Winemaker Notes
Canalicchio di Sopra Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2016 offers a preview of the extraordinary qualities of this vintage: a vintage with a great finish, elegance, and character that expresses itself in freshness, elegance, and depth, capable of giving that pleasant sensation of ageing potential even in such a wine as Rosso di Montalcino. Remaining loyal to our concept that the Rosso di Montalcino embodies the calling card of our winery, we wanted to create a more immediate and versatile anticipation of our Sangiovese 2016 without altering its main qualities.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
There’s really good ripeness to this Rosso di Montalcino with orange rind, raspberries and spices, as well as undertones of tobacco. Real depth to the firm tannins and a medium-chewy finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Canalicchio di Sopra pays special attention to its lower-end wines. I always like to point this out to readers in the search for great value from Tuscany. The 2017 Rosso di Montalcino is an immediate and enticing expression with soft layers of ripe cherry and black fruit. The wine is soft and velvety in texture with easy endnotes of cherry confit and crème de cassis. This is a great food wine.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.