Amazing Brunello Vertical 2

Rare Vertical of Valdicava
Brunello di Montalcino

Howdy All,

I sent out a Canalicchio vertical two weeks ago and it was a great success. I have decided to follow that up with this great offer. Valdicava is a producer we have supported for close to a decade. We have hosted numerous dinners with Vincenzo Abbruzzese, owner and winemaker, here at NYV during his visits over the past few years. Many of you have had the chance to meet him in person. In fact, here is a classic bad hair Jesse interview with Vincenzo from the archives.

Vincenzo's tireless efforts at Valdicava have culminated with his prodigious 2010 Brunello which we have trumpeted loudly and which has received universal acclaim. I have bundled 3 bottles of the 2010 with 7 other vintages including 2 bottles each of 2003 and 2004 which are classics and drinking beautifully. All of these bottles are of perfect condition and provenance.

This offer is EXTREMELY limited and allocations will be reserved on a first come first served basis. This vertical will be shipped to clients next week. Happy Thursday - hope all is well.

Shane Benson

Owner - New York Vintners
A wine's quality is determined in the glass.

Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino
Collectors Vertical
One Bottle Each - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Two Bottles - 2003, 2004
Three Bottles - 2010
$1,695 for 12 Bottles

Reserve a Case

I said this about the Canalicchio offering but its worth repeating about these great wines from Valdicava:

I get asked all the time, "What is your favorite wine?"

A part of our corporate philosophy at the store states, "Quality wine comes from all over the world..." I hold this to be inherently true. There is so much great wine available to us that I simply cannot answer the question as to which is my favorite wine. My answer, therefore, is always "aged wine". The single biggest problem in the wine world is that we often drink wine too young - before it's a true representation of what it historically is meant to be - especially from the great regions of the world.

The other part of our corporate philosophy continues that quality wine is, "brought to us by winemakers who consistently make judicious decisions, from the vineyard to the bottle."

Vincenzo Abbruzzese and Valdicava are the embodiment of this principle.

Food for thought on the Valdicava 2010 Brunello:

99 points James Suckling
"Absolutely stunning aromas of nectarine, orange peel, sweet black cherry, plums and flowers. Licorice and mushroom It's full body, with layers of ultra-fine tannins and hints of tangy acidity. Such beautiful length and beauty to this wine. It's powerful and structured yet shows a gorgeous finesse and length. Truly wondrous. So long and refined. The texture is phenomenal. Better in 2016."

96 points Wine Spectator
"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."

94 points Antonio Galloni
"The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the very best wines I have tasted here in recent years. Dark red cherries, mint, game, smoke, tobacco and licorice are all deeply expressive in a mid-weight, very classic feeling Brunello long on class and personality. Big yet silky tannins frame the dramatic, intense finish. The Valdicava wines are always big, but the 2010 is a bit pulled back, and striking."

Reserve a Case

Jesse Fro

History of Valdicava

It is a historical fact that the wines produced in the hills south of the City of Sienna in Central Italy have been of particular quality since the Fifteenth Century. However, it is only during the past century and a half that the wines of Montalcino (about 30 miles south southeast from Sienna) have gained preeminence among Italy’s highest calibre wines.

A great deal of credit can be given to the founder of the modern Brunello movement, Ferruccio Biondi-Santi, who, in the late Nineteenth Century is credited with abandoning the process of uvaggio or the mixing of different grape varietals in favor of a single varietal, the Sangiovese, to produce a single, distinctive wine.

The name Brunello literally means little brown wine, and refers directly to the Sangiovese Piccolo, a variety of Sangiovese that produces small berries that lead to incredible flavor profiles for the grapes.

In 1953, Martini Bramente bought an old estate called Valdicava in the famous Montosoli Valley (home to the very finest Brunello wineries). He began selling his grapes to the original Biondi-Santi Winery whose wines were already famous throughout Europe and other parts of the world.

By 1968, Bramente ventured out into the winery end of the business and produced the first Valdicava Brunello. It wasn’t until fifteen years later that his grandson, Vincenzo Abbruzzese, took over the business that Valdicava’s estate wines began spiraling unswervingly upward.

Abbruzzese, now in his late 40′s, left a law enforcement background and literally put his heart and soul into the winery. By then, the consorzio (Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino) formed by the brunello vintners to control quality in the region was in place, a fact that allowed the legend of Brunello di Montalcino to become a reality within the Italian wine world. Without the consorzio’s ultra tight, ultimate control parameters, it is doubtful the region’s wines would have achieved such success in so short a period of time.

A hands-on owner both on the growing and producing side, Abbruzzese slowly gathered an all-important staff to help guide Valdicava to the top. He stopped at nothing to insure his wine’s success. His winemaking philosophy and methods of production became renowned within the confines of Montalcino and was copied by other aggressive wineries and winemakers.

Valdicava’s method was a study in directness and persistence. First, he took grapes from nine different single vineyards and crushed each into separate barrels. Then he selected the best to be included in the Valdicava Brunello based on each wine’s flavor profiles. The result was a formidable wine of great intensity that would age for a number of years both in the barrel and bottle.

“It was a hard job to accomplish, but in my heart I knew we could do it,” recalled Abbruzzese. “Our soils and methods of growing are very thought out and make use of the land and surroundings. When I started, I had a distinct wine in mind, and I now firmly believe we have achieved our goal.”

If critical acclaim is any measure of success, then the Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino sits in rarified air. In addition to numerous International awards and scores, his recent Wine Spectator scores put him near the head of the Brunello class. His latest release scored a perfect 100, one of only two Brunellos to receive such a score in the history of the publication.

Through it all, Vincenzo Abbruzzese has remained on an even keel. Visitors to the winery are amazed that the place is a basic working winery, practically devoid of many of the subtle nuances that are found at other equally famous wineries.

The emphasis at Valdicava is strictly on business and professionalism, with little importance paid to visitors or the many tourists who frequent the area.

“We have our job to do,” added Abbruzzese, “and making our wines the best they can be is our main concern. Anyone who visits can always try and make an appointment, but we really aren't equipped for visitors.”

In many ways, Valdicava is a purist winery in every sense, and a model that many other wineries and winemakers would prefer to mold themselves after. Valdicava has risen to the very top of the Italian wine industry and seems destined to stay there for some time, that’s if Vincenzo Abbruzzese has his way about it.

Hermitage Wine

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