This is always an exciting time of year in the wine world as it marks the release of the current vintages of Brunello and Brunello Riserva. The 2004 Riserva are lauded for their exceptional balance and purity of fruit. The vintage exemplifies the marriage between the traditional, reserved style of this fabled wine and the more modern, fruit-driven styles of wine.

The 2005 “normale” are decidedly more delicate due to that vintage’s cooler weather, yet they still display typicity in their perfumed fruit and gripping tannins. Today, we bring you Brunellos from one of the most consistently top performing estates in Toscana, Valdicava, and to make the deal sweeter, we offer a new parcel of Biondi-Santi 2004 Riserva.

Vincenzo Abruzzese has garnered Valdicava a place among the elite producers of Brunello di Montalcino. With just 10 hectares in the coldest part of the Brunello zone, he is probably the most exacting grower in the area. He manages vegetation so that each grape will enjoy the perfect amount of sun and mercilessly expunges tightly packed grapes to avoid rot and diseases. His tireless commitment to producing exceptional wine is evident year after year and his 2005 normale and 2004 Riserva are no exception.

Biondi-Santi is synonymous with Brunello. Ferruccio Biondi-Santi is credited for championing the Sangiovese clone (Sangiovese Grosso) known today as Brunello. Ferruccio’s son, Tancredi, made the wine famous, officially classifying it as Brunello and helping pen the laws that define the Brunello di Montalcino DOC (now DOCG). Less than 700 cases of the Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva are made in choice years, with only a small portion making it to the States. We hope you will enjoy stocking your cellars with these truly virtuous offerings.