Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino "Madonna del Piano" Riserva DOCG 2004
(Tuscany, Italy) - [RP 96+] [WS 96] [WE 95]

Notes from the Winemaker:
Valdicava makes some of the most intense, richly flavored Brunelloʼs coming out of Montalcino today. Vincenzo Abruzzeseʼs ancestors once worked this land as sharecroppers. His 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is simply beautiful. Firm but silky tannins frame a core of ripe dark fruit as this powerful yet elegant Brunello opens up in the glass. Smoke, cured meats, earthiness and graphite develop in the glass, adding further complexity. Sweet roses and spices linger on the long, refined finish. This is a big, structured Brunello, and like all of Abruzzesesʼs wines, it needs at least a few years of bottle age before it offers its finest drinking. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Valdicavaʼs 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is an incredibly nuanced, refined Brunello made in a less obvious style than the 1999 or the 2001 although it shares some stylistic similarities with those vintages. Today the wine presents a weightless, almost Burgundian personality, although it should fill out over the next few years. This is an utterly convincing, spellbinding Madonna del Piano that relies more on elegance and finesse rather than sheer power. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026. (Antonio Galloni Wine Advocate November, 2008).