2018 Brunello di Montalcino

Medium ruby-colored, the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino is more lifted and focused on the nose, with more citrus tones, pomegranate, and stony earth. Medium-bodied, it has refined tannins, even acidity, and a fairly long finish, although it’s more elegant and delicate in its feel. I love the fresh orange citrus on the finish, and it has the lovely chalky texture that you come to expect from the wines of Canalicchio di Sopra. It’s a more immediate wine but offers a lot of pleasure now or over the coming 10-12 years. I met with Francesco Ripaccioli for this report both at his family estate on the north side of Montalcino, as well as here in New York to taste older vintages of Canalicchio di Sopra in January 2024. He, along with his brother and sister, represent the third generation of the estate. Canalicchio is divided between two areas of Montalcino, the first parcel purchased by his grandfather, Primo Pacenti, after World War II, and the second in Montosoli, where they have six hectares of vine that his father purchased in 1958. Today the combined land spans 60 hectares, 19 of which are dedicated to the vineyards, and for their wines, they both combine the terroirs of the two regions as well as make unique expressions for each of the two locations. The rest of the land is committed to biodiversity and to an Agriturismo also on the north side of the Montalcino hill. Their wines show a lot of complexity, with age-worthy potential across all categories, as readers will find in my notes on the library vintages. The (unofficial) sub-zone of Canalicchio is characterized by a particular type of calcareous clay, with a high pH of 8.2, which contributes to a very elegant texture that you can find in the wines coming from the Cassacchia Vineyard. In Montosoli, there is more dry soil with galestro and schist, although it has the same pH. The Montosoli side tends to contribute more structure and salinity to the resulting wines. In the cellar, they ferment the wines separately and produce these three expressions of Brunello as well as Rosso di Montalcino.

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is elegant and tight with dried cherry, earthy root, pressed violet and exotic spice. The wine's long mandatory aging period has added to its aromatic intensity and textural weight. You also recognize that special complexity that comes with Sangiovese when grown in this sunny appellation on the southern side of Tuscany. This is a solid wine with 36,237 bottles released.

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is understated in the glass, as swirling brings forward nuances of mint, white pepper, dusty black cherries and flowery underbrush. This is a soft and delicate Brunello from Canalicchio di Sopra, also quite mineral in style, impressing with its smooth contours and finesse, while showing rose-tinged red berries and hints of spice. A coating of gentle tannin lingers through the medium-length finale, along with hints of licorice, as the mouth is left watering for more. The 2018 is a total charmer with a beautiful balance, bolstered by the juice that would usually go into the Riserva.