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• 90 points Wine Spectator, Caprili Brunello di Montalcino 99

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  Elizabeth Riadi    Group moderator

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  90 points Wine Spectator, Caprili Brunello di Montalcino 99

  Caprili, Brunello di Montalcino:
  
  Ever more firmly established at the pinnacle of world oenology, Brunello di Montalcino has earned its place as one of the twentieth century’s great wines. Now it is embarking on a new millennium as rich in history as it is in promise for the future. There are two factors that make Brunello di Montalcino great – its intrinsic characteristics and the context in which it is born. The result is a product that stands out on even the most sophisticated tables, acting as a silkily persuasive ambassador for the legend of Tuscany, its landscape, its art and its history.
  
  Brunello is a monovarietal wine made from Sangiovese Grosso, harvested manually after careful selection of the bunches. Obviously, the winemaking procedure complies with the classic tenets of Tuscan tradition. After pressing, the must ferments for 25 to 28, and sometimes for as long as 30 days, depending on the characteristics of the vintage and the quality of the skins. Fermentation takes place at a temperature that is held constant at around 30°C, with peaks of up to 33°C, in order to extract as much of the tannins and phenolics as possible from the skins.
  
  
  In consequence, the wine at first is forward and somewhat lacking in harmony, requiring lengthy ageing in Slavonian oak casks. Caprili has chosen not to introduce barriques into the winemaking process. We are convinced that the unique characteristics of monovarietal Sangiovese should be accompanied by vinification according to the traditional methods of Italian wine.
  
  Thirty-six months later, cask ageing is complete and the wine is transferred to Bordeaux bottles, where it will continue to age for a further four months. Ageing thus lasts for a total of four years and the wine becomes Brunello di Montalcino only in the fifth year after the harvest.
  
  The average alcohol content is 13.5°. The colour is ruby red, shading into garnet. The aromas are broad and headily fragrant. Warm, intense and superbly harmonic on the palate, with substantial body and plenty of length.
  
  At table, Brunello is an excellent companion through the meal, and a sumptuous accompaniment for roast or broiled red meat, especially spicy game dishes, as well as with strong, mature cheeses. Serve at a temperature of 20° C, in broad-bowled, uncoloured glasses that will bring out the rich harmony of the wine’s intense hue and the complexity of its nose. It is advisable to uncork the bottle at least five to six hours before serving. For older vintages, aeration in a decanter is recommended to release the full power of the wine’s rich aromas.
  
  • 27 Sep 2004, 10:34 pm
  Elizabeth Riadi wrote: > Caprili, Brunello di Montalcino: > > Ever more firmly established at the pinnacle of world oenology, > Brunello di Montalcino has earned its place as one of the twentieth > century’s great wines. Now it is embarking on a new millennium as > rich in history as it is in promise for the future. There are two > factors that make Brunello di Montalcino great – its intrinsic > characteristics and the context in which it is born. The result is a > product that stands out on even the most sophisticated tables, acting > as a silkily persuasive ambassador for the legend of Tuscany, its > landscape, its art and its history. > > Brunello is a monovarietal wine made from Sangiovese Grosso, > harvested manually after careful selection of the bunches. Obviously, > the winemaking procedure complies with the classic tenets of Tuscan > tradition. After pressing, the must ferments for 25 to 28, and > sometimes for as long as 30 days, depending on the characteristics of > the vintage and the quality of the skins. Fermentation takes place > at a temperature that is held constant at around 30°C, with peaks of > up to 33°C, in order to extract as much of the tannins and phenolics > as possible from the skins. > > > In consequence, the wine at first is forward and somewhat lacking in > harmony, requiring lengthy ageing in Slavonian oak casks. Caprili has > chosen not to introduce barriques into the winemaking process. We are > convinced that the unique characteristics of monovarietal Sangiovese > should be accompanied by vinification according to the traditional > methods of Italian wine. > > Thirty-six months later, cask ageing is complete and the wine is > transferred to Bordeaux bottles, where it will continue to age for a > further four months. Ageing thus lasts for a total of four years and > the wine becomes Brunello di Montalcino only in the fifth year after > the harvest. > > The average alcohol content is 13.5°. The colour is ruby red, shading > into garnet. The aromas are broad and headily fragrant. Warm, intense > and superbly harmonic on the palate, with substantial body and plenty > of length. > > At table, Brunello is an excellent companion through the meal, and a > sumptuous accompaniment for roast or broiled red meat, especially > spicy game dishes, as well as with strong, mature cheeses. Serve at > a temperature of 20° C, in broad-bowled, uncoloured glasses that will > bring out the rich harmony of the wine’s intense hue and the > complexity of its nose. It is advisable to uncork the bottle at > least five to six hours before serving. For older vintages, aeration > in a decanter is recommended to release the full power of the wine’s > rich aromas.