Valdicava
Rosso di Montalcino Sangiovese
Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
A unplanned Brunello study, courtesy of the boys! Despite being the lowest tiered among the wines of the night, I was drawn to the Valdicava Rosso the most. I was rooting for it essentially - tasting to see if what short time we had could have unravelled the tightly-knitted palate to match the sublime nose. Aromas of high-toned cherries and plums, cedar-spice, tobacco leaf, dried flowers and herbs, and a whiff of shiitake. It’s complex, yet I felt it offered poorer delineation than the Stella Brunello. In fact, all the other wines did too - a function of storage perhaps, or was the Stella just in a different league? Alas, the palate never caught up too. It started with nothing but drying tannins, and developed into a spicy-tannic character, eventually giving way to ripe red fruits and a really dusty-tannic finish. I can’t say that was all so enjoyable, but it certainly provides a compelling reason to age this Rosso.
"A misunderstood traditionalist" - at least that's what I gather from my research of Valdicava. The producer of the revered Madonna del Piano often gets lumped into the modernist category of Brunello due to the typically "obscene" concentrations in their wines, yet uses very traditional vinification techniques like elevage in large Slovenian oak. Can't really make any conclusions from this experience alone, but with all the information in hand, it's safe to say that these are very long-lived wines.
A unplanned Brunello study, courtesy of the boys! Despite being the lowest tiered among the wines of the night, I was drawn to the Valdicava Rosso the most. I was rooting for it essentially - tasting to see if what short time we had could have unravelled the tightly-knitted palate to match the sublime nose. Aromas of high-toned cherries and plums, cedar-spice, tobacco leaf, dried flowers and herbs, and a whiff of shiitake. It’s complex, yet I felt it offered poorer delineation than the Stella Brunello. In fact, all the other wines did too - a function of storage perhaps, or was the Stella just in a different league? Alas, the palate never caught up too. It started with nothing but drying tannins, and developed into a spicy-tannic character, eventually giving way to ripe red fruits and a really dusty-tannic finish. I can’t say that was all so enjoyable, but it certainly provides a compelling reason to age this Rosso.
"A misunderstood traditionalist" - at least that's what I gather from my research of Valdicava. The producer of the revered Madonna del Piano often gets lumped into the modernist category of Brunello due to the typically "obscene" concentrations in their wines, yet uses very traditional vinification techniques like elevage in large Slovenian oak. Can't really make any conclusions from this experience alone, but with all the information in hand, it's safe to say that these are very long-lived wines.
Nice Rosso. Obviously overpriced but when you’re at a steakhouse (Gallagher’s, excellent) sometimes you just have to roll with it. Probably slightly too restrained for the meal but still a nice sangiovese from a great year.
Nice Rosso. Obviously overpriced but when you’re at a steakhouse (Gallagher’s, excellent) sometimes you just have to roll with it. Probably slightly too restrained for the meal but still a nice sangiovese from a great year.
Feb 26th, 2023
Meh, this wine is dry, light, and slightly oxidized. I’m a huge Sangiovese fan, especially wines in the stile of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. This may not be my style, but I believe this wine is underwhelming and lacking in complexity and flavors of the varietal.
Meh, this wine is dry, light, and slightly oxidized. I’m a huge Sangiovese fan, especially wines in the stile of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. This may not be my style, but I believe this wine is underwhelming and lacking in complexity and flavors of the varietal.
Jan 14th, 2020
