Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
There's a delicacy to this version, showing a latent structure and a distinctive spiciness surrounding the core flavors of cherry, raspberry, licorice and mineral. Harmonious and persistent, featuring a long finish. A compelling Brunello riserva. Best from 2015 through 2032.
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James Suckling
Very pretty pure fruit with cherries and plums on the nose. Full body, with sweet and ripe fruit. Medium full tannins and a fresh finish. Very silky. Why wait?
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A big, broad-shouldered wine, the 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is endowed with superb richness and depth. Sweet black cherries, tobacco, smoke, scorched earth and tar all explode from the glass. Despite its textural richness, the 2007 remains mid-weight and gracious for the year. At times the 2007 is quite feminine, while at other moments its more virile side comes through, creating contrasts that are intriguing to follow. Caparzo has done a terrific job with their 2007 Riserva. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2022.
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Wine Enthusiast
Voted among the best Brunellos by a group of winemaking peers, Caparzo’s riserva is beautifully balanced and layered with chocolate, cherry, leather, blackberry and lingering spice notes. The wine shows freshness and elegance on the finish thanks to the silky nature of the mouthfeel.
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.