Get to Know: Canalicchio di Sopra
Get to Know Classic, Underground, and New Producers in the Wine World. This week, I introduce you to one of my favorite Brunello di Montalcino DOCG producers.
Whenever a guest wants a full-bodied red wine with a plush savoriness that pairs well with dishes such as branzino, truffle pasta, grilled pork, and lobster in butter sauce, I refer them to Brunello di Montalcino DOCG wine. One of my go-to producers that makes a Brunello that does not clash with all of the seafood but also has savoriness and chewy tannins is Canalicchio di Sopra.
I had the pleasure of meeting Francesco Ripaccioli, the third-generation owner of Canalicchio di Sopra since 2001, a few weeks ago. During our lunch (which had a variety of seafood, vegetables, and meat), I learned more about a producer who is a cult favorite among sommeliers and collectors. Canalicchio di Sopra–and Brunello di Montalcino in general– definitely needs to be on every wine drinker’s radar.
Focus on a Fresher Style of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Primo Pacenti, Ripaccioli’s grandfather, founded Canalicchio di Sopra during “the beginnings of the appellation in the 1960s” Ripaccioli said, and became one of the 12 founders of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino in 1967.
Pacenti decided to plant on the northern side of the appellation as the soil and climate would create an elegant style of Brunello and bring out balsamic and floral aromas and flavors when establishing the winery. Today, the winery’s vineyards extend 19 hectares across the Canalicchio and Montosoli crus. Most of the vineyards are planted at high elevations where the cooler air helps maintain the acidity in the grapes while the clay and pebbly soils allow for a concentration of fruit and savory flavors.
Even with the recent ups and downs of climate change, Ripaccioli emphasized the importance of maintaining freshness in the winery’s Brunellos. “We want to keep the acidity as consistent as possible,” he said. That acidity and freshness make the wines of Canalicchio di Sopra age-worthy and food-friendly. “[You want something that] goes together with the food and you need something to clean your mouth [afterward].”
The Emergence of Single Vineyard Bottlings
Ripaccioli had the idea of single-vineyard bottlings since 2007. In 2015 (which is considered a powerful vintage because of a hot, dry growing season with timely rains), Ripaccioli felt the grapes of the Casaccia vineyard were good enough to be made into a single vineyard wine. The La Casaccia vineyard in the Canalicchio cru has primarily clay soils with the vines planted anywhere between 297-315 meters above sea level1. The resulting wine is full-bodied with silky tannins and highly aromatic with ripe red plums and fresh thyme.
We tasted the 2018 vintage (a cooler year resulting in fresher wines with brighter acidity). The wine had notes of fresh pomegranates and incense; more importantly, it maintained a rich, juicy texture with silky tannins that are very typical of wine from this vineyard. I could drink this after being decanted for about one hour–especially if I drank it with steak and mushrooms. I can’t wait to see how this ages in 10-15 years.
While the 2018 vintage is the third vintage of the La Casaccia single vineyard bottling, it was the first vintage of the Montosoli single vineyard bottling. The Montosoli vineyard benefitted a lot better from the cool weather of 2018 because the vineyard soils have more pebbles and limestone integrated with clay2 (pebbles allow for more water drainage while limestone retains water and enhances acidity).
Wines from this vineyard have more noticeable acidity, savoriness, and elevated tannins; yet everything is balanced with ripe red plums and blackberry flavors. Tasting this wine showed Ripaccioli’s dedication to making wines that are indicative of their place. It needs to chill out in a cellar for at least 10 years. If I wanted to drink it “young”, I’d give it another 3-5 years and pair it with a classic surf and turf.
How to Get More Brunello di Montalcino (and In Turn Canalicchio di Sopra) in Your Life
While Brunello exports to the United States increased by 29% in 20223, the wine world is trying to find ways to get more people excited about wine in general. Additionally, price increases don’t make it easy for wine accessibility. Ripaccioli and I talked about ways to get people to know more about Brunello di Montalcino specifically.
Since terroir seems to be the overarching topic when talking about esteemed places such as Burgundy, France, it should be an overarching topic when talking about Brunello di Montalcino. Terroir is the crux of why Canalicchio di Sopra was founded in 1962; it’s also why newer producers are shifting their focus to making wine more indicative of a sense of place. The more wine professionals talk about terroir in Brunello in the same way they talk about terroir in Burgundy, the more people will be interested in tasting Brunello.
Emphasizing the importance of Rosso di Montalcino is another way Ripaccioli and I talked about to get people to drink more Brunello di Montalcino. A lot of people see Rosso di Montalcino as “Baby Brunello” since the Sangiovese grapes (the same grape variety used for Brunello di Montalcino) for this wine are harvested from younger vines and aged for a shorter amount of time than Brunello (one year compared to years).
The shorter aging period of Rosso di Montalcino results in a wine with a similar flavor profile to Brunello di Montalcino but with a juicier texture and slightly more gentle tannins. Of course, Canalicchio di Sopra sets their Rosso di Montalcino apart by harvesting the grapes from both their Canalicchio and Montosoli crus and having longer skin maceration times; therefore it’s a more “serious” wine on its own.
Having lunch with Ripaccioli taught me more about Canalicchio di Sopra and gave me a deeper appreciation for Brunello di Montalcino DOCG wines in general. Brunello di Montalcino is worth trying and worth the investment. You can get a wine that’s rich, structured, and savory that pairs well with roasted meats or a wine that’s rich but balanced with a refreshing acidity that pairs well with steak, fish, and vegetables. Now go get yourself that bottle of Brunello–better yet a bottle of Canalicchio di Sopra.
To learn more, visit the Canalicchio di Sopra website.
Source: Canalicchio di Sopra
Source: Canalicchio di Sopra
Source: https://news.italianfood.net/2023/03/10/brunello-di-montalcino-pdos-sales-keep-growing/
All MSRP based on wine retail pricing; restaurant pricing may differ