the nose. Pure cherry and raspberry with a hint of orange and cinnamon bark. Juicy, minerally and savoury on the palate and with finely chiselled tannins. 15% but very elegant and poised.
-Walter Speller
Cedro peel, lavender, sour cherries, redcurrants and hints of lemongrass on the nose. Full-bodied, silky and perfumed, with a fine tannin backbone and a weightlessness to it. Swathes of creamy ripe fruit. Drink after 2023.
- James Suckling
Boom! Vigna la Casaccia nel millesimo 2018 è denso e compatto nel calice senza perdere in leggiadria e complessità sensoriale. Si alternano lentamente note di prugne nere, more, cannella in polvere, incenso, mirto selvatico, cumino e pepe nero. L’arancia sanguinella descrive il profilo secondario che si anima con buoni muscoli. Corpo pieno, tannini perfettamente morbidi di grana finissima ed un finale di lodevole bellezza. Meglio dal 2025.
- Raffaele Vecchione
Great anticipation to taste La Casaccia and Montosoli side by each from a vintage carrying no option but to act out the passion play through the glaring clarity of a sense of place. There are facts involved and there is no hiding the truth formed by these plots of sangiovese in this vintage. By now it is understood how 2018 exists on its own accord at one with nature though Francesco Ripaccioli will tell you there are similarities with 2013, if only because that vintage was greatly ignored and is drinking well at this time. La Casaccia in the località of Canalicchio is the wildcard of Montalcino and tasting several wines from the frazione reveals a collective affinity supplied by the year’s gifts. Nothing was portioned or taken away from the ’18 Annata and yet this Vigna sings with even more range and depth than that wine. The acids are simply out of this proverbial world, the linear aspects drawn with precise architectural or even, in Old English speak, a Cutter’s line. Remarkable reserve in concentration and forward slicing finesse. Forever long. Forever young. Drink 2025-2038.
- Michael Godel
Ruby red in colour. Wild meadow florals and violet awaken the senses. Wild black berries, boysenberry, dark plum and blackberry assisted by refreshing acidity and rounded tannins lift the palate to experience the layered intensity and textural resonance. The sheer appeal of this wine is mind blowing. Balance and energy are a given…
- Tony Wood -
Funkelndes Rubingranat mit aufhellendem Rand. Intensive und viel schichtige Nase mit feinen Noten nach Waldhimbeere, Schwarzkirsche und Rosen, im Hintergrund etwas Rauch. Kompakt in Ansatz und Verlauf, zeigt schöne reife Frucht, griffiges, dichtmaschiges Tannin, baut sich in vielen Schichten auf.
Brunello di Montalcino Trophy 2023
- Wolfgang M. Rosam, Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler -
Ebenso sehr komplexes und dichtes, nobles Bouquet mit à point reifen, überwiegend dunkelroten Beeren, dunklen Kirschen, Veilchen, Pfeffer und wieder erdigkräutrigen Noten. Sehr klar umrissenes Duftbild, das sich am dichten und druckvollen Gaumen fortsetzt. Das feinsandige Tanninkleid umhüllt gekonnt und nobel die konzentrierte Frucht und die würzig-mineralischen Noten, spannt sich ganz weit und ist ewig lang. Schöne Liaison aus Kraft und Eleganz mit der typischen Sangiovese-Frucht und Würze mit herrlichen ätherischen Noten im persistenten, mineralisch geprägten Finale. Einer der besten der Verkostung. Top 3. Bravo!
Guida 2024 - sezione "Vini da vitigni autoctoni"
Ausladendes Bouquet mit einer schönen Liaison aus reifer Frucht und floralwürzigen Noten. Hier treffen die saftigen Pflaumen auf getrocknete Veilchen und Zedernwürze. So geht es auch am saftigen Gaumen: wunderschöne SangioveseFrucht (dunkle Kirsche, Zwetschge) umrahmt von floralwürzigen und zart ledrigen Noten. 2025 – 2036
- Giuseppe Lauria -
Coinvolgente e di notevole spessore enologico mostra complessità nella stratificazione di prugne rosse, fragoline di bosco, buccia di lime, glicine, timo selvatico, bosso e verbena. In sottofondo nuance nobili di carattere verde ricordano le foglie di tè verde e la menta piperita. Corpo medio, tannini morbidi di grana fine ed un finale equilibrato e piacevolissimo che fa della delicata potenza la sua arma migliore. Meglio dal 2025.
- Raffaele Vecchione -
Sweet sour cherries with rose stems and hints of green leaves on the nose. Medium body with firm, chewy tannins with some juicy fruit. Fresh and vivid. Better after two or three years.
- James Suckling -
Vitae, La Guida Vini 2024 - X edizione
Tra i 5 migliori Brunello di Montalcino 2018 Selezione
Bright medium red with garnet highlights. Aromas and flavours of ripe red cherry, plum, and orange peel are complemented by strong notes of tobacco and earth. Perfumed and luscious on entry, then somewhat broad and diffuse in the middle, with ripe red cherry, plum nectar and redcurrant jelly flavours complicated by a dusting of wild herbs. Very fine tannins leave a suave mouthfeel behind on the long, savoury finish that features repeating strong nuances of sweet pipe tobacco. Drinking window: 2023-2033.
- Ian D’Agata -
Ungemein komplexes und tiefgestaffeltes, ätherisch-kräutriges Bouquet mit à point reifen, überwiegend dunklen Beeren, Tabak und wieder erdig-kräutrigen Noten. Sehr klar umrissene Struktur am Gaumen, messerscharf konturiert, ungemein druckvoll, gekonnt umhüllt vom feinen, eleganten Tanninkleid, nobel mit konzentrierter Frucht und würzig-mineralischen Noten, spannt sich ganz weit mit wunderbarer Fruchtsüße und Frische. Schöne Liaison aus Kraft und Eleganz, sehr persistent und lang im Finale mit der typischen Sangiovese Würze und ätherischen Noten. Einer der besten der Verkostung. [2026 – 2042]
- Giuseppe Lauria -
Leuchtendes Rubinrot. In der Nase auf erdigen Tönen, satter Kirschfrucht, etwas Blutorange, nicht ganz präzise, wenngleich in sich stimmig. Am Gaumen geschliffen, elegant, mit engmaschigem, packendem Tannin, kompakt, sehr saftig, toller Stil, druckvoll, mit anhaltendem Abgang.
Brunello di Montalcino Trophy 2024
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler -
The Vigna La Casaccia, which lends its name to a Canalicchio Cru, represents our desire to valorize the uniqueness of a vineyard that is able to maintain its strong identity and quality of being recognizable even in different vintages. Over the years, it has been the vineyard that has shown us how opulence and freshness can coexist in the same bottle.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
100% Sangiovese
From 315 to 297 masl
Vigna La Casaccia
1990
Primarily clay with a good amount of mineral elements, mostly calcium alternating with pebbly soil. These characteristic make wines of great structure, bright colour, depth, and a great elegance that give appealing and silky tannins every year. The ideal location guarantees constant exposure to the sun to the vines from dawn to dusk.
Cordon trained and spur pruned
N/S
3,00 meters x1,00 meter
In steel tanks with fermentation temperature control, daily soft pumping over. Maceration on the skins for 25 days
36 months in slavonian Oak casks (2500 liters)
2015
14,5%
3713 bottles by 750 ml
210 bottles by 1500 ml
From a climactic point of view, 2017 can be defined as very similar to 2012 regarding the weather conditions, where these extremes have certainly become its strong point in terms of pleasantness, opulence, and readiness to drink.
The springtime saw mild temperatures with little rainfall which resulted in an early bud burst and flowering. The early summer months were very hot with above-average temperatures and without rainfall. On one hand, this situation is ideal for plant health with the absence of plant disease; on the other hand, it is of great stress on the vines, which heartily withstood these conditions thanks to the abundant water reserves accumulated after the 2016 harvest, especially in the more clayey terrain of the Canalicchio Cru.
Between the end of July and the end of August, there was rainfall that was fundamental in generating that necessary push for a good veraison, rain that was average in a normal year for a total of 30mm. The grapes were very small in size with a great concentration, and the rain, in addition to a drop to below-average temperatures, allowed for a uniform and balanced veraison creating the base for an early harvest, which was not as early as we had thought in July when the heat and dry conditions were compromising the vines.
The 30mm of rain on September 1 and the 30mm of rain on September 16, the cooling temperatures, and the considerable diurnal temperature range were the turning point in quality of this vintage, factors which did not result in harvesting too early and which did not affect the acidity too much. The acidity remained balanced and relatively high to support the structure, concentration, and alcohol content, guaranteeing balance and elegance in the wines.
The harvest took place during the regular time of year precisely thanks to these weather conditions in September, starting on September 25 and finishing on October 6.
We carried out a double selection - in the vineyard as well as in the cellar on sorting tables to eliminate any imperfections of grapes that had been dried up by the sun in June and July and which would have brought astringency to the tannins and bitterness to the fruit. This selection most certainly influenced the quantity of the harvest for our winery, but it allowed us to maintain our high standards of quality.
2017:The surprising freshness of a warm vintage
In a year, which was extreme in some respects, La Casaccia vineyard confirms our concept of the single vineyard, that is choosing a vineyard which can express all of its uniqueness and personality even over different years, a vineyard which is less susceptible to the climactic conditions of the vintage and able to bring out its nuances and features yet remains faithful to its land. The result is a Casaccia in line with the characteristics of this vineyard where opulence and elegance as well as minerality and sweetness meld together in a wine of great structure with a thick and silky tannic line, enveloping but at the same time deep, lingering, and full-flavoured, with a good vibration.
The Vigna Casaccia 2018 opens with aromas of underbrush, leather, dark spice and whiffs of violet. More closed than the Brunello Annata, it’s also more structured, showing ripe dark-skinned berry, licorice, tobacco and balsamic notes recalling eucalyptus. Tight, fine-grained tannins provide support while great acidity keeps it fresh and balanced. Drink 2026–2040.
- Kerin O'Keefe
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2018 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia reveals medium-dark fruit and an open-knit approach with broad brushstrokes of black cherry, baked plum and spice. The alcohol content is too high at 15%, and that added power takes away from the finer nuances of the fruit. It ages in Slavonian oak for 36 months; however, the freshness is good in this wine. This is a limited release of 3,733 bottles and 200 magnums.
-Monica Larner
A delicate, graceful style, offering cherry, fruitcake, sage, eucalyptus, iron and leather flavors. Firm and nicely balanced, with a long, expanding aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2042.
- Bruce Sanderson -
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia is impossible to ignore; it is earthy and mineral, almost smoky and animal in nature. Ashes stones, violets and balsam herbs complicate depths of dried black cherries, sage and clove. This is deeply textural and seductive, balancing ripe red and black fruits with sweet spice and minty herbal tones that create a kaleidoscope of sensation on the palate. A salty flourish shines through the finale, along with a crunchy tinge of blackberry seeds to contrast, as fine-grained tannins wrap the sense with youthful poise and a bitter twang resonates. The 2019 may be immortal. La Casaccia is a showstopper. Drinking window 2026-2040.
- Eric Guido -
A dark mix of crushed rocks and flowery underbrush is lifted by nuances of dried strawberry and worn leather as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia smolders up from the glass. It’s silky in feel, communicating a wonderful elegance, with ripe red and hints of blue fruits accentuated by inner violet tones. This is potent and long through the finale, with sneaky tannins, staining the palate with liquid florals, as a hint of citrus-tinged black currant slowly fades. The 2018 is a beautifully balanced Brunello of this vintage.
- Eric Guido
Francesco Ripaccioli explains that La Casaccia’s clay soils absorbed the rains of September, initially diluting the grapes. He credits the subsequent dry northern winds with concentrating the berries as the estate waited until 28 September to pick. The resulting wine is certainly one of the vintage’s more solidly structured Brunello and also displays the darkest fruit of the estate’s trio of bottlings. Cherry and even blackcurrant are met with sage, rosemary and wet soil. The firmly built palate of dense fruit is framed by clingy tannins, while underlying juiciness keeps it bright and buoyant.
- Michaela Morris
Whereas Montosoli is more mineral-driven and finely stitched together, this wine is broad, big and driven by balsamic tones, vapor rub and dried rosemary.
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia, however, is more explosive with spice, toasted coffee, black licorice, cherry cola and rich cherry. The tannins feel chalky, although they are fine-grained, but they play a bigger role against the concentrated fruit. Only 7,200 bottles and larger formats were made. Drink Date 2025 - 2042.
- Monica Larner -
Rich and velvety, with cherry, raspberry, eucalyptus and juniper aromas and flavors, this is backed by a dense, steely structure, whose tannins leave a strong grip on the finish. Balanced, complex and long, with a saline, mineral impression persisting on the aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2043, 147 cases imported.
- Bruce Sanderson -
Bright medium red. Very pretty violet and red cherry aromas and flavours with hints of spicy cinnamon and nutmeg. Fleshy but precise, this finishes long clean and mineral. Owner Francesco Ripaccioli has arguably made the best pair of Brunellos of any estate from the 2018 vintage. Drinking window: 2027-2038.
- Ian D'Agata -
- Riccardo Viscardi -
Casaccia is a single vineyard in the Canalicchio area northeast of Montalcino. Here the cooler, windy mesoclimate and clay soils typically produce plump fruit, but with tannins of great finesse. This single cru bottling fulfils a long-term goal of owner Francesco Ripaccioli to capture the uniqueness of its various Sangiovese sites. The nose is initially earthy and dark with roasted chestnut, cigar and polished leather over amarena cherry. In keeping with the cooler 2018 vintage, a refreshing hit of acidity, menthol and eucalyptus strike the front palate just a beat before the fruit catches up. The tannins are like a finely woven wool suit that's cut close to the figure, but without being tight; the fruit returns on the finish, surprisingly fresher than before.
- Sarah Heller MW -
A single vineyard of great thickness and inimitable balance, nose with notes of cranberry, then touches of eucalyptus and gardenia, with hints of juniper. Brackish palate, thick, with a return of cranberry and spicy notes.
- Luca Gardini -
Very dark ruby with bricky rim. Spicy, minerally notes over generous cherry fruit. Lots of supple cherry fruit with a dose of well-judged tannins that cling to the fruit on the finish. A little riper and fuller than Montosoli, but has the bones to age gracefully. Drink 2026 – 2038.
- Walter Speller -
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Vigna La Casaccia is fantastic. Generous and powerfully built, it also has a weightless grace, featuring aromas of black-skinned fruit, iris and camphor while the enveloping palate delivers ripe plum, mature black-skinned berry, licorice and cake spice. Velvety, enveloping tannins give it a smooth texture while fresh acidity keeps it balanced.
- Kerin O’Keefe -
La Casaccia is a brown clay with a prominence of calcium carbonate that gives this single vineyard sangiovese its colour. A place of high (8.2-8.3) pH characterized by the clay. "For me it's sleekness," tells Francesco Ripaccioli, "not opulence and less heaviness than from (a vineyard) of dense clay." La Casaccia from that calcareous clay is no simple Rosso or classic Brunello for that matter and it is immediately apparent that concentration and depth of all parts manage the wine's breadth at levels those drink earlier propositions do not. Similar grip to Riserva but not the same power although without tasting Riserva at the same time it would be hard to imagine how this could be improved or extrapolated upon. Simple but crazy complex and a most evocative elucidation to see this Brunello wooing with as much substance and intensity as it does - but these are the 2019s. A matter of deliberately annotating sangiovese and Casaccia through this interaction with a Brunello that enhances a taster's understanding, recall and reaction to the vintage. Drink 2027-2038.
- Michael Godel -
Medium-deep. Vibrant aromas of strawberry, peppery herbs and truffle. Then smooth and sultry, with multilayered flavours of red cherry, preserved plum, star anise, cinnamon and oaky spices. Long, balanced and suave on the rising finish. This will be a knockout in due course. Drinking window: 2030-2044.
- Ian D'Agata -
Bright ruby red in colour. Aromatics of blue florals, dried herbs and mellow spice. Small dark fruits abound, liquorice, blonde tobacco and distant cinnamon. Close knit fine tannins. Not an easy wine to fully appreciate at first, it has tremendous resonance, great structural integrity and soft textural curves. This wine is unique in as much it plays “hide and seek” with its interviewer. Personally I know it’s a stunning wine that needs time to relax and show all its fine character.
- Tony Wood -
Produced since the 2015 vintage, Vigna Casaccia is fashioned from 30-year-old vines of the BBS11 clone. Reaching 315 metres, the plot is characterised by a high percentage of brown, magnesium-rich clay. Surely the most impressive release yet, the 2019 exhibits the cru’s intrinsic sumptuous character and girth, along with telltale resinous herb nuances of rosemary, thyme and eucalyptus. yet this year, there is an extra spark. Through that expansiveness, an underlying firmness keeps this from overflowing its limits. Plump fruit marked with a mineral lick and terracotta earthiness is all wrapped up in smooth, velvety tannins, and it carries its 15% alcohol with ease and grace. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2041
- Michaela Morris -
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2015 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia represents a new chapter in this estate's long history. This is a single-vineyard expression from the Canalicchio area, one of the most interesting subzones on the northeast side of Montalcino. Giving identity to individual parcels gives an estate like this huge potential for further expression and experimentation. The site is a little over two hectares, and it has dense, mineral-rich clay soils that add more power and a heavier center of gravity. The vines were planted in 1990. I notice slightly firmer tannin here, with a very distinct level of acidity purity. You also get lasting berry fruit favors with blueberry and dried raspberry followed by spice, licorice and lavender buds from the south of France and the rim of the Mediterranean. The wine is distinguished by endnotes of balsam or medicinal herb that grow in strength with time. It offers plenty of volume and weight. Not counting the various large format bottles made, only 3,610 750-milliliter bottles were produced. They were filled in May 2019, and the wine hit the market in January 2020.
- Monica Larner
The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia opens with an intense mix of zesty red fruits, spice and alluring sweet florals, backed by dark earth, crushed stone, hints of licorice, and a twang of savory herbs. On the palate, silky textures are contrasted by saline-minerals and brisk acids, as red berry fruits flood the senses along with savory herbs and spices, leaving a coating of fine-grained tannin. The finish is long, displaying lingering spiced red berries enlivened by resonating acids, saline-mineral tones and a hint of fine tannin. Talk about a great way to release a new single-vineyard bottling, The 2015 is classic to the core.
- Eric Guido
The intensity of fruit is staggering here, as this stacks up dried peaches, dried strawberries, red licorice, red-plum compote and glazed red cherries, in rapid succession. There’s a breadth of flavor to the palate that will take your breath away; muscular tannins draw in deeply set cherries, melding it together in a glistening coating of acidity, which only helps to carry it longer still. The finish is nearly endless. A stunning new single vineyard from Canalicchio di Sopra. Drink from 2026.
A significant new release for Canalicchio di Sopra, La Casaccia is a single vineyard close to the winery in the district of Canalicchio, north of the town of Montalcino. Comparing it to his plots in Montosoli, owner Francesco Ripaccioli describes the soil here as a heavier brown clay with lots of magnesium giving more generous growth. It produces a relatively weighty, substantial wine with firm, sturdy tannins and balancing acidity. Notes of sage, tobacco, liquorice root and heather weave through the plush dark currant fruit. Both this and the classic Brunello are equally accomplished, however I suspect La Casaccia may have longer ageing capacity.
- Michaela Morris
A spectacular wine in every sense: a firm, deep, minerally fruit nose, a composed but full palate with finely chiselled tannins and perfectly integrated juicy acidity. Long and layered and impossible to resist but deserves more bottle age.
- Walter Speller
This is a newish single-vineyard wine (it's the second vintage) created by Francesco Ripaccioli and the team at Canalicchio di Sopra at the conclusion of an ambitious estate-wide mapping project. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia draws its fruit from a two-hectare site planted in 1990 with clay soils and rich in mineral components. A precious 4,133 bottles were made. What I like most is the tightness of the fruit, which you chip away at slowly as the wine softens and yields in the glass. Each layer brings you forest fruit, sour cherry, almond, lilac and candied orange peel. On a second swirl, you might get black olive, bay leaf and scorched earth. There are subtle mineral notes, but what La Casaccia ultimately offers is that uniquely compact and extremely polished quality of fruit.
-Monica Larner
Lifting up with gorgeous floral perfumes and hints of white smoke, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia from Canalicchio di Sopra keeps you at the edge of your glass. It opens up with a dark and dramatic display of balsamic-tinged black cherry, sage and Indian spice, contrasted by savory notes of tobacco, rich earth tones and flowery undergrowth. There’s an amazing density of fruit here, offset by salty minerals, zesty acids and a hint of sour citrus. The textures are velvety-smooth, yet the expression remains feminine and lifted. In fact, you can hardly notice its underlying tannic heft until it’s too late, as the 2016 La Casaccia seems to youthfully fold in on itself, halting the expression but promising over a decade of further development.
- Eric Guido
A red with cherry, walnut, bark and hints of dried flowers. It’s full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a tight finish. Really reserved now. Needs three or four years to open. Best after 2024.
- James Suckling
English:
Sparkling, dark ruby with a shimmering garnet edge. Compact, somewhat closed nose with notes of dark blackberries and cherries, a fine nougat note in the background. Blooms great on the palate, tightly meshed, substantial tannin, embedded in fine fruit melt, salty and juicy, is still very young, but has a long life ahead of it.
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
Deutsche:
Funkelndes, dunkles Rubin mit schillerndem Granatrand. Kompakte, etwas verschlossene Nase mit Noten nach dunklen Brombeeren und Kirschen, im Hintergrund feiner Nougatton. Blüht am Gaumen toll auf, dichtmaschiges, stoffiges Tannin, eingebettet in feinen Fruchtschmelz, salzig und saftig, zeigt sich noch sehr jung, hat aber ein langes Leben vor sich.
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
This ripe red is bursting with plum, cherry, floral and mineral aromas and flavors. Succulent and balanced, with savory, sanguine and earthy accents, rolling on through the long, herb-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2024 through 2045.
- Bruce Sanderson
Lustrous mid ruby. Leafy cherry hints but otherwise quite closed on the nose, yet with a clear sense of purity. Dense, yet elegant and with tangy acidity shooting through the mouth-filling fruit. Firm noble tannins add depth and contour. Real cru pedigree.
- Walter Speller
The second release of this single vineyard, La Casaccia was planted in 1990. At an average altitude of 300 metres, it sits on predominantly clay soils and is bathed in sun from morning until evening. This doesn’t have quite the plushness or gregarious personality of the 2015 but takes on the 2016 vintage’s more vertical path, opening slowly. Aromas are evocative of pine, cedar and sage. Full but not weighty, the palate brings in earthy nuances with wild berries.
Acidity is cleansing, and silky tannins build up to a powerful finish.
Drinking Window 2024 - 2040
- Michaela Morris
Brunello di Montalcino LA CASACCIA 2016 obtained the CORONA, the highest recognition assigned by GUIDA VINI BUONI D'ITALIA
This shows the ripeness of the vintage, with ripe-berry, cherry and floral
aromas and flavors. Some cedar, too. It’s full and flavorful, with lots of chewy
yet polished and focused tannins. A little dusty in texture. Drinkable now,
but better in 2023.
- James Suckling
Nobile ed elegantissimo mostra note miste floreali e fruttate che ricordano i gerani, l’ibisco, le prugne rosse, la buccia di arancia arsa, la china e la terra bagnata. Corpo pieno, tannini perfettamente maturi ed integrati nella matrice ed un finale iconico punto di riferimento per la denominazione nel difficile millesimo. Meglio dal 2023.
- Raffaele Vecchione
The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia is aromatically stunning, blasting up mineral in style, with a dark floral and balsam lift, giving way to licorice, black cherry and hints of camphor. It gains further depth and volume the longer it sits in the glass. The textures are silken, fleshy and pliant at first, as contrasting tart red fruits and minty herbal tones come through, saturating the palate with primary concentration. This is even savory at times and displays smoother contours than past vintages, yet it’s supremely balanced and pure. Repeating minerality comes through in spades and this turns youthfully dry and perfumed, yet still juicy and classic in feel. La Casaccia is a huge success for the vintage.
- Eric Guido
This is where all the recent hard work put by Francesco Ripaccioli and team really comes to light and fruition. La Casaccia is northerly-ish but certainly not Montosoli and yet the aromatic profile of this Vigna-designate Brunello is laced with cool nuance and found to be full of fine finesse. As per the Canalicchio di Sopra idiom there is plenty of wood casking through the bones of the wine and yet one can feel the highest quality of those large vessels gifting a select strength leading to the chic style, surely to be followed by one and the half decades of aging. All what needs, what is and must be for La Casaccia. Drink 2023-2030. Tasted November 2021.
- Michael Godel
Da uve brunello, matura in botti da 30 hl per almeno 24 mesi. Classico rubino. Olfatto nitido e intenso su ciliegie nere mature e more. Una leggera affumicatura che introduce erbe officinali che danno freschezza. Trama e progressione fitte, nervose con tannino giovanile ma perfettamente integrato. Ottimo il finale per lunghezza e sobrietà. La zona nordica esprime le sue caratteristiche anche in annate torride ma qui c’e il trucco: piovve a metà settembre.
- Riccardo Viscardi
A great release of Brunello from the northeast slope of the denomination. Nose of freshness and finesse, notes of raspberry, touches of fresh marjoram and undergrowth. The mouthfeel is juicy-savoury, dense, with a nice spicy finish and persistence.
- Luca Gardini
Within the Canalicchio area, the Casaccia vineyard boasts a high clay content, which helped curb water stress in 2017. As with all Canalicchio di Sopra’s wines, the grapes were double-sorted to remove any green or sun-dried berries. Pristine in aromas and flavours, this offers clove, cardamom, mint and sweet dark earth on a backdrop of black cherries. The ample, mouth-filling palate is hemmed in by compact, sandy tannins. Underlying succulence makes this quite moreish. Drinking Window 2024 - 2032
- Michaela Morris
This is a relatively new addition to the Canalicchio di Sopra portfolio, and even its modern graphic label design represents a break from the rest of the line, which has more nostalgic labels that feature Montalcino's medieval main square. The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia takes a little longer to open, but it ultimately reveals the elegance and energy that comes with the house style. Wild cherry, ash and balsam herb drive a long, very polished finish. The La Casaccia site is distinguished by mineral-rich clay soils, which give this wine its power and density. Production is limited to 4,133 bottles in this vintage
- Monica Larner
Inviting aromas of baked plum, violet, baking spice and sun-warmed hay come to the forefront along with a whiff of leather. The enveloping palate is delicious, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and nutmeg framed in tightly woven, polished tannins that lend finesse and a smooth texture. Drink 2024–2029.
-Kerin O’Keefe
Black cherry and blackberry flavors hold court in this dense, yet vibrant red, which is defined by brisk acidity. Stays beautifully integrated, harmonious and long, while earth and savory herb accents add depth. This should really sing in about 2-3 years. Best from 2024 through 2040.
- Bruce Sanderson
Just mid ruby with orange tinges. A subdued nose with malt-bread notes. Needs to take a very deep breath, while revealing oak hints. The palate displays fragrant marasca-cherry fruit balanced by supple acidity. Very long, concentrated and with beautiful, coating tannins.
- Walter Speller
Profondo, un po' tabacco, catrame e un po' nocciola, aroma di bacche nere e rosse mature con sfumature floreali secche che ricordano i petali di rosa e un po' di note eteree. Crostata, matura, frutta piuttosto scura, aromi di noce e legno leggermente speziato di cacao, note pepate e di ginepro, mineralità salata, con tutta la sua potenza anche note rinfrescanti, buona profondità, struttura ferma, abbastanza complesso, ma trasparente e lucido, ancora giovane, molto buono, fermo, crostata e finale speziato.
Reviewed by Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
Brunello di Montalcino LA CASACCIA 2017 obtained the CORONA, the highest recognition assigned by GUIDA VINI BUONI D'ITALIA
Einladende Noten von Waldbeeren und Sandelholz; der Ansatz geschliffen, besitzt präzise Säure und engmaschiges Tannin, intensiv-würziges Fruchtfinale. Muss sich noch etwas abrunden.
- Christian Eder
Absorbing display of black cherry, blackberries, violet florals and menthol. Quickly followed by fresh juicy textured nuances of red berries and balsamic notes, leave you almost gasping for breath. Sweet notes then savoury ones bombard the senses on this hedonistic experience. Phenomenal length and balance.
- Tony Wood
From the highly vocated vineyard of the same name, a beautiful version of Brunello, typical of the north-eastern area of the denomination. Freshness to the nose, notes of black raspberry, touches of eucalyptus and undergrowth. The palate is juicy-sapid, dense, with return of fruit and undergrowth.
- Luca Gardini
A tiny bit more developed (than the classic 2018 Brunello) lustrous ruby with orange, bricky narrow rim. There is a sense of richness combined with mineral intensity on the nose. Pure cherry and raspberry with a hint of orange and cinnamon bark. Juicy, minerally and savoury on the palate and with finely chiselled tannins. 15% but very elegant and poised.
-Walter Speller
Cedro peel, lavender, sour cherries, redcurrants and hints of lemongrass on the nose. Full-bodied, silky and perfumed, with a fine tannin backbone and a weightlessness to it. Swathes of creamy ripe fruit. Drink after 2023.
- James Suckling
Boom! Vigna la Casaccia nel millesimo 2018 è denso e compatto nel calice senza perdere in leggiadria e complessità sensoriale. Si alternano lentamente note di prugne nere, more, cannella in polvere, incenso, mirto selvatico, cumino e pepe nero. L’arancia sanguinella descrive il profilo secondario che si anima con buoni muscoli. Corpo pieno, tannini perfettamente morbidi di grana finissima ed un finale di lodevole bellezza. Meglio dal 2025.
- Raffaele Vecchione
Great anticipation to taste La Casaccia and Montosoli side by each from a vintage carrying no option but to act out the passion play through the glaring clarity of a sense of place. There are facts involved and there is no hiding the truth formed by these plots of sangiovese in this vintage. By now it is understood how 2018 exists on its own accord at one with nature though Francesco Ripaccioli will tell you there are similarities with 2013, if only because that vintage was greatly ignored and is drinking well at this time. La Casaccia in the località of Canalicchio is the wildcard of Montalcino and tasting several wines from the frazione reveals a collective affinity supplied by the year’s gifts. Nothing was portioned or taken away from the ’18 Annata and yet this Vigna sings with even more range and depth than that wine. The acids are simply out of this proverbial world, the linear aspects drawn with precise architectural or even, in Old English speak, a Cutter’s line. Remarkable reserve in concentration and forward slicing finesse. Forever long. Forever young. Drink 2025-2038.
- Michael Godel
Ruby red in colour. Wild meadow florals and violet awaken the senses. Wild black berries, boysenberry, dark plum and blackberry assisted by refreshing acidity and rounded tannins lift the palate to experience the layered intensity and textural resonance. The sheer appeal of this wine is mind blowing. Balance and energy are a given…
- Tony Wood -
Funkelndes Rubingranat mit aufhellendem Rand. Intensive und viel schichtige Nase mit feinen Noten nach Waldhimbeere, Schwarzkirsche und Rosen, im Hintergrund etwas Rauch. Kompakt in Ansatz und Verlauf, zeigt schöne reife Frucht, griffiges, dichtmaschiges Tannin, baut sich in vielen Schichten auf.
Brunello di Montalcino Trophy 2023
- Wolfgang M. Rosam, Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler -
Ebenso sehr komplexes und dichtes, nobles Bouquet mit à point reifen, überwiegend dunkelroten Beeren, dunklen Kirschen, Veilchen, Pfeffer und wieder erdigkräutrigen Noten. Sehr klar umrissenes Duftbild, das sich am dichten und druckvollen Gaumen fortsetzt. Das feinsandige Tanninkleid umhüllt gekonnt und nobel die konzentrierte Frucht und die würzig-mineralischen Noten, spannt sich ganz weit und ist ewig lang. Schöne Liaison aus Kraft und Eleganz mit der typischen Sangiovese-Frucht und Würze mit herrlichen ätherischen Noten im persistenten, mineralisch geprägten Finale. Einer der besten der Verkostung. Top 3. Bravo!
Guida 2024 - sezione "Vini da vitigni autoctoni"
Ausladendes Bouquet mit einer schönen Liaison aus reifer Frucht und floralwürzigen Noten. Hier treffen die saftigen Pflaumen auf getrocknete Veilchen und Zedernwürze. So geht es auch am saftigen Gaumen: wunderschöne SangioveseFrucht (dunkle Kirsche, Zwetschge) umrahmt von floralwürzigen und zart ledrigen Noten. 2025 – 2036
- Giuseppe Lauria -
Coinvolgente e di notevole spessore enologico mostra complessità nella stratificazione di prugne rosse, fragoline di bosco, buccia di lime, glicine, timo selvatico, bosso e verbena. In sottofondo nuance nobili di carattere verde ricordano le foglie di tè verde e la menta piperita. Corpo medio, tannini morbidi di grana fine ed un finale equilibrato e piacevolissimo che fa della delicata potenza la sua arma migliore. Meglio dal 2025.
- Raffaele Vecchione -
Sweet sour cherries with rose stems and hints of green leaves on the nose. Medium body with firm, chewy tannins with some juicy fruit. Fresh and vivid. Better after two or three years.
- James Suckling -
Vitae, La Guida Vini 2024 - X edizione
Tra i 5 migliori Brunello di Montalcino 2018 Selezione
Bright medium red with garnet highlights. Aromas and flavours of ripe red cherry, plum, and orange peel are complemented by strong notes of tobacco and earth. Perfumed and luscious on entry, then somewhat broad and diffuse in the middle, with ripe red cherry, plum nectar and redcurrant jelly flavours complicated by a dusting of wild herbs. Very fine tannins leave a suave mouthfeel behind on the long, savoury finish that features repeating strong nuances of sweet pipe tobacco. Drinking window: 2023-2033.
- Ian D’Agata -
Ungemein komplexes und tiefgestaffeltes, ätherisch-kräutriges Bouquet mit à point reifen, überwiegend dunklen Beeren, Tabak und wieder erdig-kräutrigen Noten. Sehr klar umrissene Struktur am Gaumen, messerscharf konturiert, ungemein druckvoll, gekonnt umhüllt vom feinen, eleganten Tanninkleid, nobel mit konzentrierter Frucht und würzig-mineralischen Noten, spannt sich ganz weit mit wunderbarer Fruchtsüße und Frische. Schöne Liaison aus Kraft und Eleganz, sehr persistent und lang im Finale mit der typischen Sangiovese Würze und ätherischen Noten. Einer der besten der Verkostung. [2026 – 2042]
- Giuseppe Lauria -
Leuchtendes Rubinrot. In der Nase auf erdigen Tönen, satter Kirschfrucht, etwas Blutorange, nicht ganz präzise, wenngleich in sich stimmig. Am Gaumen geschliffen, elegant, mit engmaschigem, packendem Tannin, kompakt, sehr saftig, toller Stil, druckvoll, mit anhaltendem Abgang.
Brunello di Montalcino Trophy 2024
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler -
The Vigna La Casaccia, which lends its name to a Canalicchio Cru, represents our desire to valorize the uniqueness of a vineyard that is able to maintain its strong identity and quality of being recognizable even in different vintages. Over the years, it has been the vineyard that has shown us how opulence and freshness can coexist in the same bottle.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
100% Sangiovese
From 315 to 297 masl
Vigna La Casaccia
1990
Primarily clay with a good amount of mineral elements, mostly calcium alternating with pebbly soil. These characteristic make wines of great structure, bright colour, depth, and a great elegance that give appealing and silky tannins every year. The ideal location guarantees constant exposure to the sun to the vines from dawn to dusk.
Cordon trained and spur pruned
N/S
3,00 meters x1,00 meter
In steel tanks with fermentation temperature control, daily soft pumping over. Maceration on the skins for 25 days
36 months in slavonian Oak casks (2500 liters)
2015
14,5%
3763 bottles by 750 ml
185 bottles by 1500 ml
The climactic conditions for the 2016 vintage can be summed up as balanced tending to warm without reaching torrid temperatures during the day in the summer months, having significant diurnal temperature ranges, conditions which favoured a perfect polyphenolic maturation while maintaining sustained acidity levels and giving the wines that balance which is found in exceptional vintages, between sweetness and sapidity, acidity and opulence.
From the first of January to mid-March, there was about 220mm of rainfall evenly distributed throughout that period which resulted in a good water reserve for the following months. This regular rainfall which had no damaging effects completely penetrated the soil thus creating an excellent reserve for the hottest season of the year.
During the month of January, we had twelve solid days of below zero daily minimum temperatures helping eliminate spores and mildew which had accumulated over the previous year, optimal conditions for the rebirth of the vines in optimal phytosanitary conditions.
The beginning of March was mostly cool with minimum night temperatures, and this naturally slowed down the budbreak which started around mid-March ensuring a regular harvest time.
Until April 20, the temperatures were mild during the day and cool at night with significant temperature ranges and without rainfall. The mild temperatures along with the good water reserve, which had accumulated in the soil during the winter months, favoured regular and homogenous vine growth, and we carried out a bud selection at the beginning of May. From April 23 to 25, we had three days of heavy rainfall in terms of the quantity for a total of about 45mm, which did not have any negative effects on the vine health as it was immediately followed by a decrease in temperature and especially by the northern/north-eastern winds which immediately dried the air rendering it unfavourable for any mildew diseases of the vines.
The month of May was rainy with a total of about 100mm of rain, accompanied by cooler than average temperatures which slowed down the vines without compromising their health. The rain later proved fundamental during the driest months of July and August.
The month of June saw only two rainstorms with average seasonal amounts of rainfall.
July and August were two perfect months for the maturation of Sangiovese grapes with warm but not excessively hot temperatures during the day (never above 35°C) and cool at night. These significant diurnal temperature ranges favoured a slow continual maturation and especially resulted in a thick skin with great quantities of polyphenols.
From budbreak to harvest, there was about 450mm of rainfall, an ideal amount considering that about 40mm fell in the month of September 15 days before the harvest, which is by no means a negligible amount but which in no way affected the quality of the grapes because of its very resistant skin and because the rainfall was immediately followed by winds from the north/north-east. The rainfall on September 18 essentially washed the grapes so that they would then come into the cellar in perfect condition.
The total amount of rainfall from the beginning of the year until the harvest was just under 700mm, optimal conditions for a great vintage.
The temperature analysis is interesting as it is characterised by two main factors:
In summary, there were three fundamental types of climactic conditions which took place at the same time and at the most favorable time which ensured a great vintage
All vineyards were harvested in a short period of time from September 27 to October 5, another piece of data which shows perfect regularity in the maturation.
ENERGY AND ELEGANCE:
The 2016 LA CASACCIA Brunello di Montalcino DOCG celebrates the energy and dynamism of this vineyard in a version of pure elegance. The strong identity of this vineyard, which expresses itself in its balance of opulence, velvetiness, and strong minerality, is underlined by a vintage which exalts its terroir in a clear and identifiable way, offering us the chance to further highlight the qualities of a vineyard which has a strong character.
The Vigna Casaccia 2018 opens with aromas of underbrush, leather, dark spice and whiffs of violet. More closed than the Brunello Annata, it’s also more structured, showing ripe dark-skinned berry, licorice, tobacco and balsamic notes recalling eucalyptus. Tight, fine-grained tannins provide support while great acidity keeps it fresh and balanced. Drink 2026–2040.
- Kerin O'Keefe
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2018 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia reveals medium-dark fruit and an open-knit approach with broad brushstrokes of black cherry, baked plum and spice. The alcohol content is too high at 15%, and that added power takes away from the finer nuances of the fruit. It ages in Slavonian oak for 36 months; however, the freshness is good in this wine. This is a limited release of 3,733 bottles and 200 magnums.
-Monica Larner
A delicate, graceful style, offering cherry, fruitcake, sage, eucalyptus, iron and leather flavors. Firm and nicely balanced, with a long, expanding aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2042.
- Bruce Sanderson -
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia is impossible to ignore; it is earthy and mineral, almost smoky and animal in nature. Ashes stones, violets and balsam herbs complicate depths of dried black cherries, sage and clove. This is deeply textural and seductive, balancing ripe red and black fruits with sweet spice and minty herbal tones that create a kaleidoscope of sensation on the palate. A salty flourish shines through the finale, along with a crunchy tinge of blackberry seeds to contrast, as fine-grained tannins wrap the sense with youthful poise and a bitter twang resonates. The 2019 may be immortal. La Casaccia is a showstopper. Drinking window 2026-2040.
- Eric Guido -
A dark mix of crushed rocks and flowery underbrush is lifted by nuances of dried strawberry and worn leather as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia smolders up from the glass. It’s silky in feel, communicating a wonderful elegance, with ripe red and hints of blue fruits accentuated by inner violet tones. This is potent and long through the finale, with sneaky tannins, staining the palate with liquid florals, as a hint of citrus-tinged black currant slowly fades. The 2018 is a beautifully balanced Brunello of this vintage.
- Eric Guido
Francesco Ripaccioli explains that La Casaccia’s clay soils absorbed the rains of September, initially diluting the grapes. He credits the subsequent dry northern winds with concentrating the berries as the estate waited until 28 September to pick. The resulting wine is certainly one of the vintage’s more solidly structured Brunello and also displays the darkest fruit of the estate’s trio of bottlings. Cherry and even blackcurrant are met with sage, rosemary and wet soil. The firmly built palate of dense fruit is framed by clingy tannins, while underlying juiciness keeps it bright and buoyant.
- Michaela Morris
Whereas Montosoli is more mineral-driven and finely stitched together, this wine is broad, big and driven by balsamic tones, vapor rub and dried rosemary.
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia, however, is more explosive with spice, toasted coffee, black licorice, cherry cola and rich cherry. The tannins feel chalky, although they are fine-grained, but they play a bigger role against the concentrated fruit. Only 7,200 bottles and larger formats were made. Drink Date 2025 - 2042.
- Monica Larner -
Rich and velvety, with cherry, raspberry, eucalyptus and juniper aromas and flavors, this is backed by a dense, steely structure, whose tannins leave a strong grip on the finish. Balanced, complex and long, with a saline, mineral impression persisting on the aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2043, 147 cases imported.
- Bruce Sanderson -
Bright medium red. Very pretty violet and red cherry aromas and flavours with hints of spicy cinnamon and nutmeg. Fleshy but precise, this finishes long clean and mineral. Owner Francesco Ripaccioli has arguably made the best pair of Brunellos of any estate from the 2018 vintage. Drinking window: 2027-2038.
- Ian D'Agata -
- Riccardo Viscardi -
Casaccia is a single vineyard in the Canalicchio area northeast of Montalcino. Here the cooler, windy mesoclimate and clay soils typically produce plump fruit, but with tannins of great finesse. This single cru bottling fulfils a long-term goal of owner Francesco Ripaccioli to capture the uniqueness of its various Sangiovese sites. The nose is initially earthy and dark with roasted chestnut, cigar and polished leather over amarena cherry. In keeping with the cooler 2018 vintage, a refreshing hit of acidity, menthol and eucalyptus strike the front palate just a beat before the fruit catches up. The tannins are like a finely woven wool suit that's cut close to the figure, but without being tight; the fruit returns on the finish, surprisingly fresher than before.
- Sarah Heller MW -
A single vineyard of great thickness and inimitable balance, nose with notes of cranberry, then touches of eucalyptus and gardenia, with hints of juniper. Brackish palate, thick, with a return of cranberry and spicy notes.
- Luca Gardini -
Very dark ruby with bricky rim. Spicy, minerally notes over generous cherry fruit. Lots of supple cherry fruit with a dose of well-judged tannins that cling to the fruit on the finish. A little riper and fuller than Montosoli, but has the bones to age gracefully. Drink 2026 – 2038.
- Walter Speller -
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Vigna La Casaccia is fantastic. Generous and powerfully built, it also has a weightless grace, featuring aromas of black-skinned fruit, iris and camphor while the enveloping palate delivers ripe plum, mature black-skinned berry, licorice and cake spice. Velvety, enveloping tannins give it a smooth texture while fresh acidity keeps it balanced.
- Kerin O’Keefe -
La Casaccia is a brown clay with a prominence of calcium carbonate that gives this single vineyard sangiovese its colour. A place of high (8.2-8.3) pH characterized by the clay. "For me it's sleekness," tells Francesco Ripaccioli, "not opulence and less heaviness than from (a vineyard) of dense clay." La Casaccia from that calcareous clay is no simple Rosso or classic Brunello for that matter and it is immediately apparent that concentration and depth of all parts manage the wine's breadth at levels those drink earlier propositions do not. Similar grip to Riserva but not the same power although without tasting Riserva at the same time it would be hard to imagine how this could be improved or extrapolated upon. Simple but crazy complex and a most evocative elucidation to see this Brunello wooing with as much substance and intensity as it does - but these are the 2019s. A matter of deliberately annotating sangiovese and Casaccia through this interaction with a Brunello that enhances a taster's understanding, recall and reaction to the vintage. Drink 2027-2038.
- Michael Godel -
Medium-deep. Vibrant aromas of strawberry, peppery herbs and truffle. Then smooth and sultry, with multilayered flavours of red cherry, preserved plum, star anise, cinnamon and oaky spices. Long, balanced and suave on the rising finish. This will be a knockout in due course. Drinking window: 2030-2044.
- Ian D'Agata -
Bright ruby red in colour. Aromatics of blue florals, dried herbs and mellow spice. Small dark fruits abound, liquorice, blonde tobacco and distant cinnamon. Close knit fine tannins. Not an easy wine to fully appreciate at first, it has tremendous resonance, great structural integrity and soft textural curves. This wine is unique in as much it plays “hide and seek” with its interviewer. Personally I know it’s a stunning wine that needs time to relax and show all its fine character.
- Tony Wood -
Produced since the 2015 vintage, Vigna Casaccia is fashioned from 30-year-old vines of the BBS11 clone. Reaching 315 metres, the plot is characterised by a high percentage of brown, magnesium-rich clay. Surely the most impressive release yet, the 2019 exhibits the cru’s intrinsic sumptuous character and girth, along with telltale resinous herb nuances of rosemary, thyme and eucalyptus. yet this year, there is an extra spark. Through that expansiveness, an underlying firmness keeps this from overflowing its limits. Plump fruit marked with a mineral lick and terracotta earthiness is all wrapped up in smooth, velvety tannins, and it carries its 15% alcohol with ease and grace. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2041
- Michaela Morris -
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2015 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia represents a new chapter in this estate's long history. This is a single-vineyard expression from the Canalicchio area, one of the most interesting subzones on the northeast side of Montalcino. Giving identity to individual parcels gives an estate like this huge potential for further expression and experimentation. The site is a little over two hectares, and it has dense, mineral-rich clay soils that add more power and a heavier center of gravity. The vines were planted in 1990. I notice slightly firmer tannin here, with a very distinct level of acidity purity. You also get lasting berry fruit favors with blueberry and dried raspberry followed by spice, licorice and lavender buds from the south of France and the rim of the Mediterranean. The wine is distinguished by endnotes of balsam or medicinal herb that grow in strength with time. It offers plenty of volume and weight. Not counting the various large format bottles made, only 3,610 750-milliliter bottles were produced. They were filled in May 2019, and the wine hit the market in January 2020.
- Monica Larner
The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia opens with an intense mix of zesty red fruits, spice and alluring sweet florals, backed by dark earth, crushed stone, hints of licorice, and a twang of savory herbs. On the palate, silky textures are contrasted by saline-minerals and brisk acids, as red berry fruits flood the senses along with savory herbs and spices, leaving a coating of fine-grained tannin. The finish is long, displaying lingering spiced red berries enlivened by resonating acids, saline-mineral tones and a hint of fine tannin. Talk about a great way to release a new single-vineyard bottling, The 2015 is classic to the core.
- Eric Guido
The intensity of fruit is staggering here, as this stacks up dried peaches, dried strawberries, red licorice, red-plum compote and glazed red cherries, in rapid succession. There’s a breadth of flavor to the palate that will take your breath away; muscular tannins draw in deeply set cherries, melding it together in a glistening coating of acidity, which only helps to carry it longer still. The finish is nearly endless. A stunning new single vineyard from Canalicchio di Sopra. Drink from 2026.
A significant new release for Canalicchio di Sopra, La Casaccia is a single vineyard close to the winery in the district of Canalicchio, north of the town of Montalcino. Comparing it to his plots in Montosoli, owner Francesco Ripaccioli describes the soil here as a heavier brown clay with lots of magnesium giving more generous growth. It produces a relatively weighty, substantial wine with firm, sturdy tannins and balancing acidity. Notes of sage, tobacco, liquorice root and heather weave through the plush dark currant fruit. Both this and the classic Brunello are equally accomplished, however I suspect La Casaccia may have longer ageing capacity.
- Michaela Morris
A spectacular wine in every sense: a firm, deep, minerally fruit nose, a composed but full palate with finely chiselled tannins and perfectly integrated juicy acidity. Long and layered and impossible to resist but deserves more bottle age.
- Walter Speller
This is a newish single-vineyard wine (it's the second vintage) created by Francesco Ripaccioli and the team at Canalicchio di Sopra at the conclusion of an ambitious estate-wide mapping project. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia draws its fruit from a two-hectare site planted in 1990 with clay soils and rich in mineral components. A precious 4,133 bottles were made. What I like most is the tightness of the fruit, which you chip away at slowly as the wine softens and yields in the glass. Each layer brings you forest fruit, sour cherry, almond, lilac and candied orange peel. On a second swirl, you might get black olive, bay leaf and scorched earth. There are subtle mineral notes, but what La Casaccia ultimately offers is that uniquely compact and extremely polished quality of fruit.
-Monica Larner
Lifting up with gorgeous floral perfumes and hints of white smoke, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia from Canalicchio di Sopra keeps you at the edge of your glass. It opens up with a dark and dramatic display of balsamic-tinged black cherry, sage and Indian spice, contrasted by savory notes of tobacco, rich earth tones and flowery undergrowth. There’s an amazing density of fruit here, offset by salty minerals, zesty acids and a hint of sour citrus. The textures are velvety-smooth, yet the expression remains feminine and lifted. In fact, you can hardly notice its underlying tannic heft until it’s too late, as the 2016 La Casaccia seems to youthfully fold in on itself, halting the expression but promising over a decade of further development.
- Eric Guido
A red with cherry, walnut, bark and hints of dried flowers. It’s full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a tight finish. Really reserved now. Needs three or four years to open. Best after 2024.
- James Suckling
English:
Sparkling, dark ruby with a shimmering garnet edge. Compact, somewhat closed nose with notes of dark blackberries and cherries, a fine nougat note in the background. Blooms great on the palate, tightly meshed, substantial tannin, embedded in fine fruit melt, salty and juicy, is still very young, but has a long life ahead of it.
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
Deutsche:
Funkelndes, dunkles Rubin mit schillerndem Granatrand. Kompakte, etwas verschlossene Nase mit Noten nach dunklen Brombeeren und Kirschen, im Hintergrund feiner Nougatton. Blüht am Gaumen toll auf, dichtmaschiges, stoffiges Tannin, eingebettet in feinen Fruchtschmelz, salzig und saftig, zeigt sich noch sehr jung, hat aber ein langes Leben vor sich.
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
This ripe red is bursting with plum, cherry, floral and mineral aromas and flavors. Succulent and balanced, with savory, sanguine and earthy accents, rolling on through the long, herb-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2024 through 2045.
- Bruce Sanderson
Lustrous mid ruby. Leafy cherry hints but otherwise quite closed on the nose, yet with a clear sense of purity. Dense, yet elegant and with tangy acidity shooting through the mouth-filling fruit. Firm noble tannins add depth and contour. Real cru pedigree.
- Walter Speller
The second release of this single vineyard, La Casaccia was planted in 1990. At an average altitude of 300 metres, it sits on predominantly clay soils and is bathed in sun from morning until evening. This doesn’t have quite the plushness or gregarious personality of the 2015 but takes on the 2016 vintage’s more vertical path, opening slowly. Aromas are evocative of pine, cedar and sage. Full but not weighty, the palate brings in earthy nuances with wild berries.
Acidity is cleansing, and silky tannins build up to a powerful finish.
Drinking Window 2024 - 2040
- Michaela Morris
Brunello di Montalcino LA CASACCIA 2016 obtained the CORONA, the highest recognition assigned by GUIDA VINI BUONI D'ITALIA
This shows the ripeness of the vintage, with ripe-berry, cherry and floral
aromas and flavors. Some cedar, too. It’s full and flavorful, with lots of chewy
yet polished and focused tannins. A little dusty in texture. Drinkable now,
but better in 2023.
- James Suckling
Nobile ed elegantissimo mostra note miste floreali e fruttate che ricordano i gerani, l’ibisco, le prugne rosse, la buccia di arancia arsa, la china e la terra bagnata. Corpo pieno, tannini perfettamente maturi ed integrati nella matrice ed un finale iconico punto di riferimento per la denominazione nel difficile millesimo. Meglio dal 2023.
- Raffaele Vecchione
The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia is aromatically stunning, blasting up mineral in style, with a dark floral and balsam lift, giving way to licorice, black cherry and hints of camphor. It gains further depth and volume the longer it sits in the glass. The textures are silken, fleshy and pliant at first, as contrasting tart red fruits and minty herbal tones come through, saturating the palate with primary concentration. This is even savory at times and displays smoother contours than past vintages, yet it’s supremely balanced and pure. Repeating minerality comes through in spades and this turns youthfully dry and perfumed, yet still juicy and classic in feel. La Casaccia is a huge success for the vintage.
- Eric Guido
This is where all the recent hard work put by Francesco Ripaccioli and team really comes to light and fruition. La Casaccia is northerly-ish but certainly not Montosoli and yet the aromatic profile of this Vigna-designate Brunello is laced with cool nuance and found to be full of fine finesse. As per the Canalicchio di Sopra idiom there is plenty of wood casking through the bones of the wine and yet one can feel the highest quality of those large vessels gifting a select strength leading to the chic style, surely to be followed by one and the half decades of aging. All what needs, what is and must be for La Casaccia. Drink 2023-2030. Tasted November 2021.
- Michael Godel
Da uve brunello, matura in botti da 30 hl per almeno 24 mesi. Classico rubino. Olfatto nitido e intenso su ciliegie nere mature e more. Una leggera affumicatura che introduce erbe officinali che danno freschezza. Trama e progressione fitte, nervose con tannino giovanile ma perfettamente integrato. Ottimo il finale per lunghezza e sobrietà. La zona nordica esprime le sue caratteristiche anche in annate torride ma qui c’e il trucco: piovve a metà settembre.
- Riccardo Viscardi
A great release of Brunello from the northeast slope of the denomination. Nose of freshness and finesse, notes of raspberry, touches of fresh marjoram and undergrowth. The mouthfeel is juicy-savoury, dense, with a nice spicy finish and persistence.
- Luca Gardini
Within the Canalicchio area, the Casaccia vineyard boasts a high clay content, which helped curb water stress in 2017. As with all Canalicchio di Sopra’s wines, the grapes were double-sorted to remove any green or sun-dried berries. Pristine in aromas and flavours, this offers clove, cardamom, mint and sweet dark earth on a backdrop of black cherries. The ample, mouth-filling palate is hemmed in by compact, sandy tannins. Underlying succulence makes this quite moreish. Drinking Window 2024 - 2032
- Michaela Morris
This is a relatively new addition to the Canalicchio di Sopra portfolio, and even its modern graphic label design represents a break from the rest of the line, which has more nostalgic labels that feature Montalcino's medieval main square. The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia takes a little longer to open, but it ultimately reveals the elegance and energy that comes with the house style. Wild cherry, ash and balsam herb drive a long, very polished finish. The La Casaccia site is distinguished by mineral-rich clay soils, which give this wine its power and density. Production is limited to 4,133 bottles in this vintage
- Monica Larner
Inviting aromas of baked plum, violet, baking spice and sun-warmed hay come to the forefront along with a whiff of leather. The enveloping palate is delicious, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and nutmeg framed in tightly woven, polished tannins that lend finesse and a smooth texture. Drink 2024–2029.
-Kerin O’Keefe
Black cherry and blackberry flavors hold court in this dense, yet vibrant red, which is defined by brisk acidity. Stays beautifully integrated, harmonious and long, while earth and savory herb accents add depth. This should really sing in about 2-3 years. Best from 2024 through 2040.
- Bruce Sanderson
Just mid ruby with orange tinges. A subdued nose with malt-bread notes. Needs to take a very deep breath, while revealing oak hints. The palate displays fragrant marasca-cherry fruit balanced by supple acidity. Very long, concentrated and with beautiful, coating tannins.
- Walter Speller
Profondo, un po' tabacco, catrame e un po' nocciola, aroma di bacche nere e rosse mature con sfumature floreali secche che ricordano i petali di rosa e un po' di note eteree. Crostata, matura, frutta piuttosto scura, aromi di noce e legno leggermente speziato di cacao, note pepate e di ginepro, mineralità salata, con tutta la sua potenza anche note rinfrescanti, buona profondità, struttura ferma, abbastanza complesso, ma trasparente e lucido, ancora giovane, molto buono, fermo, crostata e finale speziato.
Reviewed by Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
Brunello di Montalcino LA CASACCIA 2017 obtained the CORONA, the highest recognition assigned by GUIDA VINI BUONI D'ITALIA
Einladende Noten von Waldbeeren und Sandelholz; der Ansatz geschliffen, besitzt präzise Säure und engmaschiges Tannin, intensiv-würziges Fruchtfinale. Muss sich noch etwas abrunden.
- Christian Eder
Absorbing display of black cherry, blackberries, violet florals and menthol. Quickly followed by fresh juicy textured nuances of red berries and balsamic notes, leave you almost gasping for breath. Sweet notes then savoury ones bombard the senses on this hedonistic experience. Phenomenal length and balance.
- Tony Wood
From the highly vocated vineyard of the same name, a beautiful version of Brunello, typical of the north-eastern area of the denomination. Freshness to the nose, notes of black raspberry, touches of eucalyptus and undergrowth. The palate is juicy-sapid, dense, with return of fruit and undergrowth.
- Luca Gardini
A tiny bit more developed (than the classic 2018 Brunello) lustrous ruby with orange, bricky narrow rim. There is a sense of richness combined with mineral intensity on the nose. Pure cherry and raspberry with a hint of orange and cinnamon bark. Juicy, minerally and savoury on the palate and with finely chiselled tannins. 15% but very elegant and poised.
-Walter Speller
Cedro peel, lavender, sour cherries, redcurrants and hints of lemongrass on the nose. Full-bodied, silky and perfumed, with a fine tannin backbone and a weightlessness to it. Swathes of creamy ripe fruit. Drink after 2023.
- James Suckling
Boom! Vigna la Casaccia nel millesimo 2018 è denso e compatto nel calice senza perdere in leggiadria e complessità sensoriale. Si alternano lentamente note di prugne nere, more, cannella in polvere, incenso, mirto selvatico, cumino e pepe nero. L’arancia sanguinella descrive il profilo secondario che si anima con buoni muscoli. Corpo pieno, tannini perfettamente morbidi di grana finissima ed un finale di lodevole bellezza. Meglio dal 2025.
- Raffaele Vecchione
Great anticipation to taste La Casaccia and Montosoli side by each from a vintage carrying no option but to act out the passion play through the glaring clarity of a sense of place. There are facts involved and there is no hiding the truth formed by these plots of sangiovese in this vintage. By now it is understood how 2018 exists on its own accord at one with nature though Francesco Ripaccioli will tell you there are similarities with 2013, if only because that vintage was greatly ignored and is drinking well at this time. La Casaccia in the località of Canalicchio is the wildcard of Montalcino and tasting several wines from the frazione reveals a collective affinity supplied by the year’s gifts. Nothing was portioned or taken away from the ’18 Annata and yet this Vigna sings with even more range and depth than that wine. The acids are simply out of this proverbial world, the linear aspects drawn with precise architectural or even, in Old English speak, a Cutter’s line. Remarkable reserve in concentration and forward slicing finesse. Forever long. Forever young. Drink 2025-2038.
- Michael Godel
Ruby red in colour. Wild meadow florals and violet awaken the senses. Wild black berries, boysenberry, dark plum and blackberry assisted by refreshing acidity and rounded tannins lift the palate to experience the layered intensity and textural resonance. The sheer appeal of this wine is mind blowing. Balance and energy are a given…
- Tony Wood -
Funkelndes Rubingranat mit aufhellendem Rand. Intensive und viel schichtige Nase mit feinen Noten nach Waldhimbeere, Schwarzkirsche und Rosen, im Hintergrund etwas Rauch. Kompakt in Ansatz und Verlauf, zeigt schöne reife Frucht, griffiges, dichtmaschiges Tannin, baut sich in vielen Schichten auf.
Brunello di Montalcino Trophy 2023
- Wolfgang M. Rosam, Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler -
Ebenso sehr komplexes und dichtes, nobles Bouquet mit à point reifen, überwiegend dunkelroten Beeren, dunklen Kirschen, Veilchen, Pfeffer und wieder erdigkräutrigen Noten. Sehr klar umrissenes Duftbild, das sich am dichten und druckvollen Gaumen fortsetzt. Das feinsandige Tanninkleid umhüllt gekonnt und nobel die konzentrierte Frucht und die würzig-mineralischen Noten, spannt sich ganz weit und ist ewig lang. Schöne Liaison aus Kraft und Eleganz mit der typischen Sangiovese-Frucht und Würze mit herrlichen ätherischen Noten im persistenten, mineralisch geprägten Finale. Einer der besten der Verkostung. Top 3. Bravo!
Guida 2024 - sezione "Vini da vitigni autoctoni"
Ausladendes Bouquet mit einer schönen Liaison aus reifer Frucht und floralwürzigen Noten. Hier treffen die saftigen Pflaumen auf getrocknete Veilchen und Zedernwürze. So geht es auch am saftigen Gaumen: wunderschöne SangioveseFrucht (dunkle Kirsche, Zwetschge) umrahmt von floralwürzigen und zart ledrigen Noten. 2025 – 2036
- Giuseppe Lauria -
Coinvolgente e di notevole spessore enologico mostra complessità nella stratificazione di prugne rosse, fragoline di bosco, buccia di lime, glicine, timo selvatico, bosso e verbena. In sottofondo nuance nobili di carattere verde ricordano le foglie di tè verde e la menta piperita. Corpo medio, tannini morbidi di grana fine ed un finale equilibrato e piacevolissimo che fa della delicata potenza la sua arma migliore. Meglio dal 2025.
- Raffaele Vecchione -
Sweet sour cherries with rose stems and hints of green leaves on the nose. Medium body with firm, chewy tannins with some juicy fruit. Fresh and vivid. Better after two or three years.
- James Suckling -
Vitae, La Guida Vini 2024 - X edizione
Tra i 5 migliori Brunello di Montalcino 2018 Selezione
Bright medium red with garnet highlights. Aromas and flavours of ripe red cherry, plum, and orange peel are complemented by strong notes of tobacco and earth. Perfumed and luscious on entry, then somewhat broad and diffuse in the middle, with ripe red cherry, plum nectar and redcurrant jelly flavours complicated by a dusting of wild herbs. Very fine tannins leave a suave mouthfeel behind on the long, savoury finish that features repeating strong nuances of sweet pipe tobacco. Drinking window: 2023-2033.
- Ian D’Agata -
Ungemein komplexes und tiefgestaffeltes, ätherisch-kräutriges Bouquet mit à point reifen, überwiegend dunklen Beeren, Tabak und wieder erdig-kräutrigen Noten. Sehr klar umrissene Struktur am Gaumen, messerscharf konturiert, ungemein druckvoll, gekonnt umhüllt vom feinen, eleganten Tanninkleid, nobel mit konzentrierter Frucht und würzig-mineralischen Noten, spannt sich ganz weit mit wunderbarer Fruchtsüße und Frische. Schöne Liaison aus Kraft und Eleganz, sehr persistent und lang im Finale mit der typischen Sangiovese Würze und ätherischen Noten. Einer der besten der Verkostung. [2026 – 2042]
- Giuseppe Lauria -
Leuchtendes Rubinrot. In der Nase auf erdigen Tönen, satter Kirschfrucht, etwas Blutorange, nicht ganz präzise, wenngleich in sich stimmig. Am Gaumen geschliffen, elegant, mit engmaschigem, packendem Tannin, kompakt, sehr saftig, toller Stil, druckvoll, mit anhaltendem Abgang.
Brunello di Montalcino Trophy 2024
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler -
The Vigna La Casaccia, which lends its name to a Canalicchio Cru, represents our desire to valorize the uniqueness of a vineyard that is able to maintain its strong identity and quality of being recognizable even in different vintages. Over the years, it has been the vineyard that has shown us how opulence and freshness can coexist in the same bottle.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
100% Sangiovese
From 315 to 297 masl
Vigna La Casaccia
1990
Primarily clay with a good amount of mineral elements, mostly calcium alternating with pebbly soil. These characteristic make wines of great structure, bright colour, depth, and a great elegance that give appealing and silky tannins every year. The ideal location guarantees constant exposure to the sun to the vines from dawn to dusk.
Cordon trained and spur pruned
N/S
3,00 meters x1,00 meter
In steel tanks with fermentation temperature control, daily soft pumping over. Maceration on the skins for 25 days
36 months in slavonian Oak casks (2500 liters)
2015
14,5%
The Vigna Casaccia 2018 opens with aromas of underbrush, leather, dark spice and whiffs of violet. More closed than the Brunello Annata, it’s also more structured, showing ripe dark-skinned berry, licorice, tobacco and balsamic notes recalling eucalyptus. Tight, fine-grained tannins provide support while great acidity keeps it fresh and balanced. Drink 2026–2040.
- Kerin O'Keefe
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2018 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia reveals medium-dark fruit and an open-knit approach with broad brushstrokes of black cherry, baked plum and spice. The alcohol content is too high at 15%, and that added power takes away from the finer nuances of the fruit. It ages in Slavonian oak for 36 months; however, the freshness is good in this wine. This is a limited release of 3,733 bottles and 200 magnums.
-Monica Larner
A delicate, graceful style, offering cherry, fruitcake, sage, eucalyptus, iron and leather flavors. Firm and nicely balanced, with a long, expanding aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2042.
- Bruce Sanderson -
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia is impossible to ignore; it is earthy and mineral, almost smoky and animal in nature. Ashes stones, violets and balsam herbs complicate depths of dried black cherries, sage and clove. This is deeply textural and seductive, balancing ripe red and black fruits with sweet spice and minty herbal tones that create a kaleidoscope of sensation on the palate. A salty flourish shines through the finale, along with a crunchy tinge of blackberry seeds to contrast, as fine-grained tannins wrap the sense with youthful poise and a bitter twang resonates. The 2019 may be immortal. La Casaccia is a showstopper. Drinking window 2026-2040.
- Eric Guido -
A dark mix of crushed rocks and flowery underbrush is lifted by nuances of dried strawberry and worn leather as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia smolders up from the glass. It’s silky in feel, communicating a wonderful elegance, with ripe red and hints of blue fruits accentuated by inner violet tones. This is potent and long through the finale, with sneaky tannins, staining the palate with liquid florals, as a hint of citrus-tinged black currant slowly fades. The 2018 is a beautifully balanced Brunello of this vintage.
- Eric Guido
Francesco Ripaccioli explains that La Casaccia’s clay soils absorbed the rains of September, initially diluting the grapes. He credits the subsequent dry northern winds with concentrating the berries as the estate waited until 28 September to pick. The resulting wine is certainly one of the vintage’s more solidly structured Brunello and also displays the darkest fruit of the estate’s trio of bottlings. Cherry and even blackcurrant are met with sage, rosemary and wet soil. The firmly built palate of dense fruit is framed by clingy tannins, while underlying juiciness keeps it bright and buoyant.
- Michaela Morris
Whereas Montosoli is more mineral-driven and finely stitched together, this wine is broad, big and driven by balsamic tones, vapor rub and dried rosemary.
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia, however, is more explosive with spice, toasted coffee, black licorice, cherry cola and rich cherry. The tannins feel chalky, although they are fine-grained, but they play a bigger role against the concentrated fruit. Only 7,200 bottles and larger formats were made. Drink Date 2025 - 2042.
- Monica Larner -
Rich and velvety, with cherry, raspberry, eucalyptus and juniper aromas and flavors, this is backed by a dense, steely structure, whose tannins leave a strong grip on the finish. Balanced, complex and long, with a saline, mineral impression persisting on the aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2043, 147 cases imported.
- Bruce Sanderson -
Bright medium red. Very pretty violet and red cherry aromas and flavours with hints of spicy cinnamon and nutmeg. Fleshy but precise, this finishes long clean and mineral. Owner Francesco Ripaccioli has arguably made the best pair of Brunellos of any estate from the 2018 vintage. Drinking window: 2027-2038.
- Ian D'Agata -
- Riccardo Viscardi -
Casaccia is a single vineyard in the Canalicchio area northeast of Montalcino. Here the cooler, windy mesoclimate and clay soils typically produce plump fruit, but with tannins of great finesse. This single cru bottling fulfils a long-term goal of owner Francesco Ripaccioli to capture the uniqueness of its various Sangiovese sites. The nose is initially earthy and dark with roasted chestnut, cigar and polished leather over amarena cherry. In keeping with the cooler 2018 vintage, a refreshing hit of acidity, menthol and eucalyptus strike the front palate just a beat before the fruit catches up. The tannins are like a finely woven wool suit that's cut close to the figure, but without being tight; the fruit returns on the finish, surprisingly fresher than before.
- Sarah Heller MW -
A single vineyard of great thickness and inimitable balance, nose with notes of cranberry, then touches of eucalyptus and gardenia, with hints of juniper. Brackish palate, thick, with a return of cranberry and spicy notes.
- Luca Gardini -
Very dark ruby with bricky rim. Spicy, minerally notes over generous cherry fruit. Lots of supple cherry fruit with a dose of well-judged tannins that cling to the fruit on the finish. A little riper and fuller than Montosoli, but has the bones to age gracefully. Drink 2026 – 2038.
- Walter Speller -
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Vigna La Casaccia is fantastic. Generous and powerfully built, it also has a weightless grace, featuring aromas of black-skinned fruit, iris and camphor while the enveloping palate delivers ripe plum, mature black-skinned berry, licorice and cake spice. Velvety, enveloping tannins give it a smooth texture while fresh acidity keeps it balanced.
- Kerin O’Keefe -
La Casaccia is a brown clay with a prominence of calcium carbonate that gives this single vineyard sangiovese its colour. A place of high (8.2-8.3) pH characterized by the clay. "For me it's sleekness," tells Francesco Ripaccioli, "not opulence and less heaviness than from (a vineyard) of dense clay." La Casaccia from that calcareous clay is no simple Rosso or classic Brunello for that matter and it is immediately apparent that concentration and depth of all parts manage the wine's breadth at levels those drink earlier propositions do not. Similar grip to Riserva but not the same power although without tasting Riserva at the same time it would be hard to imagine how this could be improved or extrapolated upon. Simple but crazy complex and a most evocative elucidation to see this Brunello wooing with as much substance and intensity as it does - but these are the 2019s. A matter of deliberately annotating sangiovese and Casaccia through this interaction with a Brunello that enhances a taster's understanding, recall and reaction to the vintage. Drink 2027-2038.
- Michael Godel -
Medium-deep. Vibrant aromas of strawberry, peppery herbs and truffle. Then smooth and sultry, with multilayered flavours of red cherry, preserved plum, star anise, cinnamon and oaky spices. Long, balanced and suave on the rising finish. This will be a knockout in due course. Drinking window: 2030-2044.
- Ian D'Agata -
Bright ruby red in colour. Aromatics of blue florals, dried herbs and mellow spice. Small dark fruits abound, liquorice, blonde tobacco and distant cinnamon. Close knit fine tannins. Not an easy wine to fully appreciate at first, it has tremendous resonance, great structural integrity and soft textural curves. This wine is unique in as much it plays “hide and seek” with its interviewer. Personally I know it’s a stunning wine that needs time to relax and show all its fine character.
- Tony Wood -
Produced since the 2015 vintage, Vigna Casaccia is fashioned from 30-year-old vines of the BBS11 clone. Reaching 315 metres, the plot is characterised by a high percentage of brown, magnesium-rich clay. Surely the most impressive release yet, the 2019 exhibits the cru’s intrinsic sumptuous character and girth, along with telltale resinous herb nuances of rosemary, thyme and eucalyptus. yet this year, there is an extra spark. Through that expansiveness, an underlying firmness keeps this from overflowing its limits. Plump fruit marked with a mineral lick and terracotta earthiness is all wrapped up in smooth, velvety tannins, and it carries its 15% alcohol with ease and grace. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2041
- Michaela Morris -
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2015 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia represents a new chapter in this estate's long history. This is a single-vineyard expression from the Canalicchio area, one of the most interesting subzones on the northeast side of Montalcino. Giving identity to individual parcels gives an estate like this huge potential for further expression and experimentation. The site is a little over two hectares, and it has dense, mineral-rich clay soils that add more power and a heavier center of gravity. The vines were planted in 1990. I notice slightly firmer tannin here, with a very distinct level of acidity purity. You also get lasting berry fruit favors with blueberry and dried raspberry followed by spice, licorice and lavender buds from the south of France and the rim of the Mediterranean. The wine is distinguished by endnotes of balsam or medicinal herb that grow in strength with time. It offers plenty of volume and weight. Not counting the various large format bottles made, only 3,610 750-milliliter bottles were produced. They were filled in May 2019, and the wine hit the market in January 2020.
- Monica Larner
The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia opens with an intense mix of zesty red fruits, spice and alluring sweet florals, backed by dark earth, crushed stone, hints of licorice, and a twang of savory herbs. On the palate, silky textures are contrasted by saline-minerals and brisk acids, as red berry fruits flood the senses along with savory herbs and spices, leaving a coating of fine-grained tannin. The finish is long, displaying lingering spiced red berries enlivened by resonating acids, saline-mineral tones and a hint of fine tannin. Talk about a great way to release a new single-vineyard bottling, The 2015 is classic to the core.
- Eric Guido
The intensity of fruit is staggering here, as this stacks up dried peaches, dried strawberries, red licorice, red-plum compote and glazed red cherries, in rapid succession. There’s a breadth of flavor to the palate that will take your breath away; muscular tannins draw in deeply set cherries, melding it together in a glistening coating of acidity, which only helps to carry it longer still. The finish is nearly endless. A stunning new single vineyard from Canalicchio di Sopra. Drink from 2026.
A significant new release for Canalicchio di Sopra, La Casaccia is a single vineyard close to the winery in the district of Canalicchio, north of the town of Montalcino. Comparing it to his plots in Montosoli, owner Francesco Ripaccioli describes the soil here as a heavier brown clay with lots of magnesium giving more generous growth. It produces a relatively weighty, substantial wine with firm, sturdy tannins and balancing acidity. Notes of sage, tobacco, liquorice root and heather weave through the plush dark currant fruit. Both this and the classic Brunello are equally accomplished, however I suspect La Casaccia may have longer ageing capacity.
- Michaela Morris
A spectacular wine in every sense: a firm, deep, minerally fruit nose, a composed but full palate with finely chiselled tannins and perfectly integrated juicy acidity. Long and layered and impossible to resist but deserves more bottle age.
- Walter Speller
This is a newish single-vineyard wine (it's the second vintage) created by Francesco Ripaccioli and the team at Canalicchio di Sopra at the conclusion of an ambitious estate-wide mapping project. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia draws its fruit from a two-hectare site planted in 1990 with clay soils and rich in mineral components. A precious 4,133 bottles were made. What I like most is the tightness of the fruit, which you chip away at slowly as the wine softens and yields in the glass. Each layer brings you forest fruit, sour cherry, almond, lilac and candied orange peel. On a second swirl, you might get black olive, bay leaf and scorched earth. There are subtle mineral notes, but what La Casaccia ultimately offers is that uniquely compact and extremely polished quality of fruit.
-Monica Larner
Lifting up with gorgeous floral perfumes and hints of white smoke, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia from Canalicchio di Sopra keeps you at the edge of your glass. It opens up with a dark and dramatic display of balsamic-tinged black cherry, sage and Indian spice, contrasted by savory notes of tobacco, rich earth tones and flowery undergrowth. There’s an amazing density of fruit here, offset by salty minerals, zesty acids and a hint of sour citrus. The textures are velvety-smooth, yet the expression remains feminine and lifted. In fact, you can hardly notice its underlying tannic heft until it’s too late, as the 2016 La Casaccia seems to youthfully fold in on itself, halting the expression but promising over a decade of further development.
- Eric Guido
A red with cherry, walnut, bark and hints of dried flowers. It’s full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a tight finish. Really reserved now. Needs three or four years to open. Best after 2024.
- James Suckling
English:
Sparkling, dark ruby with a shimmering garnet edge. Compact, somewhat closed nose with notes of dark blackberries and cherries, a fine nougat note in the background. Blooms great on the palate, tightly meshed, substantial tannin, embedded in fine fruit melt, salty and juicy, is still very young, but has a long life ahead of it.
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
Deutsche:
Funkelndes, dunkles Rubin mit schillerndem Granatrand. Kompakte, etwas verschlossene Nase mit Noten nach dunklen Brombeeren und Kirschen, im Hintergrund feiner Nougatton. Blüht am Gaumen toll auf, dichtmaschiges, stoffiges Tannin, eingebettet in feinen Fruchtschmelz, salzig und saftig, zeigt sich noch sehr jung, hat aber ein langes Leben vor sich.
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
This ripe red is bursting with plum, cherry, floral and mineral aromas and flavors. Succulent and balanced, with savory, sanguine and earthy accents, rolling on through the long, herb-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2024 through 2045.
- Bruce Sanderson
Lustrous mid ruby. Leafy cherry hints but otherwise quite closed on the nose, yet with a clear sense of purity. Dense, yet elegant and with tangy acidity shooting through the mouth-filling fruit. Firm noble tannins add depth and contour. Real cru pedigree.
- Walter Speller
The second release of this single vineyard, La Casaccia was planted in 1990. At an average altitude of 300 metres, it sits on predominantly clay soils and is bathed in sun from morning until evening. This doesn’t have quite the plushness or gregarious personality of the 2015 but takes on the 2016 vintage’s more vertical path, opening slowly. Aromas are evocative of pine, cedar and sage. Full but not weighty, the palate brings in earthy nuances with wild berries.
Acidity is cleansing, and silky tannins build up to a powerful finish.
Drinking Window 2024 - 2040
- Michaela Morris
Brunello di Montalcino LA CASACCIA 2016 obtained the CORONA, the highest recognition assigned by GUIDA VINI BUONI D'ITALIA
This shows the ripeness of the vintage, with ripe-berry, cherry and floral
aromas and flavors. Some cedar, too. It’s full and flavorful, with lots of chewy
yet polished and focused tannins. A little dusty in texture. Drinkable now,
but better in 2023.
- James Suckling
Nobile ed elegantissimo mostra note miste floreali e fruttate che ricordano i gerani, l’ibisco, le prugne rosse, la buccia di arancia arsa, la china e la terra bagnata. Corpo pieno, tannini perfettamente maturi ed integrati nella matrice ed un finale iconico punto di riferimento per la denominazione nel difficile millesimo. Meglio dal 2023.
- Raffaele Vecchione
The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia is aromatically stunning, blasting up mineral in style, with a dark floral and balsam lift, giving way to licorice, black cherry and hints of camphor. It gains further depth and volume the longer it sits in the glass. The textures are silken, fleshy and pliant at first, as contrasting tart red fruits and minty herbal tones come through, saturating the palate with primary concentration. This is even savory at times and displays smoother contours than past vintages, yet it’s supremely balanced and pure. Repeating minerality comes through in spades and this turns youthfully dry and perfumed, yet still juicy and classic in feel. La Casaccia is a huge success for the vintage.
- Eric Guido
This is where all the recent hard work put by Francesco Ripaccioli and team really comes to light and fruition. La Casaccia is northerly-ish but certainly not Montosoli and yet the aromatic profile of this Vigna-designate Brunello is laced with cool nuance and found to be full of fine finesse. As per the Canalicchio di Sopra idiom there is plenty of wood casking through the bones of the wine and yet one can feel the highest quality of those large vessels gifting a select strength leading to the chic style, surely to be followed by one and the half decades of aging. All what needs, what is and must be for La Casaccia. Drink 2023-2030. Tasted November 2021.
- Michael Godel
Da uve brunello, matura in botti da 30 hl per almeno 24 mesi. Classico rubino. Olfatto nitido e intenso su ciliegie nere mature e more. Una leggera affumicatura che introduce erbe officinali che danno freschezza. Trama e progressione fitte, nervose con tannino giovanile ma perfettamente integrato. Ottimo il finale per lunghezza e sobrietà. La zona nordica esprime le sue caratteristiche anche in annate torride ma qui c’e il trucco: piovve a metà settembre.
- Riccardo Viscardi
A great release of Brunello from the northeast slope of the denomination. Nose of freshness and finesse, notes of raspberry, touches of fresh marjoram and undergrowth. The mouthfeel is juicy-savoury, dense, with a nice spicy finish and persistence.
- Luca Gardini
Within the Canalicchio area, the Casaccia vineyard boasts a high clay content, which helped curb water stress in 2017. As with all Canalicchio di Sopra’s wines, the grapes were double-sorted to remove any green or sun-dried berries. Pristine in aromas and flavours, this offers clove, cardamom, mint and sweet dark earth on a backdrop of black cherries. The ample, mouth-filling palate is hemmed in by compact, sandy tannins. Underlying succulence makes this quite moreish. Drinking Window 2024 - 2032
- Michaela Morris
This is a relatively new addition to the Canalicchio di Sopra portfolio, and even its modern graphic label design represents a break from the rest of the line, which has more nostalgic labels that feature Montalcino's medieval main square. The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia takes a little longer to open, but it ultimately reveals the elegance and energy that comes with the house style. Wild cherry, ash and balsam herb drive a long, very polished finish. The La Casaccia site is distinguished by mineral-rich clay soils, which give this wine its power and density. Production is limited to 4,133 bottles in this vintage
- Monica Larner
Inviting aromas of baked plum, violet, baking spice and sun-warmed hay come to the forefront along with a whiff of leather. The enveloping palate is delicious, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and nutmeg framed in tightly woven, polished tannins that lend finesse and a smooth texture. Drink 2024–2029.
-Kerin O’Keefe
Black cherry and blackberry flavors hold court in this dense, yet vibrant red, which is defined by brisk acidity. Stays beautifully integrated, harmonious and long, while earth and savory herb accents add depth. This should really sing in about 2-3 years. Best from 2024 through 2040.
- Bruce Sanderson
Just mid ruby with orange tinges. A subdued nose with malt-bread notes. Needs to take a very deep breath, while revealing oak hints. The palate displays fragrant marasca-cherry fruit balanced by supple acidity. Very long, concentrated and with beautiful, coating tannins.
- Walter Speller
Profondo, un po' tabacco, catrame e un po' nocciola, aroma di bacche nere e rosse mature con sfumature floreali secche che ricordano i petali di rosa e un po' di note eteree. Crostata, matura, frutta piuttosto scura, aromi di noce e legno leggermente speziato di cacao, note pepate e di ginepro, mineralità salata, con tutta la sua potenza anche note rinfrescanti, buona profondità, struttura ferma, abbastanza complesso, ma trasparente e lucido, ancora giovane, molto buono, fermo, crostata e finale speziato.
Reviewed by Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler
Brunello di Montalcino LA CASACCIA 2017 obtained the CORONA, the highest recognition assigned by GUIDA VINI BUONI D'ITALIA
Einladende Noten von Waldbeeren und Sandelholz; der Ansatz geschliffen, besitzt präzise Säure und engmaschiges Tannin, intensiv-würziges Fruchtfinale. Muss sich noch etwas abrunden.
- Christian Eder
Absorbing display of black cherry, blackberries, violet florals and menthol. Quickly followed by fresh juicy textured nuances of red berries and balsamic notes, leave you almost gasping for breath. Sweet notes then savoury ones bombard the senses on this hedonistic experience. Phenomenal length and balance.
- Tony Wood
From the highly vocated vineyard of the same name, a beautiful version of Brunello, typical of the north-eastern area of the denomination. Freshness to the nose, notes of black raspberry, touches of eucalyptus and undergrowth. The palate is juicy-sapid, dense, with return of fruit and undergrowth.
- Luca Gardini
A tiny bit more developed (than the classic 2018 Brunello) lustrous ruby with orange, bricky narrow rim. There is a sense of richness combined with mineral intensity on the nose. Pure cherry and raspberry with a hint of orange and cinnamon bark. Juicy, minerally and savoury on the palate and with finely chiselled tannins. 15% but very elegant and poised.
-Walter Speller
Cedro peel, lavender, sour cherries, redcurrants and hints of lemongrass on the nose. Full-bodied, silky and perfumed, with a fine tannin backbone and a weightlessness to it. Swathes of creamy ripe fruit. Drink after 2023.
- James Suckling
Boom! Vigna la Casaccia nel millesimo 2018 è denso e compatto nel calice senza perdere in leggiadria e complessità sensoriale. Si alternano lentamente note di prugne nere, more, cannella in polvere, incenso, mirto selvatico, cumino e pepe nero. L’arancia sanguinella descrive il profilo secondario che si anima con buoni muscoli. Corpo pieno, tannini perfettamente morbidi di grana finissima ed un finale di lodevole bellezza. Meglio dal 2025.
- Raffaele Vecchione
Great anticipation to taste La Casaccia and Montosoli side by each from a vintage carrying no option but to act out the passion play through the glaring clarity of a sense of place. There are facts involved and there is no hiding the truth formed by these plots of sangiovese in this vintage. By now it is understood how 2018 exists on its own accord at one with nature though Francesco Ripaccioli will tell you there are similarities with 2013, if only because that vintage was greatly ignored and is drinking well at this time. La Casaccia in the località of Canalicchio is the wildcard of Montalcino and tasting several wines from the frazione reveals a collective affinity supplied by the year’s gifts. Nothing was portioned or taken away from the ’18 Annata and yet this Vigna sings with even more range and depth than that wine. The acids are simply out of this proverbial world, the linear aspects drawn with precise architectural or even, in Old English speak, a Cutter’s line. Remarkable reserve in concentration and forward slicing finesse. Forever long. Forever young. Drink 2025-2038.
- Michael Godel
Ruby red in colour. Wild meadow florals and violet awaken the senses. Wild black berries, boysenberry, dark plum and blackberry assisted by refreshing acidity and rounded tannins lift the palate to experience the layered intensity and textural resonance. The sheer appeal of this wine is mind blowing. Balance and energy are a given…
- Tony Wood -
Funkelndes Rubingranat mit aufhellendem Rand. Intensive und viel schichtige Nase mit feinen Noten nach Waldhimbeere, Schwarzkirsche und Rosen, im Hintergrund etwas Rauch. Kompakt in Ansatz und Verlauf, zeigt schöne reife Frucht, griffiges, dichtmaschiges Tannin, baut sich in vielen Schichten auf.
Brunello di Montalcino Trophy 2023
- Wolfgang M. Rosam, Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler -
Ebenso sehr komplexes und dichtes, nobles Bouquet mit à point reifen, überwiegend dunkelroten Beeren, dunklen Kirschen, Veilchen, Pfeffer und wieder erdigkräutrigen Noten. Sehr klar umrissenes Duftbild, das sich am dichten und druckvollen Gaumen fortsetzt. Das feinsandige Tanninkleid umhüllt gekonnt und nobel die konzentrierte Frucht und die würzig-mineralischen Noten, spannt sich ganz weit und ist ewig lang. Schöne Liaison aus Kraft und Eleganz mit der typischen Sangiovese-Frucht und Würze mit herrlichen ätherischen Noten im persistenten, mineralisch geprägten Finale. Einer der besten der Verkostung. Top 3. Bravo!
Guida 2024 - sezione "Vini da vitigni autoctoni"
Ausladendes Bouquet mit einer schönen Liaison aus reifer Frucht und floralwürzigen Noten. Hier treffen die saftigen Pflaumen auf getrocknete Veilchen und Zedernwürze. So geht es auch am saftigen Gaumen: wunderschöne SangioveseFrucht (dunkle Kirsche, Zwetschge) umrahmt von floralwürzigen und zart ledrigen Noten. 2025 – 2036
- Giuseppe Lauria -
Coinvolgente e di notevole spessore enologico mostra complessità nella stratificazione di prugne rosse, fragoline di bosco, buccia di lime, glicine, timo selvatico, bosso e verbena. In sottofondo nuance nobili di carattere verde ricordano le foglie di tè verde e la menta piperita. Corpo medio, tannini morbidi di grana fine ed un finale equilibrato e piacevolissimo che fa della delicata potenza la sua arma migliore. Meglio dal 2025.
- Raffaele Vecchione -
Sweet sour cherries with rose stems and hints of green leaves on the nose. Medium body with firm, chewy tannins with some juicy fruit. Fresh and vivid. Better after two or three years.
- James Suckling -
Vitae, La Guida Vini 2024 - X edizione
Tra i 5 migliori Brunello di Montalcino 2018 Selezione
Bright medium red with garnet highlights. Aromas and flavours of ripe red cherry, plum, and orange peel are complemented by strong notes of tobacco and earth. Perfumed and luscious on entry, then somewhat broad and diffuse in the middle, with ripe red cherry, plum nectar and redcurrant jelly flavours complicated by a dusting of wild herbs. Very fine tannins leave a suave mouthfeel behind on the long, savoury finish that features repeating strong nuances of sweet pipe tobacco. Drinking window: 2023-2033.
- Ian D’Agata -
Ungemein komplexes und tiefgestaffeltes, ätherisch-kräutriges Bouquet mit à point reifen, überwiegend dunklen Beeren, Tabak und wieder erdig-kräutrigen Noten. Sehr klar umrissene Struktur am Gaumen, messerscharf konturiert, ungemein druckvoll, gekonnt umhüllt vom feinen, eleganten Tanninkleid, nobel mit konzentrierter Frucht und würzig-mineralischen Noten, spannt sich ganz weit mit wunderbarer Fruchtsüße und Frische. Schöne Liaison aus Kraft und Eleganz, sehr persistent und lang im Finale mit der typischen Sangiovese Würze und ätherischen Noten. Einer der besten der Verkostung. [2026 – 2042]
- Giuseppe Lauria -
Leuchtendes Rubinrot. In der Nase auf erdigen Tönen, satter Kirschfrucht, etwas Blutorange, nicht ganz präzise, wenngleich in sich stimmig. Am Gaumen geschliffen, elegant, mit engmaschigem, packendem Tannin, kompakt, sehr saftig, toller Stil, druckvoll, mit anhaltendem Abgang.
Brunello di Montalcino Trophy 2024
- Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler -
