2021 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia

Contoured and sharply defined, the Canalicchio di Sopra 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia delivers a vivid sense of energy and lift, anchored by dark currant and wild plum at its core. The wine’s zesty precision and clear lines carve a focused path across the palate, emphasizing freshness and definition. Winemaking mirrors the house style, with fermentation in stainless steel followed by 36 months of aging in large Slavonian oak casks. Production is limited to 4,453 bottles plus larger formats.

The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia is exotic in the glass, with a spice-box bouquet that combines cedar dust, spiced orange peels, dried strawberries and hints of mint. It's surprisingly energetic and fleshy, with a solid core of ripe wild berry fruits underscored by tactile mineral tones. Tantalizing acidity imparts further liveliness. It firms up through the finish, leaving steely minerality to meet a tart blackberry twang and nuanced tannins. The 2021 is youthfully compact and geared for the cellar.

The 2021 is a superb edition of Casaccia, which hails from the mineral-rich clay of Canalicchio. It is slightly more floral scented than usual with plum blossom making way for bay leaf, cardamom, coriander and baked earth. It exhibits the roundedness and richness I expect of the vineyard, though it isn’t exaggerated; an underlying freshness is ever present. Ample fruit depth effortlessly absorbs the alcohol and plush, ripe berries meld with velvety, terracotta-like tannins that cuddle the palate. Time promises to reveal more of its lurking exotic nuances.