Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
The name of the estate apparently derives from "Ca' Pazzo", as shown on some ancient maps. The estate covers an area of 190 hectares, 54 of which are vineyards, 4 are of olive groves, 87 of which are wooded and 45 of which are to be planted with new vines. Caparzo is the only estate-bottled producer of Brunello di Montalcino to have estate vineyards on all five sides of the hill of Montalcino, ensuring that no matter what climatic challenges effect one side, the other vineyards will more than compensate.
Caparzo, with owner Elizabetta Angelina Gnudi, and winemakers Massimo Bracalente and Francesca Arquint, aims to make top quality products using meticulous and traditional techniques, while at the same time applying a modern outlook in its commercial relations with efficiency and capability. More than thirty years have passed since the first vines were planted and the first steps in wine-making taken. In this period, Caparzo, bolstered by its background in the Brunello tradition and the different terroirs of the area, has proved its ability to produce wines with a creative flair and spirit of innovation that achieves top standards in quality.
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.
