Canalicchio di Sopra - La Casaccia Brunello di Montalcino 2018 750ml
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Canalicchio di Sopra La Casaccia Brunello di Montalcino 2018 is a masterful single-vineyard expression that captures the soul of a unique site. Harvested from a specific parcel planted in 1990, this wine proves that power and grace can live together in one bottle. The clay-rich soils, high in calcium and minerals, give this Sangiovese a bright color and deep structure. Because the vines enjoy sun from dawn until dusk, the fruit achieves a perfect level of ripeness.
The 2018 growing season was cooler than usual, which the winemaker calls a transparent vintage. This means the wine acts as a window into the land itself. While summer was mild, strong north winds arrived just before harvest to dry and concentrate the grapes. This natural process protected the acidity while ensuring the tannins remained silky and approachable. The result is a wine defined by its tension and energy.
On the nose, expect a floral and fragrant bouquet with fresh balsamic notes. The palate is vibrant and full, offering a harmonious balance between ripe red fruit and a savory, sapid core. Large Slavonian oak casks were used for aging over three years. This traditional method allows the wine to soften without losing its pure fruit character. With a production of fewer than 4,000 bottles, this Cru offers a rare look at the elegance possible in Montalcino. It is a bottle built for the long haul, yet it provides immense pleasure today.
Country
ItalyRegion
TuscanySub Region
MontalcinoGrape
SangioveseABV
15%Brand
Canalicchio di SopraFarming
SustainableProduction
Sustainable estate farming; Vigna La Casaccia (planted 1990). Single Vineyard Sangiovese. 25-day skin maceration in temperature-controlled steel tanks. 36 months in 2500-liter Slavonian Oak casks
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
Drink Date: 2025-2040
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