Vigna La Casaccia, dall’omonimo vigneto nel Cru Canalicchio, rappresenta il nostro desiderio di valorizzare l’unicità di un vigneto capace di mantenere la sua forte identità e riconoscibilità anche in annate diverse. È il vigneto che ci ha dimostrato negli anni come opulenza e freschezza possono convivere nella stessa bottiglia.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
100% Sangiovese
Da 315 a 297 mt slm
1990
Terreno tendenzialmente argilloso con una buona dotazione di elementi minerali fra cui spicca il calcio, intervallato da elementi scheletrici. La caratteristiche del terreno plasmano vini dotati di grande struttura, colori brillanti, profondità ed una grande eleganza che regalano ogni anno tannini suadenti ed setosi. L’esposizione ottimale garantisce alla pianta un’insolazione costante dall’alba al tramonto.
Cordone speronato
N/S
3,00 metri x1,00 metro
In vasche d’acciaio con controllo della temperatura di fermentazione, rimontaggi soffici giornalieri. Macerazione sulle bucce per 25 giorni.
36 mesi in botti di Rovere di Slavonia da 25 hl
2015
15 %
3733 Bottiglie da 750 ml
200 Bottiglie da 1500 ml
La 2018 dal punto di vista climatico può essere definita un’annata fresca con una tendenza piovosa sopra la media degli ultimi anni, ma che ha beneficiato dell’azione del vento nel mese di settembre che è stato un prezioso alleato per garantire un corretto equilibrio del peso dell’acino acino e quindi bilanciare maturazioni tecnologiche e fenoliche. L’interpretazione del vignaiolo è stata fondamentale per lasciare sulla pianta una quantità di uva in linea con la necessità di avere maturazioni importanti, nell’ottica di equilibrio fra struttura e acidità.
L’inverno è stato caratterizzato da abbondanti precipitazioni (che hanno ri-equilibrato le riserve di acqua nel terreno inficiate dalla siccitosa annata 2017) e temperature fredde che hanno assicurato una successiva ripartenza vegetativa con piante ottimali dal punto di vista sanitario.
La primavera ha avuto temperature fresche e precipitazioni che hanno spostato in avanti di qualche giorno germogliamento e fioritura.
L’estate è stata caratterizzata da temperatura massime mai torride dove solo in rari giorni si sono superati i 30 C°. 30 C° che sono stati tuttavia raggiunti praticamente tutti i giorni da metà giugno a fine agosto e che hanno assicurato alle piante una maturazione continua e regolare. Ad accezioni di alcuni picchi di 2-3 giorni a fine luglio dove si sono raggiunti i 35-36 C° , l’estate è stata quindi costantemente mite, con forti escursioni giornaliere che hanno garantito una maturazione tecnologica costante e omogenea.
Nelle prime due settimane di settembre ci sono stati due eventi di pioggia importanti dove sono caduti 20 mm il 01 settembre e 35 mm il 17 settembre. Questi eventi avrebbero potuto compromettere la qualità dell’annata con un accrescimento del peso dei grappoli e la naturale diluizione della concentrazione e struttura delle uve. Fortunatamente i venti di Tramontana e di Grecale hanno che hanno accompagnato gli eventi piovosi hanno avuto l’effetto di asciugare i grappoli disidratando gli stessi della parte in eccesso di acqua e riportando in equilibrio il peso degli acini, assicurando agli stessi un’ottima concentrazione salvaguardando al contempo le acidità.
Nei 30 giorni antecedenti la vendemmia si sono avute forte escursioni fra giorno e notte che hanno garantito di raggiungere un elevato valore dell’indice di Fregoni (superiore a 500) che pone l’annata fra le annate con grande capacità di affinamento per i vini
La vendemmia si è svolta dal 28 settembre al 5 ottobre in un periodo soleggiato con fortissime escursioni termiche e temperature notturne spesso inferiori ai 10 C° che ci hanno permesso di portare in cantina uve sane con un profilo aromatico floreale, fragrante e ottima purezza del frutto.
2018: UN’ANNATA TRASPARENTE
Ci piace definire l’annata 2018 come un’annata TRASPARENTE, volendo cogliere con questo termine il suo significato legato alla grande capacità di questa annata di far trasparire nelle bottiglie l’unicità e le caratteristiche dei terreni dove i vini sono nati. Nel concetto di valorizzazione del terroir che è il perno fondamentale della nostra filosofia produttiva entrano in gioco diversi fattori: ESPERIENZA UMANA, CLIMA E TERRENO. L’annata 2018 per noi esalta in modo chiaro e leggibile la terza componente, ovvero quella del TERRENO, essendo stata, in totale controtendenza con le ultime annate, un’annata fresca e leggermente più piovosa della media, dove il clima non ha avuto un’impronta omologante ma al contrario ha lasciato “trasparire” nei vini le peculiarità dei diversi suoli da cui le uve provengono. Azzardando un paragone la 2018 si presenta come un mix incentrato sull’eleganza e la tensione fra la fresca annata 2018 e la classica annata 2013, creando fra le due un equilibrio perfetto che si traduce in freschezza, mineralità e lunghezza tannica, senza trascurare pienezza e profondità: mix perfetto per classificare la 2018 come annata da lungo affinamento ma anche di grande piacevolezza ed estremamente gastronomica.
In ogni annata ci sono dei punti di svolta, dei momenti cruciali che ne caratterizzano il risultato finale, la sua identità e le sue caratteristiche principali, momenti senza i quali il risultato sarebbe stato molto diverso. Il punto di svolta nella 2018 è arrivato prima della vendemmia, quando venti di Grecale e Tramontana da Nord- Nord/Est, hanno iniziato a soffiare in modo continuo e con forza concentrando i grappoli che fino a quel momento erano leggermente con un peso sopra la media a causa delle piogge di settembre. Queste condizioni hanno favorito l’asciugatura e la perdita di una percentuale di acqua tale da riportare in equilibrio la maturazione tecnologica e quella fenolica assicurando agli acini un bilanciamento ed una maturazione ottimale, salvaguardando al tempo stesso le acidità. Giornate soleggiate con forti escursioni termiche nei giorni di vendemmia hanno assicurato alle uve un profilo aromatico floreale ed elegante, fresco e balsamico che si unisce ad una bocca vibrante ed incalzante, lunga e sapida che gioca sulla piacevolezza e l’equilibrio Le operazioni di alleggerimento dei grappoli togliendo quelli con grado di maturazione più arretrato insieme ad una meticolosa cernita sui tavoli di scelta in cantina hanno garantito alle uve portate in cantina concentrazione e ottima maturazione fenolica.
La vendemmia proprio per le sue caratteristiche di freschezza è iniziata leggermente in ritardo rispetto alla tendenza degli ultimi anni, in un periodo con temperature fresche dal 28 settembre al 05 ottobre
La vendemmia 2018 è stata la prima realizzata all’interno della nuova cantina di Canalicchio di Sopra inaugurata proprio in occasione della vendemmia.
Il Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2018 Vigna La Casaccia “Canalicchio di Sopra”, dall’omonimo vigneto nel Cru Canalicchio si esprime con le note tipiche di questo vigneto che anche in un’annata più fresca mantiene la dolcezza, la setosità del tannino e la rotondità tipiche del suo terroir. Le caratteristiche climatiche dall’annata 2018 aggiungono a questo vino un’acidità più sostenuta che lo rende più scattante e leggiadro pur mantenendo la sua classica opulenza.
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 -
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
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 -
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 -
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!
Vigna La Casaccia, dall’omonimo vigneto nel Cru Canalicchio, rappresenta il nostro desiderio di valorizzare l’unicità di un vigneto capace di mantenere la sua forte identità e riconoscibilità anche in annate diverse. È il vigneto che ci ha dimostrato negli anni come opulenza e freschezza possono convivere nella stessa bottiglia.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
100% Sangiovese
Da 315 a 297 mt slm
1990
Terreno tendenzialmente argilloso con una buona dotazione di elementi minerali fra cui spicca il calcio, intervallato da elementi scheletrici. La caratteristiche del terreno plasmano vini dotati di grande struttura, colori brillanti, profondità ed una grande eleganza che regalano ogni anno tannini suadenti ed setosi. L’esposizione ottimale garantisce alla pianta un’insolazione costante dall’alba al tramonto.
Cordone speronato
N/S
3,00 metri x1,00 metro
In vasche d’acciaio con controllo della temperatura di fermentazione, rimontaggi soffici giornalieri. Macerazione sulle bucce per 25 giorni.
36 mesi in botti di Rovere di Slavonia da 25 hl
2015
14,5%
3713 Bottiglie da 750 ml
210 Bottiglie da 1500 ml
La 2017 dal punto di vista climatico può essere definita un’annata estrema simile in molti aspetti climatici alla 2012, dove questi estremi sono diventati sicuramente il suo punto di forza in termini di piacevolezza, opulenza e prontezza di beva.
La primavera ha avuto temperature miti e poche precipitazioni che hanno caratterizzato un anticipo del germogliamento e ella fioritura. I primi mesi estivi sono stati molto caldi con temperature sopra le medie e assenza di piogge, situazione da un lato ottimale dal punto di vista sanitario con assenza di malattie, dall’altro di forte stress per le piante che però soprattutto nei terreni più argillosi del Cru Canalicchio hanno retto molto bene grazie alla riserva idrica abbondante accumulata dopo la vendemmia 2016.
Fra la fine di luglio e la fine di agosto ci sono state piogge fondamentali per apportare quella spinta necessaria ad una buona invaiatura, piogge che sono state in media con un’annata normale per un totale di 30 mm. Gli acini formati erano di dimensioni molto piccole con grande concentrazione e le piogge insieme ad un abbassamento delle temperature addirittura sotto le medie stagionali hanno permesso un’invaiatura omogenea ed equilibrata che ha creato le basi per una vendemmia si anticipata, ma non tanto quanto pensavamo a luglio quando il caldo e la siccità stavano compromettendo la tenuta delle piante.
I 30 millimetri di piogge del 01 settembre ed i 30 millimetri del 16 settembre, il raffrescamento delle temperature e le forti escursioni termiche sono stati la svolta qualitativa dell’annata, quello che ha permesso di non anticipare troppo la vendemmia, di non incidere troppo sulle acidità che sono rimaste equilibrate e relativamente alte a supporto di struttura, concentrazione ed alcolicità, garantendo ai vini equilibrio ed eleganza.
La vendemmia si è svolta in un periodo normale proprio grazie a questi fattori climatici di settembre, partendo il 25 settembre e terminando il 6 di ottobre.
Abbiamo operato con una doppia selezione sia in vigna che in cantina attraverso tavoli di cernita e selezioni sui singoli acini per eliminare imperfezioni di acini asciugati dal sole di giugno e di luglio che avrebbero conferito astringenza al tannino e amarezza al frutto. Questa operazione ha sicuramente influito dal punto di vista quantitativo per la nostra azienda ma ci ha permesso di mantenere un alto standard qualitativo.
La sorprendente freschezza di un’annata calda:
In un’annata per alcuni versi estrema, il singolo Vigneto La Casaccia, conferma il nostro concetto di singolo vigneto, ovvero identificare un vigneto che anche in annate diverse possa esprimere tutta l’unicità e la personalità del vigneto stesso, meno sensibile alle condizioni climatiche dell’annata pur traendo dall’annata le sfumature ed i contorni, ma rimanendo sempre fedele al suo terreno. Ne consegue un Casaccia in linea con le caratteristiche di questo vigneto, dove opulenza ed eleganza, mineralità e dolcezza si fondono in un vino dalla grande struttura, con una trama tannica fitta e setosa, avvolgente ma allo stesso tempo profonda, lungo e sapido, con una forte vibrazione.
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 -
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
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 -
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 -
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!
Vigna La Casaccia, dall’omonimo vigneto nel Cru Canalicchio, rappresenta il nostro desiderio di valorizzare l’unicità di un vigneto capace di mantenere la sua forte identità e riconoscibilità anche in annate diverse. È il vigneto che ci ha dimostrato negli anni come opulenza e freschezza possono convivere nella stessa bottiglia.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
100% Sangiovese
Da 315 a 297 mt slm
1990
Terreno tendenzialmente argilloso con una buona dotazione di elementi minerali fra cui spicca il calcio, intervallato da elementi scheletrici. La caratteristiche del terreno plasmano vini dotati di grande struttura, colori brillanti, profondità ed una grande eleganza che regalano ogni anno tannini suadenti ed setosi. L’esposizione ottimale garantisce alla pianta un’insolazione costante dall’alba al tramonto.
Cordone speronato
N/S
3,00 metri x1,00 metro
In vasche d’acciaio con controllo della temperatura di fermentazione, rimontaggi soffici giornalieri. Macerazione sulle bucce per 25 giorni.
36 mesi in botti di Rovere di Slavonia da 25 hl
2015
14,5%
3763 Bottiglie da 750 ml
185 Bottiglie da 1500 ml
Dal punto di vista climatico possiamo riassumere l’annata 2016 come un’annata equilibrata, tendenzialmente calda nei mesi estivi durante il giorno ma senza mai raggiungere temperature torride, con forti escursioni fra giorno e notte, condizioni che hanno favorito una perfetta maturazione polifenolica mantenendo acidità sostenute e donando ai vini quell’equilibrio proprio delle grandi annate, fra dolcezza e sapidità, acidità e opulenza.
Dal primo gennaio a metà marzo abbiamo avuto piogge per 220 millimetri distribuite temporalmente in modo ordinato su tutto il periodo che hanno favorito una buona riserva di acqua per i mesi successivi. Le piogge cadute regolarmente e senza effetti violenti hanno visto una penetrazione totale nel terreno, creando appunto un’ottima riserva per la stagione più calda.
Nel mese di gennaio abbiamo avuto ben 12 giorni con temperature minime sotto lo zero, che ha creato un aiuto importante per l’eliminazione di spore e funghi accumulati nell’anno precedente, condizione ottimale per la ripartenza della pianta in una situazione di estrema sicurezza fitosanitaria.
L’avvio di marzo è stato tendenzialmente fresco con temperature minime di notte e questo ha favorito un naturale rallentamento del germogliamento che è partito verso la metà di marzo, assicurando poi una regolare epoca di vendemmia.
Fino al 20 di aprile le temperature sono state miti durante il giorno e fresche la notte con escursioni importanti, ed assenza di piogge. Le temperature miti insieme alle buone riserve di acqua accumulate nel terreno nei mesi invernali hanno favorito uno sviluppo della pianta regolare e omogeneo, ed abbiamo operato alla selezione dei germogli ad inizio maggio. Il 23, 24 e 25 aprile abbiamo avuto tre giorni di piogge importanti dal punto di vista quantitativo per un totale di circa 45 mm, che però non hanno creato problemi sanitari perché sono state subito accompagnate da una riduzione delle temperature e soprattutto da venti nord/nord est che hanno reso il clima subito asciutto e non favorevole quindi per le malattie funginee della vite.
Il mese di maggio è stato un mese tendenzialmente piovoso, con un accumulo di circa 100 mm di pioggia, accompagnato da temperature fresche per le medie stagionali, che hanno rallentato la pianta senza però comprometterne lo stato sanitario, piogge che si sono poi rilevate fondamentali per i mesi più secchi di luglio e agosto.
Il mese di giugno ha visto solamente due fenomeni di pioggia con precipitazioni in media con la stagione.
Luglio e agosto sono stati due mesi perfetti per la maturazione del sangiovese, con temperature calde di giorno ma non eccessive (mai superiori a 35 gradi celsius) e fresche di notte, forti escursioni che hanno favorito una maturazione lenta, costante e soprattutto il mantenimento di una buccia spessa e con grandi quantità di polifenoli.
Dal germogliamento alla raccolta ci sono stati 450 millimetri di pioggia, quantità ottimale, considerando che circa 40 sono avvenuti nel mese di settembre, 15 giorni prima della vendemmia, quantità non trascurabile ma che non ha minimamente inficiato la qualità delle uve, avendo queste bucce molto resistenti, ed essendo seguita la pioggia subito da venti da nord- nord/est. Questa pioggia avvenuta il 18/09 ha contribuito a lavare le uve che sono potute così entrare in cantina in condizioni perfette.
Le precipitazioni totali dall’inizio dell’anno fino alla vendemmia sono state leggermente inferiori ai 700 mm, condizioni ottimali per una grande vendemmia.
Interessante è l’analisi delle temperature che si contraddistingue per due fattori principali:
• Nell’annata 2016 la somma termica nel periodo vegetativo della pianta fino alla raccolta ha raggiunto un dato ottimale per il sangiovese a Montalcino, con un indice di 2300/2500 Gradi Huglin, questo ha garantito una maturazione perfetta dal punto di vista polifenolico donandoci vini di grande struttura e profondità
• L’indice di Fregoni, ovvero la somma della differenza fra le temperatura massima diurna e la temparatura minima notturna dei 30 giorni antecedenti alla vendemmia, ha raggiunto valori altissimi. Questo indice ci dimostra le escursioni termiche avvenute tra il giorno e la notte nel mesi prima della vendemmia, condizione fondamentale che ha donato ai vini dell’annata 2016 una forte espressività aromatica, il mantenimento di livelli di acidità importanti atti a garantire una elevata longevità al vino.
Riassumendo nella 2016 si sono verificate contemporaneamente e nei tempi giusti della natura 3 condizioni climatiche fondamentali per una grande annata
• Perfetta insolazione (Grado Huglin 2300/2500)
• Quantità di precipitazioni totali ottimali, nei momenti più opportuni per la pianta ed in modo regolare durante il suo ciclo vegetativo (650/700 mm – solo 450 mm durante il periodo vegetativo)
• Escursioni giorno/notte marcate per tutto il periodo vegetativo, accentuate nei 30 giorni prima della raccolta (Indice di Fregoni 490-500)
Tutti i vigneti sono stati raccolti dal 27/09 al 05/10, in un periodo molto breve, altro dato che dimostra una perfetta regolarità di maturazione
ENERGIA ED ELEGANZA:
Il Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2016 LA CASACCIA celebra in una versione di pura eleganza l'energia e lo slancio di questo vigneto. La forte identità di questo vigneto, che si esprime in un'equlibrio fra opulenza, grassezza e forte mineralità è sottolineata da un'annata che esalta il terroir in modo chiaro e leggibile, offrendoci la possibilità di sottolineare ancora di più le caratteristiche di un vigneto dal forte carattere
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 -
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
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 -
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 -
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!
Vigna La Casaccia, dall’omonimo vigneto nel Cru Canalicchio, rappresenta il nostro desiderio di valorizzare l’unicità di un vigneto capace di mantenere la sua forte identità e riconoscibilità anche in annate diverse. È il vigneto che ci ha dimostrato negli anni come opulenza e freschezza possono convivere nella stessa bottiglia.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
100% Sangiovese
Da 315 a 297 mt slm
1990
Terreno tendenzialmente argilloso con una buona dotazione di elementi minerali fra cui spicca il calcio, intervallato da elementi scheletrici. La caratteristiche del terreno plasmano vini dotati di grande struttura, colori brillanti, profondità ed una grande eleganza che regalano ogni anno tannini suadenti ed setosi. L’esposizione ottimale garantisce alla pianta un’insolazione costante dall’alba al tramonto.
Cordone speronato
N/S
3,00 metri x1,00 metro
In vasche d’acciaio con controllo della temperatura di fermentazione, rimontaggi soffici giornalieri. Macerazione sulle bucce per 25 giorni.
36 mesi in botti di Rovere di Slavonia da 25 hl
2015
14,5%
3763 Bottiglie da 750 ml
185 Bottiglie da 1500 ml
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 -
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
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 -
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 -
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!
