Wine Advisor
Valdicava, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2015
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The Valdicava 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a dark and sultry wine with a beautiful presentation of aromas. This full-bodied Sangiovese opens to aromas of plumy dark fruit, black cherry, cured tobacco, cola and balsam spice. There are earthy or savory tones as well, with some fragrant crushed flower or wild rose that come straight out of the classic Sangiovese playlist. Generally speaking, this Brunello veers toward black fruit aromas (as opposed to red fruits), and its smooth texture and elegant tannins are well suited to a classic Tuscan dish of pappardelle con sugo di lepre (wild rabbit) or another game sauce. Production is 37,000 bottles.
Reviewed by: Eric Guido
The bouquet holds back at first, yet with coaxing in the glass begins to show a beautiful mix of perfumed black cherry, mentholated spices, wild herbs, white smoke and hints of leather. On the palate, I find silky, enveloping textures, contrasted by cool-toned red and black fruits which flood the senses as brisk acids brought out its spicier, sweeter side with balancing fine tannin and minerals toward the finale. The finish went on and on, showing both fine tannin and juicy acids as lingering red berry fruits, hints of hard candies and red florals slowly fade. There’s a balance to the 2015 Brunello that is seldom seen here, and I believe the best is yet to come. This was tasted twice with similar results.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Wonderful aromas of roses and sliced plums with wet earth and truffles. Then turns to raspberries and blackberries. Cherries, too. Full and firm with super integrated tannins that melt into the wine. It flows from the center palate in a beautiful sheet of fruit and tannins. Extremely long and coated with great finesse. Goes on for minutes. Better in 2022, but already a joy to taste.
About the Producer
Valdicava is located in the town of Montalcino in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is a boutique winery producing top Brunello wines. In 1953, Martini Bramante bought the land on which the Wadi Cava winery now stands, north of the town of Montalcino. At first, he just planted grapes and sold them to Biondi Santi winery. It was not until 1968 that he launched his own wine for the first time. Later, Vincenzo Abbruzzese, Martini's grandson, took over the Wadi Cava winery. Today, the winery has entered a golden age of development under the leadership of Vincenzo. Wadi Kava Winery is located at 43 degrees north latitude, influenced by the surrounding ocean and mountains, the local climate is relatively mild, and the rainfall is moderate throughout the year. In addition, the cool breeze brought by the nearby mountains and forests also properly adjusted the local temperature. The winery occupies a total of 333 acres, including 67 acres of vineyards. The winery's staff take good care of the vineyards, but do not provide too much nutrients and water to the vines. This is to promote the vines to take root deep in the soil, thus making the resulting grapes more flavorful and expressive. local terroir. The vineyard is divided into 9 plots. During the grape ripening season, the grapes from different plots will be mined and harvested, and placed in different oak barrels to be broken and fermented, and then Vincenzo will brew according to the desired wine. The style of the wine is adjusted. The blended wine is then aged in Slovenian oak barrels. Vincenzo combines traditional and modern Brunello winemaking techniques to produce wines that are both Brunello and Wadi Cava's own. The annual output of Vadikawa winery is about 6,000 cases, and only 3 wines are produced, namely Valdicava Rosso di Montalcino, Valdicava Rosso di Montalcino, Valdicava Brunello. (Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino) and Valdicava Brunello Riserva Madonna del Piano. Among them, the Wadi Cava Brunello Reserve dry red wine is only made in excellent years, and the output is usually only 800 cases. Both the 2006 and 2015 vintages received full marks from renowned wine critic James Suckling. The 2001 wine was awarded full marks by both James and Wine Spectator.
