2001 Brunello di Montalcino

Valdicava makes some of most intense, richly-flavored Brunellos coming out of Montalcino today. Proprietor Vincenzo Abbruzzese speaks in a surprisingly soft-spoken voice, but his lively sense of humor hints at the extroverted style of his wines. The Valdicava Brunellos have at times been controversial because of their massive concentration, but as this vertical attests, the only thing these wines need is time. To be sure, Abbruzzese favors small yields and his newest vineyards are planted to very high densities, but the wines are aged in cask and ultimately represent an intriguing intersection between traditional and modern styles. Valdicava releases two Brunellos; a normal bottling, and the single-vineyard Riserva Madonna del Piano. Valdicava is located on the slopes of Montosoli, perhaps Montalcino's most renowned site. Visitors expecting to see a high-tech facility will be sorely disappointed, as this small, family-run property is as stripped down a winery as readers are likely to encounter anywhere. The estate traces its history back several generations. Abbruzzese's ancestors once worked this land as sharecroppers. Later they did well enough in a tanning business to buy 300 hectares of land for what were largely sentimental reasons. It was 1953. Montalcino was a backwater town in those days, with little economic vitality and none of the prosperity that is in evidence today. In 1967 Abbruzzese's grandparents began producing Brunello and became founding members of the producers' consortium, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino. Abbruzzese began working full-time at the winery in 1987, hardly an auspicious beginning considering the poor overall quality of that vintage. From the outset Abbruzzese enlisted the services of Attilio Pagli, the talented consulting oenologist who remains on board to this day. Unlike some of his peers who allow their egos to take center stage, Pagli prefers to remain in the background, yet there is no mistaking that over the years the presence of his experienced and steady hand has helped fashion these unique wines. This tasting of Valdicava Brunellos traced the arc of the estate's development over the last two decades and provided fascinating insights as to how the wines age. Although the tasting was focused on Madonna del Piano, we also sampled a few vintages of the regular Brunello as well. All the bottles came directly from Abbruzzese's personal collection, eliminating any issues of provenance.

Proprietor Vincenzo Abbruzzese produces some of the most unique wines in the region from his 20 hectares in the Montosoli zone just north of the town of Montalcino. Made in a richly concentrated, opulent style, these Brunellos represent an interpretation that may not be for everyone. That said, I have always found the wines to be enjoyable, especially after a few years of cellaring allows the baby fat to fall off the wines. Defined “an extreme interpretation of Sangiovese” by oenologist Attilio Pagli, Valdicava's Brunello is made from among the lowest yields in the region, typically averaging a measly 25 quintals per hectare. “Beginning in the late 1980's the Brunello plots were meticulously re-planted with the goals of achieving high densities in the vineyards and exploiting the clones of Sangiovese richest in anthocyanins.” [Anthocyanins are the compounds on the skins of the grapes that give wines much of their color.] “It is the clonal selection as well as the very low yields which give the wines their concentration and deep color,” adds Pagli. Abbruzzese prefers Slavonian oak for the aging of his Brunellos, which achieve a rare combination of power and elegance.