Medium ruby color; red cherry, raspberry, plum, blackberry, strawberry, oak, vanilla, leather, earth on the nose and palate.
Dry; medium, tasty tannins; balancing acidity. Intense, silky, juicy, delicious. Medium body. Long, succulent finish. Harmonious, elegant, savory presentation of sangiovese from the hillsides around Montalcino. There is a manual harvest from four vineyards on the slopes of the mountain. During the first two days of fermentation, special attention is paid to the seeds, which are eliminated if they are not ripe enough. This is made possible by cutting-edge technology in the fermentation tanks.
Primary fermentation takes place in one week in temperature-controlled tanks. The wine is kept in contact with the skins for 10-15 days after fermentation is completed. Malolactic fermentation is spontaneous after racking following primary fermentation. The wine then ages in wood for at least two years, followed by at least four months in bottle prior to release. 13.5% ABV
The Caparzo estate was developed during the 1960s when a group of friends purchased an old ruin with vineyards at Montalcino. The farm was renovated, modernized, and new vineyards planted. In 1998, Elizabetta Angelina Gnudi purchased the estate. The website notes: “She immediately carried out her objectives: combine tradition with innovation to create a high-quality wine, expression of an excellent territory, with the help of her son, Igino, and daughter, Alessandra.”
The estate comprises some 475 acres, 135 of which are currently planted to vines. An additional 113 acres is scheduled for planting. Caparzo is the only estate-bottled producer of Brunello di Montalcino to have estate vineyards on all five sides of the hill of Montalcino, ensuring that no matter what climatic challenges affect one side, the other vineyards can compensate. Caparzo makes their Rosso di Montalcino from grapes grown in specific sites, not from their younger vines, not a common practice. This enables them to obtain consistent quality from vintage to vintage.
Caparzo Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2019 is rich, bright, delicious, zesty fruits. Good complexity and impressively long finish. Full and warming mouthfeel. Pair with Italian fare, including pastas with meat with tomato sauces; beef—beef stew, grilled, braised, roasted; lamb; veal; baked, barbecued chicken; turkey; pork, sausage; wild game—venison, boar; cured meats, charcuterie board; grilled vegetables—portobello mushrooms; pizza; hamburger. Cheese—pecorino romano, grana padano, asiago, provolone. $21-25
