Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Vertical Tasting Back to 2001 Saturday, April 27th 7:30pm and all the Valdicava in the store on SALE!!
"Reality is an illusion that occurs due to a lack of wine." - Anonymous
We do not have any lack of wine here at Wine Watch but the Wine Bar is still only open for our wine tasting events. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night we have events at the Wine Bar and we are keeping them small but with the wines we are going large with this one we are busing out the (100) point rated Madonna Del Piano Riserva Brunello di Montalcino from my personal stash! You know my motto – Always drink the good stuff first!
Join us as we experience 11 different Brunello Di Montalcino from this legendary producer along with a special meal to accompany the tasting wines. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $325 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino Vertical Tasting
Saturday, April 27th
7:30 PM
Reception
2022 Valdicava Rosso Di Montalcino
2019 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino
2017 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino
2016 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino
2013 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano Riserva
2009 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino Madonna Del Piano Riserva
2007 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino
2006 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino
2005 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino
2004 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino
2003 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino Madonna Del Piano Riserva
2001 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino Madonna Del Piano Riserva
Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Grilled Portobello Mushroom and Sauteed Spinach with Creamy Burrata and Truffle Scent
Fettuccini with Smoked Tomato Bolognese and fresh shaved Parmesan
Seared Duck Breast with Sundried Cherry Demi and Sweet Potato Gratin
Dark Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Biscotti with Limoncello Whipped Crème
The price for this event which includes dinner is $325 + tax. For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions and Chef Toni will be happy to accommodate you.
A bit about Valdicava
Valdicava is the name of the area that leads into the foothills of Montalcino. To the left is the La Casa vineyard of Caparzo and to the right is Val Di Suga and the small hill in the middle of his property is the oldest vines planted on the property (1970) “Madonna del Piano”. The Valdicava estate was one of the original members of the Brunello consortium, formed in 1967. Like everyone else in the region the Abrusezzi family was trying to emulate the wines of Biondi Santi. The early years were tough as the producers were feeling their way through production problems and many did not have the facility to produce outstanding wines. The 1970’s saw a huge investment of newcomers in Montalcino. The Cinzano vermouth firm, with Coco-Cola money behind it, headed a group that purchased Col d’Orcia, an estate that has produced wine for years. Marchesi de Frescobaldi was involved with a group known as Enoviticola Senese, which had French, German, and Spanish investors as well. Their estate, Castelgiocondo, brought out its first bottles in 1980, not all Brunello. The most talked about outsider was the house of Banfi, the largest US importer of Italian wines, which had prepared some 1,000 acres of vines (only 125 of them in Montalcino) at a place called Poggio d’Oro, or “The golden Hill”. With all this new activity the old timers like Valdicava were forced to continually improve their wines to keep up with the foreign talent. Valdicava has been experimenting with rootstock and different clones of Sangiovese Grosso on their estate for the last thirty years and today they seem to have the winning combination.
Valdicava was one of the rising stars of the Brunello district in the 1990’s and today is considered one of the benchmark producers of this region. The wines of this estate are the handy work of Vincenzo Abrusezzi. Vincenzo is a perfectionist. He will settle for nothing short of excellence and it shows in his work. He has seen the big companies come in and make a huge impact in terms of recognition of his regions wines but loves the things about this region that make it unique.
This estate has been dedicated to quality from the very start with an ongoing experimentation of rootstock and clone selection refining every vintage of this wine. The oldest vines on the property were planted in 1970 and the youngest in 2001. Vincenzo Abrusezzi is one of the leaders in terms of progressive thinking and cutting edge viticulture in Montalcino today. He has a no chemical/back to nature approach to viticulture at Valdicava and believes that the health of the vineyard is most important and that chemicals harm the long term the health of the soils. They are a short-term/easy fix to a specific problem and can cause even bigger problems in the long run.
The vineyard is planted 3,000 vines per acre and the soil is a mixture of clay, sand, Galestro and this combination of different soil types, four different rootstocks and four different clones of Sangiovese make Valdicava one of the most unique wines made in Brunello. Valdicava did years of research to find out which rootstock/clone combination did the best in each particular soil type and the new releases from this winery soundly prove that this is one of the top producers in Brunello Di Montalcino today. The winery produces on average 2,000 cases of Rosso di Montalcino, 2,000 cases of Brunello di Montalcino and 500 cases of the Riserva Brunello di Montalcino labeled “Madonna del Piano”. Due to the limited production of these wines they can be very hard to find, especially when wine writers like Robert Parker Jr. giving praise to the effect of: "The 1995 Madonna Del piano is a candidate for wine of the vintage." And even more impressive stating that: “Vincenzo Abruzzesi is Montalcino’s number one over-achiever with winner after winner since 1988. The secret – a willingness, indeed eagerness, to spend whatever it takes for quality in addition to utilizing several of Italy’s outstanding consultants, winemaker Attilio Pagli and agronomist Andrea Paoletti (the former Antinori vineyard manager). Pagli is unfortunately little known to the larger public, but no oenologist in Italy has made so many excellent wines since the mid-1980’s.”
All the wines from Valdicava that we have in the store on SALE!:
2022 Valdicava Rosso di Montalcino
Price: $52.50 Your Price: $46.20 Quantity in Stock: 72
Wine Watch Review: This wine is always an excellent preview of the newest vintage from Tuscany with the 2022 showing an abundance of fruit red plum and red licorice spice with sweet herbs and fresh porcini mushroom nuances. Bright and fruity on the tongue with a lovely silky character to the tannins already and a host of spices and tongue tingly minerality through the finish, highlights of balsamic, eucalyptus, tea leaves and violets as the wine opens up. Always very charming upon release but this wine has the balance and freshness to last for 3-5 years easily in the cellar. The tannins are soft and well integrated and upon the first sip there may be a bit of austerity but as the wine opens up it becomes more refined with a silky and elegant finish, very approachable and ready to drink. Finish 45+ Excellent
2019 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino 3 Liter
Price: $915.00 Your Price: $805.20 Quantity in Stock: 1
2019 VALDICAVA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO MAGNUM
Price: $403.25 Your Price: $354.86 Quantity in Stock: 6
2019 VALDICAVA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
Price: $195.75 Your Price: $172.26 Quantity in Stock: 36
(95 Points) Just a baby today, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is darkly alluring with a youthfully coy bouquet that requires coaxing as dusty earth and dried flowers slowly take on hints of incense and black cherries. It flows easily across the palate, silky and refined with building tension as brisk acidity and minerals mingle with edgy tannins toward the close. The 2019 finishes dramatically long and structured with a pleasantly bitter tinge. A resonance of salted licorice and cedar lingers on and on. Valdicava has captured the radiance of the vintage. Vinous
2017 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino
Price: $175.00 Your Price: $154.00 Quantity in Stock: 10
(94 Points) The Valdicava 2017 Brunello di Montalcino shows a soft level of vintage ripeness that translates into dried strawberry or cooked cherry. These nuances are delicate and fine however and they are mitigated by the wine's acidity and the general clarity of the bouquet. Compared to past vintages this 2017 is more accessible but Valdicava has never been short on elegance or pedigree. Even that accessibility I mention is relative because these wines have an excellent track record for longevity despite vintage variation. Wine Advocate
2016 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino 1.5L Magnum
Price: $445.00 Your Price: $391.60 Quantity in Stock: 2
2016 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino
Price: $196.25 Your Price: $172.70 Quantity in Stock: 7
(95 Points) The Valdicava 2016 Brunello di Montalcino shows a subtle bouquet that needs extra time to open. In fact, I suggest you open your bottle about four hours before serving. This Brunello takes its time, but it inches over the senses with carefully increasing intensity. Wild cherry, toasted almond and even a touch of sweet apple or orange peel distinguish the bouquet. The tannins are firm and young, but all they need is extra time to evolve. This wine is like being introduced to a stranger who takes his time to reveal his personality, but who then turns into a true friend and confidant. Patience is required when approaching this 40,000-bottle release. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2010 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Magnum
Price: $595.00 Your Price: $523.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
(96 Points) Effusive aromas of incense, green olive, sweet strawberry and cherry, licorice and leather mark this structured version. The tannins are on the beefy side, but this finishes long, with enough fruit and spice for balance. Best from 2018 through 2032. Wine Spectator
2007 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino
Price: $196.00 Your Price: $172.48 Quantity in Stock: 5
Very nuanced bouquet of fresh flowers, incense like spice and fresh earth, a graphite like component with licorice spice and lots of earth and wild herbs showing to the nose. Big and chewy on the tongue with lots of ripe tannins showing through the dark cherry and wild strawberry like fruit, very chalky and tannic on the finish but has lots of everything, just needs time big tannins showing all the way to the end, but there is plenty of everything else. Finish 50 Most Excellent
2006 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino
Price: $250.00 Your Price: $220.00 Quantity in Stock: 7
Intense nose of crushed raspberry and wild strawberry jam like fruit with notes of raw meat and fine herbs. Big and chewy on the tongue with chalky dry tannins showing on the finish, this wine needs time. Big and chewy with layers of nuance on the finish, keep it open for at least 1 day before serving. Finish 50 Most Excellent
2005 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino
Price: $210.00 Your Price: $184.80 Quantity in Stock: 9
Lunch meat and old leather notes with a good amount of fresh plowed earth minerality and wild strawberry red cherry fruit, porcini. Excellent concentration and depth of flavors here with fine tannins and excellent freshness still a baby a bit dry on the finish, this wine needs some time but has all the right stuff. Finish 50 Most Excellent
2004 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Magnum
Price: $480.00 Your Price: $422.40 Quantity in Stock: 1
2004 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino
Price: $240.00 Your Price: $211.20 Quantity in Stock: 4
(95 Points) Displays complex aromas of blackberry and cherry, with a hint of licorice. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a delicious finish of wonderful yet subtle fruit. Well-integrated and beautiful. Everything is in the right place. Best after 2011. 5,000 cases made. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Apr 30, 2009
Madonna Del Piano Riserva
2013 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano Riserva
Price: $320.00 Your Price: $281.60 Quantity in Stock: 2
(96 Points) "Showing ripe and balanced fruit, the Valdicava 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano (with 15,666 bottles produced) offers many very positive attributes. The wine flaunts a slightly contemporary or international side, and it does so with extreme confidence and elegance. Much of that natural balance comes directly from the classic vintage that exhibits both the structure and acidity necessary for prolonged cellar aging. Now, in the wine's youngest phase, it offers lush primary cherry and blackberry flavors followed carefully by measured spice, toast and red rose potpourri." 1/19. Monica Larner, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
2009 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino Madonna Del Piano Riserva
Price: $320.00 Your Price: $281.60 Quantity in Stock: 10
(95 Points) The 2009 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is an expressive and articulate wine that speaks highly of Sangiovese and the Montalcino territory. The wine offers a pristine narrative of both grape and place with crystalline aromas of cherry, blackberry, spice, leather, smoke and Mediterranean herb. The bouquet peels back one delicious layer at a time. The mouthfeel is similarly successful with deep concentration and complexity. It imparts soft layers of dried fruit and velvety tannins. Endnotes of espresso bean and toasted almond add length and momentum. There's even spot of chewy sweetness that is typical of the warm 2009 vintage.
Vincenzo Abbruzzese's Valdicava presents a fantastic tag team of wines representing the 2009 and 2010 vintages respectively. Both wines are delicious although I will note the earthy-gamy note in the base Brunello that prevented me from scoring it higher. My hesitation is that it might become more pronounced with aging. eRobertParker.com #217, Feb 2015
Wine Watch Score: This is a single vineyard wine made from the oldest vines on the property, there are only a few hundred cases of this wine produced and only in outstanding vintages. The 2009's are a bit forward and for Valdicava that is a good thing because these wines are usually very backward and need a lot of time in the cellar so a forward vintage means that you can enjoy them much sooner. A dazzling array of cherry and blackberry fruit, liqueur like in richness with an array of exotic spices, leather, dried meats, smoke and a mix of Mediterranean herbs on the nose. A good amount of fruit showing here on the tongue and a lot of tannins here as well, ripe and round with a full hand of that spice and herbs from the nose through the finish along with tongue tingly minerality leading into a long layered finish. This wine still needs time but has all the right stuff in proper proportion. Finish 50+ KILLER
2003 Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino Madonna Del Piano Riserva
Price: $360.00 Your Price: $316.80 Quantity in Stock: 7
(93 Points) The 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is a super-ripe, opulent wine that resembles the 1997 in its generous, full-bodied personality. The tannins are surprisingly well-balanced within the context of this challenging vintage. The 2003 should drink well relatively early for this Riserva. All things considered, this is a superb effort. Production was down sharply in 2003. The estate bottled just 13,000 bottles of this wine compared to the typical 23,000 bottles. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2023. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The wine bar is only open for our wine tasting events, but we are now selling a single table in the Wine Cave on any night that we are open for tastings. So pretty much Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights or any other night you see an event on the calendar we will take one reservation in the Wine Cave. We will take up to 16 people but will accept as few as 6 for a curated dinner by Chef Toni. We must know in advance what food items you want so you will have to coordinate the menu with Toni ahead of time but she can put together any of your favorites from past Wine Bar menus or whatever you want if she has enough notice. The best thing about this table is the view of the wine, we have the largest selection of vintage wine in South Florida and everything is available at a retail price!! You may want to bring a sweater it is 64 degrees in the wine cave.
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