Sangiovese
75cl * Vegan * 14.0% ABV * Tuscany, Italy
Founded in 1954, Castiglion del Bosco was one of the founding members of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello. Now under new ownership, there has been major investment in the winery and in the vineyards, and the quality has been consistently on the up. Set in the Val d’Orcia National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site northwest of Montalcino, the estate is protected from the polluting factors of the urban world. The Capanna vineyard, where the grapes destined for their Brunello are grown, slope south/southwest towards the Tyrrhenian coast and it’s cooling sea breezes.
The peculiar characteristics of this vineyard, such as the natural isolation along with the altitude and the type of soil, give this wine a refined elegance as well as great personality. This cooler site, the estate believes, benefits from 24 months’ ageing in French oak rather than the traditional larger Slovenian oak barrels used in warmer sites of Montalcino. The result is a profoundly distinct interpretation of Brunello in this outstanding vintage, widely considered to be excellent for Tuscany, this layered and beautiful 2016 is the highest scoring vintage ever achieved.
Complex, with a superb structure and its inviting, mouth-filling palate is one of the hallmarks of Sangiovese. A garnet-flecked ruby red, on the nose it's aromatic with mocha, cherries and a good earthiness and then it's beautifully balanced on the palate, weighing up the alcohol with good, deep red fruit. Perfect with something like pork belly.
Drinking window: 2025 - 2038.
"The complexity and beauty to this is really something with cherry, walnut, tobacco and cigar-box character. Sweet cherries. It’s full-bodied and deep with super intensity and power. Layered and beautiful. Really refined tannins. Some whole-berry fermentation gives this added character. Goes on for minutes. Try after 2025." 99/100 - James Suckling, October 2020
"The 2016 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino really stands out with its vivid display of crushed raspberries, lavender and clove. Further depths are found with each swirl, adding mentholated herbs and flowery undergrowth. It’s dense and dark-fruited, enveloping the palate with notes of black cherry, plum, exotic savory spice and minerals. This is soothing and pliant in spite of the 2016’s youthful state, balancing brisk acids and fine tannins to create a push and pull of structural tension. The symmetry here is spellbinding, and everything is in the right place for a long and fruitful evolution over the next ten to fifteen years. Tasted twice with consistent results." Vinous, November 2020
Wine Geek Fact: The wines of Brunello di Montalcino were the first in Italy to be awarded DOCG status in 1980.
97/100 - Decanter World Wine Awards (2016 Vintage) Tasted: Jan 2021