2012 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano

Community Tasting Note

sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

96 Points

Monday, July 10, 2023 - First of 2, one from auction, the other Costco, both about a year and a half ago, both about $135. On the initial nose and palate, gobs of unmitigated oak, which gave way after about an hour and a half to the tannins and acidity playing bumper cars, then finally calming down after about 2.5, with red and black cherries, black currants, cassis, black plums, rose petals, dark florals, truffles, earthy herbaility, vanilla, dark chocolate, espresso—this is Italy, after all—smokiness, tobacco, earthy herbality, balsamic and tar. Deep magenta, full bodied, thick legs. Medium+ tannins and acidity, at first subdued by the oak, then prominent, then integrating well, no heat. Great complexity, VG++ persistence, VG intensity. For those not in the know about the ridiculously complex designation system of Italian wines who may actually be interested, and haven’t moved on to the next TN, “Riserva” actually has a meaning, which is that the wine spends more time on the barriques than the corresponding normale (word to the wise: when rubbing shoulders with Italian producers, don’t use this term, as they will tell you that their wines, like everything in the Land of the Boot, is not normale!). The amount of additional time may vary by varietal, the grapes may be better quality (which, to the extent the term “Reserve” has any meaning in the US, this is likely to be it), and it may or may not be a SVD, but the additional time is sacrosanct. With BdMs in particular, and very much so with this cuvee, that imparts the profound initial oakiness, and ultimately and more flatteringly, richness, creaminess and power often not found in the base bottlings. On the other hand, again, like many things Italian, it often takes a good bit more time to work itself out, and even when it does so, in my experience, it loses some of the tautness and litheness of the base bottlings, so some people whom I respect actually prefer the non-riservas, even without taking price into consideration. Anyway, back to the quaff at hand. The combination of the Riserva qualities, along with the fact that I find this producer to be one of the more modern in Montalcino (not an insult in my book, and still not quite Kirk Venge) makes this, like my favorite BdM bottling, the CdN Tenuta Nuova, an unusually good sipping wine, while still having the chops to hang, in this instance, with a spicy chicken basil orzo, although if someone in driving distance has a really good bisteca fiorentina, I do have another bottle left, and I don’t think that pairing would disappoint. This balled back up on night 2 and took another hour to unwind, but if you have the time, I think that this drinks fine now, although a few more years of gathering dust in the cool shade, far from your hot water heater, is far more likely to help than hurt. Since I’m unlikely to be drinking any Soldera anytime soon—unless my CT pals’ pals are pouring, and I was in a room with an open one at a VV party last October without knowing it—this is likely to be pretty close to the high water mark of what I’m paying for sangios, and in fact, prices seem to have jumped pretty considerably since my buys. With a crooked number in front, at least at this point, with the thought that most of our wine spends aren’t infinite, I’d be more likely to go with a CdN TN, or perhaps even better, a Flac or 2, and spend the overage on some fresh pasta, summer tomatoes and a heap of porcinis, but I sure liked this and look forward to that next bottle in a couple-few years. 95-96++

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9 comments have been posted

Comment posted by americanstorm:

8/6/2023 7:35:00 AM - What a note!!!
Comment posted by sfwinelover1:

8/6/2023 9:18:00 AM - Hi AS: Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova. Thanks for the kind words, and meant to leave you a comment that I appreciated your TN (that’s tasting note, not Tenuta Nuova) on the Sandrone. I’m lucky to have a couple of those, as well as a ‘13, and since I have the 2, may do something more impulsive than usual and pop one sooner than later (as I did with the Valdicava). Cheers to you, my Italian wine enjoying friend!
Comment posted by americanstorm:

8/6/2023 11:17:00 AM - Thanks sf, I had figured out the nomenclature after I looked at a few other notes. Love reading you eloquent descriptions and yes, i do love the nebbiolo grape! I appreciate different wines, and lord knows I have spent a fair amount of money on them, but I haven't found anything to dislodge a great barolo, although I have come close, and depending on how much wine was consumed, I'm sure that I have announced to my drunken friends that some bottle of cab, Shiraz, amarone, ect ect that we just consumed was the finest wine I have ever had!! As we all should know, the moment often is the determining factor in our view of a particular wine. Cheers!
Comment posted by sfwinelover1:

8/6/2023 11:27:00 AM - Btw, thinking of you when I picked up a couple of ‘16 Scavino Bric del Fiascs recently. Since I see you have 3 and are sometimes an earlier drinker of these bottlings than I, perhaps I’ll see a note from you there soon, too?
Comment posted by americanstorm:

8/6/2023 1:42:00 PM - Perhaps, but I'm making an effort to hold the 16's, at least for a little while. Unfortunately (or fortunately) at my age I can't hold off too long or someone may have to tell me what I'm drinking and if i like it! I wasn't going to buy any 2019s because I'm not sure I'll ever see them at their peak but I relented and ordered a few. Hope springs eternal!
Comment posted by americanstorm:

8/6/2023 9:11:00 PM - Sf, from your cellar it is obvious that you are a huge cab guy. While I have nowhere near the experience in high end cabs that you do I found it interesting that you didn't have even one bottle of mayacamas, a cab that I have found to be outstanding with some age. Not in your wheelhouse or just no opportunity yet?
Comment posted by sfwinelover1:

8/7/2023 1:18:00 PM - AS: I haven’t had enough Mayacamas, either the chard or CS, to have an opinion that’s worth much, but I have the sense that 1) they’re a consistent, high quality producer, and 2) they may be more on the traditional end of the Napa spectrum than I am (for a relatively (!) short view of my taxonomy of Napa cabs, you can check out my note from last October on the ‘06 Abrue Madrona). I tend to like Cabs that are in what I perceive of the middle of Napa style, within that group, those on the more traditional end, Spottswoode and the Andy Smith/Dan Petroski Larkmead, on the bolder end, wines like Abreu, Colgin [not that I can afford to drink them often!] and Ovid. It is a wine I do see and consider, for its back vintages—same age and also health issues you mentioned re the ‘16 Scavino for me, so recent ones, considering the style, not the best match—and the chard in particular is well-priced considering its reviews (I’m somewhat more of a whites person than you, I think). Your reco will further pique my interest; thanks.
Comment posted by americanstorm:

8/7/2023 2:47:00 PM - Thanks for the info. I don't remember the 05 mayacamas but I do remember both myself and a half dozen of my knowledgeable friends were blown away by the 07 I opened last year. One other thing I'll throw out on a different subject. Paolo Scavino is one of my favorite barolo estates (having been able to visit a few years back may have contributed to my opinion) . I consider their bric del fiasc a favorite but while at the winery I purchased a bottle of their 2010 Rocche dell'Annunziata reserva. I still have that bottle but I popped the cork on one I bought locally for what I considered a good price and it was outstanding. My local sorce got a few more in and while not cheap at 150, that is the lowest price In the country. If your interested contact the red wagon in Rochester Hills mi. It is a great bottle and it is just hitting its prime!
Comment posted by sfwinelover1:

8/7/2023 4:42:00 PM - I like Scavino a lot, and as you may recall, I picked up a ‘12 Bric at the estate (which I recall liking more there than when I popped it a few months ago), and we determined our visits were within a week of each other in May ‘16 (to add to the excitement, my wife and I tasted alongside a couple from the Detroit area, which I briefly wondered if it were you and your wife, before we determined that wasn’t the case). From that vintage, I remember liking the Roche just a bit over the Bric, but it was close. Pretty much any Barolo or BdM from ‘10 is great if it’s from any decent estate and worth buying at a reasonable price, as that Roche was. I think we also agreed that our other mid-priced favorites were Vajra, particularly the Bricco, and Sandrone, Le Vigne and Aleste pretty equally. I’ve had a chance to have Mascarellos, Giacosas, Voerzios and Conternos at tastings but haven’t owned any, other than one fairly inexpensive Conterno. I like Barolos a lot, but your love of them, and likely knowledge, too, surpasses mine, with my preferences probably being IGTs, BdMs, AdVs then Barolos in that order.