Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino 2016

Caparzo has it all. Ever since the picturesque winery was acquired in 1998 by Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini everything started skyrocketing for the small Tuscan winery. Along with their sibling winery, Altesino (which Angelini purchased a few years later) the wineries consistently light up the scoreboard to the tune of 95 points or higher, with Caparzo achieving this for the third time now in four vintages with their green label bottling of Brunello di Montalcino.

Nearly every vintage the Caparzo drinks better than almost any other Brunello I taste in a line up next to it (and I often taste a dozen or so at a time). The 2016, from an outrageously good vintage is no exception. But the craziest part in this whole thing is the price.

I’d argue the Caparzo outclasses many Brunelli priced twice as high but it’s easily worth the $50 release price tag. But at today’s price of $44/btl down to just $39.60/btl when part of a case, this may be my first Brunello “case buy”. The importer has already warned that there will be no second bite at the apple this year.