Winemaker Notes
The Canalicchio di Sopra Rosso di Montalcino mainly comes from the vineyards located in the Canalicchio Cru, in a soil with marked clay component, very rich in intermediate elements such as magnesium, iron and Manganese. In some vintages a small percentage of the grapes can comes from Montosoli Cru, where the presence of marl guarantees sapidity and minerality.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A bright ruby color, the 2022 Rosso Di Montalcino is refined and pretty on the nose, with a rosy perfume of fresh raspberries, dark wet stones, and fresh herbs slowly revealing itself. Medium-bodied, it is bright and linear with fine tannins and is going to need some time to flesh out.
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James Suckling
Savory berries and plums with touches of iron and minerals on the nose. Juicy on the palate, with a medium body and a mouthful of dusty tannins. A solid Rosso di Montalcino.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Francesco Ripaccioli normally releases this wine earlier than his Brunellos. But this year, it's nice to be able to taste the estate's entire line together. The Canalicchio di Sopra 2022 Rosso di Montalcino boasts a beautiful bouquet with lots of energy and punchy freshness. The quality of the fruit is bright and vigorous with wild cherry, cassis and violet. Those sweet fruit notes are balanced by just a hint of toasted spice. I would put this bottle on a short list of my favorite new Rosso releases.?
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Wine Spectator
This red's cherry and strawberry fruit is buried beneath earth, iron and sanguine flavors typical of Sangiovese. Focused by lively acidity, with a dusting of tannins lining the salty finish. Drink now through 2028. 2,600 cases made, 1,110 cases imported.
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.