Winemaker Notes
Deep purple color with aromas of espresso, sweet melted licorice, black currant jam, tobacco and toasty oak. Full-bodied, with refined tannins on the palate.
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 % Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2018 D'Alceo is a wild, exotic wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot come together in a wine that is sumptuous, layered and exceptionally beautiful. Inky blue/purplish fruit, sage, mint, lavender and chocolate are some of the many notes that take shape. The 2018 was fermented in cement then aged 12 months in a combination of 500L tonneaux and barriques. This really blooms with time. Castello dei Rampolla's Sammarco and D'Alceo have been benchmarks for several decades. Both 2018s will take their place among the best wines ever made here. Maurizia di Napoli and her brother, Luca, craft wines of notable intensity and pedigree. Biodynamic farming and low intervention winemaking are the rule. Of the two flagship wines, D'Alceo is a bit more opulent, likely because the terraced vineyards are south and south-east facing, while Sammarco has a bit more tannic backbone and energy. Both are off the charts great.
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James Suckling
Lots of blackcurrant and blackberry aromas follow through to a full body with firm tannins and a chewy finish. Lots of black licorice, aniseed and light asphalt. Lead pencil, too. Try after 2025.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Castello dei Rampolla 2018 d'Alceo (85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot) is elegant and generous, perhaps showing a little more ripeness and fullness overall. The 2018 vintage continues to show black and purple primary fruit; however, it's leaning into the next chapter of its life. This vintage is quite rich and succulent, qualities that are underlined by velvety tannins and baked plum. It's drinking very nicely at the moment, although you could wait longer if desired. There is a fil rouge (common thread) that connects all of these vintages. D'Alceo always shows a profound sense of deflation and etched sharpness.
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Wine Spectator
This juicy, almost silky red is marked by aromas and flavors of cherry, black currant, violet, Tuscan scrub and earth. Vibrant yet dense, with lightly chewy tannins lining the finish. Features fine balance and length overall. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.