Canalicchio di Sopra is an organic estate winery situated in località Casaccia in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy. It produces Rosso di Montalcino DOC and Brunello di Montalcino DOCG red wines and was founded in 1962 by Primo Pacenti. From 1987 Pier Luigi Ripaccioli, Primo’s son-in-law, took the helm. 

Owner: Ripaccioli family. Simonetta Ripaccioli and her brothers Marco Ripaccioli (vineyards) and Francesco Ripaccioli (winemaking. In the 1990s their father and grandfather wanted to focus on this area of Montalcino, to maintain a clear identity.

Staff: 2020 Maurizio Castelli was consulting.

Terroir: 270–325 masl. Mainly north-eastern but also south-eastern exposures. Soil rich in calcareous clay (with less loam and sand) and minerals.

Organic Certification: Yes.

Vineyards: 14 hectares in total, just north of the town in prime sites. Altitude from 270–325 masl. Vineyards in Canalicchio and Montosoli.

–Montosoli: On Montosoli (Le Gode di Montosoli) with good drainage. Deep roots. Soil is galestro. In 2008 one part was replanted, another in 1999 and another in 2009.

–Vigna Cantina: Faces east-south-east.

–Vigna Cerrino: Faces east-northeast. Vigna Cerrino produces fresher, more balsmic wines compared to Vigna Cantina.

–Vigna Vecchia: From Vina Vecchia (2009 was replanted). There is 1 hectare on Montosoli The owners have made four divisions, each getting bespoke management.

–Località Casaccia: 13 hectares in the Località Casaccia in Canalicchio (6 vineyards here). Planted 1990. Clay with calcium carbonate. Silky, opulent, well structured wines with plenty of fruit. Francesco says the wines peak at around 10 years. Ian D’Agata describes Casaccia as removed, meaning lower down from from Canalicchio, but notes Francesco considers Casaccia as part of the Canalicchio cru (D’Agata: 2019, p.294).

Winery: Partly underground. Oak ovals. Each plot of vines has a bespoke vat.

Winemaking: Francesco Ripaccioli told me he likes reduction in ageing as this area gives wines with fragile aromas (visit 11 Oct 2021 with Einar Fjoran).

Red wines

Rosso di Montalcino DOC: The grandfather said the grapes must come solely from the Vigna Cantina. 2011 At the consorzio with Ian d’Agata Tuesday 28th May 2013: Medium crimson core. Limpid rim. Open knit nose, plenty on the mid-palate, satisfying. | 2012 35,000 bottles. Very nice fruit, elegant, crisp middle, red up style, balanced, clear and clean (Anteprima 2014). | 2013 35,000 bottles. 10 months in Botti (French) both large and small. Bright primary floral nose (Anteprima 2015). | 2014 Lovely fruit, simple and fluid, strawberry red with Susan Hulme MW at Osticcio in Montalcino mid-afternoon 19th February 2016. | 2015 Plenty of extract and flavour. | 2018 40,800 bottles. 14.5%. Cooler and wetter than 2017. Needed a good selection. Bit like 2013: floral, aromatic. 40,000 bottles. 10 months in both botti grandi and smaller oak. Quite tannic but with plenty of fruit too. With new wood 50% new and 50% steel to even out. |  2019 Like 2010 or 2016. Will be reductive. 45,000 bottles. High yiedd and good quality. Selection. Very juicy, plenty of fruit, moreish, clear, silky with tannin beneath. | 2019 14.5%.alc. 45,000 bottles. ‘The 2019 vintage was like 2010 or 2016. Will be reductive. High yield and good quality. Selection needed. Vibrant, crunchy,’ Francesco Ripaccioli told me (Visit 2020). ‘Fruit driven. High yield and high quality. 10% from Montosoli to give vibrancy to the bigness of the rest of the fruit. 12m in oak. Was primary initially but after bottle age it grew more complex. 47,000 bottled, a record. ‘The 2019 Rosso is more like a Brunello e.g 2015 meaning lots of extract and flavour said Francesco Ripaccioli (Visit 11 Oct 2021). | 2020 Rosso di Montalcino: From Botte. 14.5%. Lovely smooth and with texture. Has a good core of fruit with ‘bevibilita’.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG: 2000 Neutral nose, clear old style, crisp and evolved, decent weight but perhaps the tannins are a little dry (Anteprima 2005). | 2007, 36 months in cask. | 2009 25,000 bottles. Very ripe, intense and fresh for the vintage, a very good traditional style (Anteprima 2014). | 2009 14.5%. Nice bright nose with ripe red fruit, warmth rather than exoticism, integrated wood and presence. Classic style with plenty to get to grips with now but will age at the Consorzio Tues 27th May 2014 with Ian d’Agata and others. | 2010 40,000 bottles. Lovely fruit and weight (Anteprima 2015). | 2011 Hard. Sudden drop in acidity pre-harvest in late August (Visit 11 Oct 2021). | 2012 Dried sweet fruit, structured, old viney (Anteprima 2017). | 2013 From roughly 40% Canalicchio and 60% from Montosoli, the latter adding extra depth. 14.5%alc. A very accomplished Brunello with a rich vein of fruit gliding above the tannins (tasted 2022). | 2014 Very nice fruit expression, with wildness and focus, precise internal shape and plenty of fruit texture and with integrated tannins with the potential to develop further (Anteprima 2019). | 2015 50° Vendemmia (50th harvest). 37,520 bottles. | 2016 14.5%. From Montosoli and Canalicchio. Very juicy, plenty of fruit, moreish, clear, silky with tannin beneath (Visit 2020). | 2017 ‘Like 2012. Hot, dry year. Diff internally, lightly dusty tannins. Slow veraison. Late Aug rain and in September. 20 days pre picking with high day–night tempertauture changes, more than in 2016. Hot vintage. Hot summer, beau Sept’ ((Visit 11 Oct 2021)). | 2019 Opulent. | 2020 Very floral. Finesse, purity (Visit 11 Oct 2021).

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG La Casaccia: On clay, calcium carbonate. The wines peak after around a decade (Visit 2021). | 2015 3,610 bottles. | 2016 14.5%. Silky and opulent. Well structured, plenty of fruit (Visit 11 Oct 2021). |  2017 Dark fruit on nose. Wonderful texture and juiciness (Visit 11 Oct 2021). 2018 Casaccia: Wet August. From 15 Sept had a run of clear weather, so got more depth and the acidity held. 2018 gave fresh, cool and transparent wines, cool, long. Lovely tang to the fruit, clear and moreish (visit 10 Nov 2021 with Einar).

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva: 2001 Bottled. | 2006 40 months in cask. | 2013 65% Montosoli. Cold, bit wet. Get more acid. 3 years in oak. 3,300 bottles. Very sapid, lovely youthful fruit, light to mid weight of fruit, tannins below, really clear but still v young. Beautiful fruit (Visit 2020). | 2015 15.3% Hot season. From Vina Vecchia (1988). 3 years in oak. Huge fruit and structure, still youthful. Glycerol richness (Visit 2020). Juicy and tangy, very youthful (Visit 11 Oct 2021). | 2016 4,000 bottles. Mainly from older vines in Vigna Vecchia Mercatale in Canalicchio and Filari Lunghi on Montosoli. Juicy, rich and textured. Mouthwatering (Visit 11 Oct 2021).

2018 Montosoli: Wild aromas, floral, in mouth saline. Cooler year (visit 10 Nov 2021 with Einar).

Contact

Canalicchio di Sopra

Loc. Casaccia, 73

53024 Montalcino (SI), Italy

Tel+39 0577.848316 | Website: www.canalicchiodisopra.com

Bibliography

Ian D’Agata, Italy’sNative Wine Grapes, University os California Press, p.294-5

Visit late 2020 with Einar Fjoran. Visit 11 Oct 2021 with Einar Fjoran. Visit 10 Nov 2021 with Einar Fjoran. Visit with Emma Jones 10 Aug 2022.

Sales: www.vinexus.co.uk