Castiglion del Bosco - Brunello di Montalcino DOCG - Cru Campo del Drago - 2020

Beautiful 97/100 points Cru Brunello di Montalcino DOCG from the five star vintage 2019

Ruby red wine with lively sparkles. In the nose intense aromas of Mediterranean herbs, juniper, flowers, black pepper, mint, berries, and cherries. In the mouth the wine is full, powerful, complex, with a very long lasting aftertaste with velvety tannins.

The grapes of this Cru Brunello come from the highest and rocky part of the Capanna vineyard, located northwest of Montalcino. The name "Campo del Drago" comes from the shape of the ditch that borders its perimeter, whose shape, through the eyes of the farmers, resembles that of a dragon's tail. The first harvest marketed as Cru was 1999. The vineyard is located at an altitude of between 430 meters. The vineyard was planted in 1988 with 5,600 vines per hectare. The exposure is east. The vineyard has a total area of ​​1.5 hectares.

The grapes are harvested by hand in September after careful selection. Fermentation takes place with natural yeasts in large steel vats for a period of 15 to 20 days. The wine is matured for a period of 24 months in large French oak barrels of 30 and 50 HL. The wine then matures for another 12 months in unglazed concrete vats. The wine is then bottled and refined in the bottle for another 8 to 12 months in the cellars of the estate.

About Castiglione del Bosco:
The history of Castiglion del Bosco dates back to 1100 AD, amidst armed struggles of great Sienese families, who settled here. Agriculture has always been a mainstay, as evidenced by the stables, olive groves, farmland and vineyards. In more recent history, Castiglion del Bosco became a founding member of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium in 1967. Castiglion del Bosco began a new chapter in 2003, when it was transformed by Massimo and Chiara Ferragamo to its current glory. Castiglion del Bosco has gained worldwide recognition for its excellent wines. In 2022, Castiglion del Bosco will begin a new chapter in its history with the transfer to an international family office, which will ensure continuity and the development of the entire estate.

96/100 points James Suckling

A juicy red with plums and cherries, as well as flowers and bark. It's medium-bodied with creamy-textured tannins and an attractive, balanced finish. Nicely done. Very drinkable now, but will improve with age.

94+/100 points Parker

The Castiglion del Bosco 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago (with 10,000 bottles made) comes from a panoramic plateau of vineyards. The rich bouquet is shaped by dark fruit, tobacco, sauna cedar and campfire ember. The oak imparts spice, but it also lends a soft and fleshy quality to the wine. Despite the aromatic intensity on hand, the wine is leaner than expected in terms of mouthfeel. This is a trait I find across many of these new releases from 2020, although I expect we can count on these wines to put on more volume with bottle age.