2018 Rosso di Montalcino

Francesco Ripaccioli of Canalicchio di Sopra loves to open verticals. An appointment at Canalicchio di Sopra will almost always include an intimidating lineup of Brunello and Rosso, but I can’t think of a better way to learn about and understand vintages, as well as the evolution that has taken place at this estate. One of the most recent verticals included a 10-vintage lineup of the Rosso di Montalcino, a wine that Francesco Ripaccioli holds dear, as it has never just been a second wine or a way to drum up a quick and easy income. Instead, the Rosso of Canalicchio di Sopra is intended to over-deliver and surpass the expectations of the category. I’ve included most of the notes here as they show how beautifully these wines can mature over time.

In 1987, Primo Pacenti and his son-in-law, Pier Luigi Ripaccioli, decided to combine their lands under the Canalicchio di Sopra brand, and they added the highly-esteemed Montosoli cru into the blend of their Brunello, along with the long-standing Canalicchio. The trend at the time was to blend vineyards from the north and south of Montalcino, hoping to find balance between the two. However, Pacenti and Ripaccioli made the defining choice to remain a fully northern producer of Brunello. These two vineyards perfectly contrasted each other’s attributes, as Montosoli brought a unique blend of soils to the mix, made up of galestro, as today’s generation, represented by Francesco Ripaccioli, has described to me as “the most Chianti Classico-like in Montalcino.” However, over time, Francesco Ripaccioli couldn’t help but notice the amount of unique micro-terroirs that existed throughout their holdings. His experimentation started with the 2013 Riserva, which was sourced entirely from the Montosoli vineyard, and it continues with the 2015 La Casaccia, another single-vineyard Brunello from vines planted in 1990, within the Canalicchio Cru. Frankly, it’s an exciting time to be watching the work of Francesco and his family, as they are at the forefront of Montalcino’s most exciting endeavor - the understanding and classification of the region’s diverse terroirs.