Vigna d'Alceo 2008 75cl

The 2008 d’Alceo is a huge, inward, brooding wine. Plums, black cherries, camphor, incense and smoke emerge over time, but only with great reluctance. The 2008 is going to require considerable patience, but it is shaping up to be an absolute jewel. The d’Alceo is a wine of notable depth and purity, but it is very closed down at the moment. Dark red fruit, flowers, mint, spices, tar, cassis, graphite and camphor linger on the huge, structured finish. This is a towering effort from the Di Napoli family. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033. Rampolla is one of the most fascinating wineries in Tuscany, and Italy, for that matter. The relentless pursuit of excellence is evident in these spectacular wines. The 2008s capture Rampolla in a transitional phase that marks the move to cement and amphora, which was completed by 2009. As for the wines, they are spectacular. In 2010, Rampolla introduced a new wine, a 100% Sangiovese fermented and aged in amphora, with no additional SO2, that I was not able to taste for this article. Simply put, these are reference point wines from Luca and Maurizia Di Napoli.

Very pure, sporting cherry, currant and blueberry fruit, showing a tinge of vanilla from the new oak. This is tightly wound and fresh, athletic even, with a long, linear finish. This should reward keeping for a few years. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2015 through 2027. 100 cases imported. –BS