Wine Advisor
Valdicava, Madonna del Piano Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2007
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
An impressively structured wine. Aromas of blueberries and blackberries with hints of violets. Full body, with velvety and rich tannins. Very tannic and powerful yet the tannins are polished and pretty. Layers of everything here. Give this another three to four years before opening.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
An impressively structured wine. Aromas of blueberries and blackberries with hints of violets. Full body with velvety, rich tannins. Very tannic and powerful, yet the tannins are polished and pretty. Layers of everything here. Give this another three to four years before opening.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is another super-finessed wine. Subtle floral notes meld into expressive red berries in a sumptuous Brunello that captures the essence of the vintage. The style is rich and deeply textured, but the 2007, as outstanding as it is, needs at least a few more years in bottle. Once again, finesse rules the day. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. Vincenzo Abbruzzese has a cellar full of exceptional wines that will thrill Valdicava fans. The 2012s are spectacular at this stage and, along with the 2010s, are the best wines in the cellar today. In lesser vintages, the estate bottles some Rosso, but in top years there is very little, if any, Rosso. That will be the case with 2011 and 2012 respectively, given the development of the 2011 in the cellar and the exceptional quality of 2012. Abbruzzese made the decision to bottle his entire 2011 production as Rosso, an unheard move, but one that frankly recognizes the quality of that vintage. Abbruzzese told me his wines tend to have a fairly stable and linear development during vinification and in aging. With the 2011s, however, he observed a slow start and a rapid improvement in the cellar, something that concerned him with regard to the potential ageworthiness of the year. As a result, Abbruzzese declassified all of his wine to Rosso in 2011, with the exception of one cask of Madonna del Piano fruit that may eventually be released as straight Brunello. Although Abbruzzese says he still has reservations about the year and wants to be absolutely convinced of the quality of the remaining 2011 before it is released, the distinct possibility remains this cask will also be declassified to Rosso. As for the 2008 Brunello, it is one of the best wines of the vintage. Here, too, Abbruzzese’s decision to blend in the Madonna del Piano lots (there will be no Riserva) contributes markedly to the wine’s quality. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano looks to be a modern-day version of the 1990. Layers of seamless fruit grace the palate in this large-scaled, dramatic Brunello. The 2007 boasts remarkable intensity to match its undeniably sexy personality. Although the 2007 will require at least several years in bottle to blossom, the relatively soft tannins will make it more pleasurable than the 2006 at the outset. Both vintages will be fascinating to follow over the coming years. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. Vincenzo Abbruzzese has been one of Montalcino’s most consistent producers over the last few years, an impression that was reinforced during my visit earlier this year. I tasted every wine in cask, and they were all terrific. I also had a chance to revisit the 1988 and 1990 Madonna del Pianos, both of which have aged beautifully in bottle. Readers who want to learn more about the estate and their wines will want to check out my video interview with Vincenzo Abbruzzese on www.erobertparker.com Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is another super- finessed wine. Subtle floral notes meld into expressive red berries in a sumptuous Brunello that captures the essence of the vintage. The style is rich and deeply textured, but the 2007, as outstanding as it is, needs at least a few more years in bottle. Once again, finesse rules the day.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano looks to be a modern-day version of the 1990. Layers of seamless fruit grace the palate in this large-scaled, dramatic Brunello. The 2007 boasts remarkable intensity to match its undeniably sexy personality. Although the 2007 will require at least several years in bottle to blossom, the relatively soft tannins will make it more pleasurable than the 2006 at the outset. Both vintages will be fascinating to follow over the coming years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is more complex on the nose compared directly with the regular cuvée, offering scents of dark plum commingling with star anis and cedar. There is a sense of sophistication to these aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with a lovely structure, dark chocolate and espresso. Great depth, but upon reflection, I was not "moved" by this Brunello as I expected and oddly found more charm with the regular cuvée. Perhaps there are better bottles out there?
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.
