Description
Founded by Primo Pacenti in 1962,in 1987 Primo was joined by son-in-law Pier Luigi Ripaccioli, and since 2001, Canalicchio di Sopra has been in the highly capable, thoughtful hands of Pier Luigi’s three children, Francesco, Simonetta and Marco.
The Rosso di Montalcino and the Brunello di Montalcino are based on the parcels of Canalicchio and Montosoli, located on the northern side of Montalcino, and which combined total 19 hectares planted. All wines are aged in medium sized Slavonian oak botti.
The soils of the Canalicchio parcels are largely clay with pebbles and a strong mineral content, resulting in wines of aromatic intensity, opulence and minerality. It is the extraordinary elegance, latent power, balance and silky tannins of the Casaccia parcel which for some years now have seen it bottled separately. The Montosoli soils are marl with very high mineral components, clay loam texture with higher levels of lime, with the pebbly texture increasing the pH. The wines show great structure, minerality and sapidity.
About this wine and vintage from the winemaker: “Produced from vineyards which are over 10 years old, it represents the essence of our concept of terroir: an expression of elegance, depth, and freshness of our Sangiovese, able to unite its balsamic quality of the north side of Montalcino with the opulence of our lands .. as per tradition, 50% each from the two terroirs where our vineyards are located, Canalicchio and Montosoli. Our flagship wine, produced since 1966, is a quest for the perfect balance, striving to make these two areas complementary to one another.”
“Referring to 2019 as one of the best vintages in recent decades, counting this vintage among the greatest in the Montalcino territory, we believe that this wouldn’t be a stretch, or even a misjudgment. The 2019 vintage, from our point of view, respects those canons of “Elegant Power” which only vintages with great balance are able to give .. 2019, was regular with regards to the water supply, generally warm but never scorching hot and with diurnal temperature ranges that favored maturation and concentration, safeguarding the freshness and fragrance..”
By Eric Guido, Vinous Media about the 2019’s “Francesco Ripaccioli and his family at Canalicchio di Sopra have taken things to a new level with this recent set of new releases. From top to bottom, the 2019’s display a balance of elegance, texture and transparency to terroir that keeps me coming back to the glass again and again ...The Brunello di Montalcino of Canalicchio di Sopra is always a gorgeous and transparent representation of northern Montalcino terroir and a wine that stands on its own, shoulder to shoulder with the best of the region..” Nov 2023.
18 out of 20 points, Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com “Deep ruby with orange tinges Brooding raspberry with the merest suggestion of cardamon pod. Minty raspberry that grows in stature and concentration on the palate. Long, dramatic, aromatic finish with fine grained tannins Fantastic balance and precision.”
96 points Eric Guido, Vinous Media: “Dusty violets, lavender and cloves accentuate dried black cherries as the dramatic 2019 Brunello di Montalcino smolders up from the glass This is impossible to ignore, bursting with energy as depths of ripe red fruits, chalky minerals and exotic spices saturate all they touch, balanced by textures of pure silk The 2019 finishes with fantastic length and concentration, leaving a staining of tart blackberry and hints of orange that curl the tongue as crunchy tannins tug at the palate It’s rare to see such a combination of vibrancy and power Canalicchio di Sopra nailed it in 2019 Wow.”
94 points Monica Larner Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “With a hint of candied cherry, grenadine or Shirley Temple, the Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Brunello di Montalcino reveals purple blossom, dried flower, cough drop and balsam herb. The wine is very nicely stitched together with integrated oak that comes through in a structural way but not too much on the bouquet. The tannins do feel dry on the mid palate, but they remain fine and tight.
RRP $193 Our Special Price $168.99 – while stocks last! Very limited.
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