Canalicchio di Sopra

Italy
Written by Expert Marketeers
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Canalicchio di Sopra

Montalcino, Toscana, Italy

 
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In 1962, Primo Pacenti founded Azienda Agricola Canalicchio di Sopra, in Toscana's stunning Siena countryside. Situated in the Northeast side of the Montalcino hill, the farm extends for nearly 60 hectares, 20 hectares of which are cultivated with organically farmed vines and 2 hectares with olive groves.
 
From the very beginning, Primo believed in the land, and its suitability for high quality, elegant, and age worthy wines. The first bottle of Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino was produced in 1966, and in 1967, Canalicchio di Sopra was one of the twelve founders of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino.

Today, three generations live and work on the estate, inherently connected to the lands, and united by Primo’s aim: to produce the highest quality Montalcino possible. Primo’s son-in-law, Pier Luigi Ripaccioli, began working alongside his father in 1987, and Primo’s grandchildren, Simonetta, Marco and Francesco, joined the management team in 2001. Each generation has brought fresh, new inspiration to the family, while always respecting the region’s proud history.

AVAILABLE WINES

Featured
Rosso di Montalcino
Rosso di Montalcino
from CA$50.00

Canalicchio di Sopra

Canalicchio di Sopra
Rosso di Montalcino

Produced mostly from their youngest vineyards, this Rosso represents their calling card for Canalicchio di Sopra wines: a young, fruity, and versatile expression of their estate Sangiovese. This comes mainly from vineyards located in the Canalicchio Cru, with ample clay, magnesium, iron and manganese soils. It was macerated and fermented in stainless over three weeks, before resting one year in Slavonian oak barrels (50 hL and 25 hL), and French oak barrels (750L).

Wild cherry, dark raspberry, balsam flood the floral palate, with graphite and gravels rolling underneath. Crunchy acidity stream this along the palate, while tight, finely grippy tannins house this through the herbal finish. Ample Brunello fruit gets declassified into here, making their Rosso a hot ticket.

"The 2024 Rosso di Montalcino marries the vintage's elegance with the pure and complex house style. Crushed black cherries and cedary spices meet lifting nuances of mint and dusty rose as this evolves in the glass. It’s silken and dense, with a wave of ripe red berry fruits and vibrant acidity underscored by crisp minerality. There’s a weight to the 2024 that adds presence, even as it finishes incredibly fresh, with hints of tart raspberry and a saline resonance. This is a baby Brunello by every stretch of the imagination.” Drink 2027-2035." - 93+ points, Eric Guido, Vinous

Read more about Canalicchio di Sopra here.

Vintage: 2024
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $50
Style: Still

Region: Toscana
Appellation: Rosso di Montalcino DOC
Country: Italy

Grape: Sangiovese
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: No
Biodynamic: No
Natural: No
Low Intervention: Yes

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Brunello di Montalcino
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Brunello di Montalcino
from CA$119.00

Canalicchio di Sopra

Canalicchio di Sopra
Brunello di Montalcino

Francesco Ripaccioli is the third generation, along with his brother and sister, taking care of these lands. Francesco took over the winemaking from his father, overseeing the 19 vineyards across 2 cru, including their estate vineyards on the famed Montosoli Hill. This, their flagship Brunello, is equal parts Montosoli (galestro) and Canalicchio (brown clay).

From the stellar 2019 vintage, this Brunello charms with fragrant black cherry and black raspberry, structured with long, fine, firm tannins. This powerful, finessed red is seasoned with darker florals and scrubby herbal balsam, rosemary, and anise. Very elegant and well knit, finishing fresh and saline. Really striking, drinking beautifully now and with ample time in your cellar.

“Dusty violets, lavender and cloves accentuate dried black cherries as the dramatic 2019 Brunello di Montalcino smolders up from the glass. This is impossible to ignore, bursting with energy as depths of ripe red fruits, chalky minerals and exotic spices saturate all they touch, balanced by textures of pure silk. The 2019 finishes with fantastic length and concentration, leaving a staining of tart blackberry and hints of orange that curl the tongue as crunchy tannins tug at the palate. It’s rare to see such a combination of vibrancy and power. Canalicchio di Sopra nailed it in 2019. Wow. Drink 2026-2042.” - 96 points, Eric Guido, Vinous, November 2023.

"With a hint of candied cherry, grenadine or Shirley Temple, the Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Brunello di Montalcino reveals purple blossom, dried flower, cough drop and balsam herb. The wine is very nicely stitched together with integrated oak that comes through in a structural way but not too much on the bouquet. The tannins do feel dry on the mid-palate, but they remain fine and tight. The alcohol is a bit high in this vintage at 15%. Production is 47,321 bottles. Drink 2025 - 2040.” - 94 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate

Read more about Canalicchio di Sopra here.

Vintage: 2019
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $119
Style: Still

Region: Toscana
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Country: Italy

Grape: Sangiovese
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: No
Biodynamic: No
Natural: No
Low Intervention: Yes

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Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia
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Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia
from CA$225.00

Canalicchio di Sopra

Canalicchio di Sopra
Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia

“This is a relatively new addition to the Canalicchio di Sopra portfolio, and even its modern graphic label design represents a break from the rest of the line, which has more nostalgic labels that feature Montalcino's medieval main square. The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Casaccia takes a little longer to open, but it ultimately reveals the elegance and energy that comes with the house style. Wild cherry, ash and balsam herb drive a long, very polished finish. The La Casaccia site is distinguished by mineral-rich clay soils, which give this wine its power and density. Production is limited to 4,133 bottles in this vintage. Drink 2024-2040.” - 96 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, February 17, 2022.

Read more about Canalicchio di Sopra here.

Vintage: 2017
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $225
Style: Still

Region: Toscana
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Country: Italy

Grape: Sangiovese
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: No
Biodynamic: No
Natural: No
Low Intervention: Yes

Read more →
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
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Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
from CA$220.00

Canalicchio di Sopra

Canalicchio di Sopra
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

Produced only for great vintages and in limited quantities from the oldest vineyards on the estate, it represents the flagship of quality on our estate: an expression of the concepts which we hold most dear at Canalicchio di Sopra - Elegance, Terroir, Depth. The grapes come from a single vineyard: Vigna Vecchia Mercatale.

“The Canalicchio di Sopra 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a beauty. It offers a brilliant interpretation of a warm and sunny vintage from cool, mineral-rich soils in an area with steep shifts between day and nighttime temperatures. This is one of those special wines in which the vintage characteristics fit the territory with the precision of a jigsaw puzzle. The bouquet is fluid and complex with tart cherry fruit, cola, licorice, aniseed and blue flower. That aniseed comes around a second time. The arrangement and order of those aromas changes with each successive swirl of the glass. This Riserva is fermented in stainless steel and aged in Slavonian oak casks for 36 months. Bottle production is shy of 7,000.” - 98 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate.

Read more about Canalicchio di Sopra here.

Vintage: 2015
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $220.00
Style: Still

Region: Toscana
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG
Country: Italy

Grape: Sangiovese
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: No
Biodynamic: No
Natural: No
Low Intervention: Yes

Read more →

From our visit in August 2023.

Address:  Loc. Casaccia · 53024 Montalcino, Siena, Italy
Website : https://www.canalicchiodisopra.com/en/home/home

 

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