This bottle marks the special 50th anniversary of this wine. A little red sticker on the front label commemorates the five decades that have passed since grandfather Primo Pacenti did his first harvest.

A NEW STAR OF BRUNELLO HAS RISEN: CANALICCHIO DI SOPRA

 I would normally just drop an "If you don't know now you know" here, but as this is the first time we have introduced these wines at Art of Cellaring, they deserve an introduction. Francesco Ripaccioli is making some of the greatest wines in Montalcino at the Canalicchio di Sopra estate. At 34 years of age, he is into nearly his fifteenth vintage. In 2007 when his grandfather became disabled, he quit business school and returned to the estate. He has since added innovation and rigour to the vineyards and winemaking, while keeping the winery squarely in a traditional mold. The older vintages on offer here reflect an opportunity to try the wines of Francesco's grandfather, from the iconic and powerful 2006 vintage and the excellent and mature 1995 vintage. These should serve as excellent counterpoints to the freshness, refinement, and complexity of Francesco's style in the 2015 bottling. Canalicchio di Sopra is a key member of the new wave of young blood that has been injected into Montalcino. In the future, we expect their single vineyard bottlings to be highly sought after, and we highly encourage you to use this vertical pack to explore the winery's style and history.