1998 Valdicava Madonna del Piano Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

Valdicava is an estate in Montalcino, Tuscany. It was founded in 1953 by Martini Bramante and is today owned and operated by his grandson, Vincenzo Abbruzzese. Nearly 70 acres of the 300-acre estate are in vineyards, all of which are planted to Sangiovese. The estate’s flagship wine is the Brunello Riserva Madonna del Piano, though it also makes a Brunello Valdicava and a Rosso di Montalcino. Total production is about 6,000 cases annually.

Brunello di Montalcino is regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino is entirely Sangiovese. Montalcino itself is a picturesque, hill-top town not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine. Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.