Wine Advisor
Castello Dei Rampolla, d'Alceo Toscana 1996
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Description
“D’Alceo” fully reflects the character of the vineyard from which it originates. It is intense, warm, refined and elegant. Well-ripened red fruits blend perfectly with delicate notes of cigar and tobacco – an amazing concentration with no heaviness.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
In 1996, Castello dei Rampolla produced an extremely limited production (about 200 cases) Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon/Petite Verdot blend called Vigna d'Alceo. This terrific wine bears more than a passing resemblance to a top-class Medoc. The opaque purple color is followed by gobs of toasty new oak, and jammy cassis fruit intermixed with minerals, spice, and cedar. Medium-bodied, with outstanding purity and concentration, exceptional harmony, and moderately high tannin, this is a promising, seriously-endowed wine for readers with the patience to wait 4-5 years. It should keep for two decades. Castello dei Rampolla has long been one of my favorite Tuscan producers. I began purchasing their wines with the 1983 Sammarco. A recently drunk 1985 Sammarco was still in terrific shape, and it continues to behave like a top-class Graves from Bordeaux. Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200
About the Producer
Castello dei Rampolla was founded in 1956, however the history of its owners, the Napoli Rampolla family, dates back on this site to 1739. The estate is based in the hilltop town of Panzano, and is famed for the Conca d’Oro (golden basin) – an outstanding natural amphitheatre composed of the village’s hillsides, neighbouring Fontodi. It was under the stewardship of Alceo di Napoli Rampolla in the second half of the twentieth century that Castello dei Rampolla began to make a name for itself. Having been inspired by Mario Incisa della Rocchetta – the legendary creator of Sassicaia – Alceo decided to attempt his own Bordeaux style wine with Cabernet Sauvignon. He recruited the help of world famous consultant oenologist Giacomo Tachis and soon enough Castello dei Rampolla’s ability to incarnate Bordeaux blends in Tuscany pushed the estate into the spotlight. Their wine, Sammarco, became a superstar in the Castello dei Rampolla collection, despite criticism from Chianti Classico traditionalists in the region.
