Capanna, Brunello di Montalcino Online

Capanna, Brunello di Montalcino

One of the perils of collecting wine, on any scale, is navigating the release of two momentous vintages in a row. Since today’s wine is a Brunello di Montalcino, let’s start there: Some of you likely went big on the ripe, early-drinking 2015 vintage, because, well, how could anyone resist? But what to do now that the more structured, “classic” 2016s have hit the market? In terms of critical acclaim and aging potential, ’16 is likely to eclipse 2015—leaving a lot of us searching for the money and the space to accommodate some of them. With that in mind, I cannot think of a more bulletproof acquisition than today’s ’16 from Capanna, one of the all-time-great values in traditional, cellar-worthy Brunello.

This legendary estate, one of the 25 founding members of the Brunello di Montalcino consorzio back in 1966, is famously perched on the “Montosoli” hill, perhaps the most iconic single vineyard in the appellation. Their track record for consistency and classic styling—i.e. aromatic, tension-filled, and savory rather than fruit-saturated and over-oaked—is second to none. As for the price, it’s an easy call: This is arguably the best value-for-dollar proposition in Montalcino. We have enough to offer up to six bottles per person today: Do yourself a favor and find the room!

The Cencioni family has owned Capanna since 1957, and, as mentioned above, they were one of the 25 original members of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, which was founded the same year the Brunello di Montalcino DOC was codified into law. The positioning of their farm and their 20-ish hectares of vineyard simply couldn’t be better: They are perched near the top of a vine-draped hill called “Montosoli,” which, if it were in a French wine zone, would be classified as a grand cru. Montosoli, in fact, bears some resemblance to Burgundy’s Corton hill, in that it is a rounded outcropping with a diversity of exposures; Capanna’s vineyards have a southeasterly aspect, situated just upslope from other famous growers such as Livio Sassetti. Although Montalcino isn’t known for having the kind of ‘vineyard-designate’ culture that defines Barolo, or Burgundy, Montosoli’s cru status was given voice by the Altesino winery, which has bottled a vineyard-designate wine from the site since the late seventies.

Soils in Capanna’s Sangiovese vineyards, which range in altitude from 250-350 meters, are a type of friable marl known as galestro, which mixes clay, sandstone, limestone, and some ancient marine fossils. Although they do not have certification, they employ organic practices in the vineyards and their production methods in the cellar are resolutely traditional: hand-harvested fruit is subjected to a long maceration on the grape skins (about 30 days) during fermentation, after which the wine is transferred to Slavonian oak casks of various sizes for three years of barrel age. It then aged further in bottle before its commercial release.

Deep, powerful, and smelling of the dense woodlands that surround the Capanna vineyards, this is classic Montalcino Sangiovese from a vintage universally described as “classic”—meaning a more balanced, structured style of wine compared to the more luscious 2015s. In the glass, it’s a dense ruby-garnet moving to magenta and pink at the rim, with a complex tangle of aromas that includes juicy red and black cherries, plum, black raspberry, leather, tobacco, fennel seed, orange peel, and forest floor. It is full-bodied, but taut and a little burly in comparison to the 2015 edition. If you’re opening a bottle now, decant it an hour before serving in large Bordeaux stems at 60 degrees, and try to save a little for re-visiting on days two and three, as I did. With winter around the corner, this is the kind of red I want in my glass—whether it’s this winter or winter 2030! Enjoy!