2022 OFFER EXCLUSIVE TO CORNEY & BARROW IN THE UK, HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE
RIDOLFI
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2022 OFFER
INTRODUCTION There is nothing more exciting for us than introducing a new estate, particularly if it is one that traces its history back to 1290. By “new” I mean re-born, re-focused. I deal with the detail of this later in “Background to the estate”.
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Brunello di Montalcino has always been a region we have kept close tabs on. In Ridolfi what we feel we have found is a very specific, quality minded estate with finesse at the heart of what they do. The number of wines is logical, each having its place. The property’s trajectory is upwards, and at some pace. The birth of this relationship, however, is a little different from previous discoveries. First, we were approached by Arber Shabani (Sales Manager) for possible representation in Hong Kong where we are very proud to represent both Soldera and Il Marroneto. Thibaut Mathieu our French Italophile MD in Asia kindly set up a call and tasting with Arber at the estate. Before we knew it we were having a Zoom tasting together; Arber in Montalcino, the Hong Kong team at their office and me in London - all very “Covid” friendly. Following this successful tasting Thibaut and I discussed and re-tasted the wines and then a chink in the armour of Covid restrictions appeared and before I knew it I was on my way to Italy.
It was a two-part journey to, arguably, the two most beautiful wine regions anywhere in the world. Having spent a couple of nights in Piedmont I travelled the five or six hours south to Montalcino. The estate itself, right next to Siro Pacenti, is on the northeast side of the Montalcino hill, 300m above sea level. Medium texture soils rich in clay and marine fossils. I always feel that Montalcino is as much about light as anything, a different dimension of terroir but an important one. I was delighted to be shown around by Gianni Maccari, the winemaker and his son Filippo. Especially kind as this was just at the start of their harvest. You get the best sense though when things are in action. Tasting from botti in the barrel cellar (where 4 different coopers are used), was a superb experience…I just hope I can bring you some of the excitement I felt that day. We simply couldn’t let it be just Thibaut and the Asia team entrusted to represent and showcase the wines from this great estate. The UK too is our brief!
WILL HARGROVE Head of Fine Wine
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANT SINCE 1780
“I am a strong believer and lover of the wines of Montalcino. I’ve watched the region ebb and flow over the past fifteen years. At times, I shook my head in disappointment; and at others, I’ve stared deeply into a glass of wine in amazement. In some vintages, I’ve bought deeply; and others I’ve almost entirely skipped. All of that said, I’ve never seen this region as alive as it is today, fueled by a younger generation and the open-mindedness of an older generation which is slowly turning over responsibilities to them. Dare I say, a modernday renaissance? What’s more, there is still remarkable value to be found in Brunello; and with a vintage like 2016 in front of us, consumers are in for a real treat.” ERIC GUIDO, VINOUS
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RIDOLFI
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2022 OFFER
To find out more about Corney & Barrow visit www.corneyandbarrow.com
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANT SINCE 1780
BACKGROUND TO THE ESTATE The estate’s history traces back to 1290. Three Ridolfi families stem from an ancient Tuscan lineage. One of these – the Ridolfi of Borgo – originated the Sienese branch called “dalla Contrada”. That is the Ridolfi family that gives their name and crest to this estate. The estate was bought in 2011 by Giuseppe Valter Peretti, owner of the Rocchetto estate in Larciano in Chianti, about twenty kilometres south of Pistoia. 2014 Gianni Maccari joined as winemaker after a long time (14yrs) working at the esteemed Poggio di Sotto. He is now joined by his son Filippo who has just finished his winemaking and vineyard studies. 2021 this estate was named by the Gambero Rosso as one of Italy’s “up and coming estates”.
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RIDOLFI
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To Order LONDON
020 7265 2430 EDINBURGH
01875 321 921 EMAIL
sales@corneyandbarrow.com PLEASE NOTE These wines are released en primeur. Delivery dates to be confirmed. All prices are quoted in bond UK.
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2022 OFFER
To find out more about Corney & Barrow visit www.corneyandbarrow.com
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANT SINCE 1780
THE VINEYARD The Estate is situated in the locality of “Mercatali”, which during the 5th and 6th centuries marked the hub of a large annual market. In fact, a three-floor section made of stone that dates back to that era is still preserved in one of the farmhouses. It rises on the slope of a hill in the very heart of Tuscany, 300 metres above sea level near the famous “Brunello Road”. The estate comprises 30 hectares of land, 11.4 of which dedicated to Brunello vines, 6.5 hectares to Chianti Colli Senesi and 1 hectare to Rosso di Montalcino, plus 700 olive trees of the Correggiolo variety. All the Ridolfi vineyards are on the North-East slope of the Montalcino hill. Medium texture soils rich in clay, marine fossils and, in the highest part, Alberese (weathered sandstone). The clones used are mainly suited for long ageing. Vines that are more than 15 years of age are trained with the spurred cordon system using the two-bud pruning with four spurs technique. Vines planted after 2013 are trained using the simple Guyot technique. The bunches are thinned three times throughout the season: during the setting phase, the véraison phase and towards the end of the ripening. Full organic certification is well underway.
CELLAR In 2014 the Ridolfi wine cellar was completely renovated and extended, while respecting the original configuration of the village of Mercatale. All the grapes are picked by hand and selected firstly in the vineyard and then in the cellar on a roller table after being destemmed. The berries are not pressed but fermented whole in controlled temperature stainless steel tanks that never exceed 27°C. Only native yeasts are used. The high quality of the grapes allows a very long maceration period: at least 60 days. The aim is to gently extract the colour and polyphenols, using only pumping over and delestage operations (around four times for each tank, spread out over 24 hours). Malolactic fermentation is carried out in steel tanks. Each wine is raised a little differently in terms of timings, so I have put the differences against each wine in the tasting notes.
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RIDOLFI
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2022 OFFER
WHEN AND HOW TO DRINK THE WINES OF RIDOLFI Personally, I feel the biggest missed opportunity occurs when people assume these are bold, rich wines that “have” to be aged for extended time. Brunello especially when aged in botti rather than barriques gives wines that are gorgeous at almost any stage of their evolution. Tasting from botti convinces me of that. They will age exceptionally well but to not drink these wines in youth, as well as with age, is an error. The Rosso offers a real chance to get a feel for the estate but should certainly not be viewed as “Junior”.
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Whether to decant or not is often a personal choice. There is, until the wines are at least decade old, no practical (sediment) reason to decant. I would serve from the bottle but pour early and enjoy the wine developing in the glass. As I always find myself saying it is better to start with the wine a shade cool, 13-14 degrees. In terms of glassware, I would say that a relatively rounded bowl works best, but both Bordeaux and Burgundy shape are suitable, slight personal preference for the latter.
Tasting Guide Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have also introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection. For the benefit of simplicity, wines are scored out of 20. We will often use a range of scores (e.g. 16.5 to 17) to indicate the potential to achieve a higher mark. When a ‘+’ is shown it adds further to that potential. Wines from lesser vintages will, inevitably, show a lower overall score. Wines are judged, in a very broad sense, against their peers. Why? Well, you cannot easily compare a Ford with an Aston Martin, other than they are both cars and have wheels. It is not that different with wine. A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes and, as always, speak to our sales team.
To find out more about Corney & Barrow visit www.corneyandbarrow.com
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANT SINCE 1780
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RIDOLFI
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2022 OFFER
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THE VINTAGES IN THIS OFFER
First things first, it’s a rather glorious trio.
2019 The Brunello Consorzio has already rated this vintage as five stars. In terms of the climatic conditions, 2019 was not exactly consistent: heavy rain in the spring ended up being a blessing during a near heat wave in June. July was also hot but was followed by some, much needed, rain in August that rejuvenated the vines. Post the August rain temperatures remained warm and dry, with a big difference between day and night. These conditions carried on during the harvest.
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANT SINCE 1780
Northeast from Montalcino
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2016
2015
2016 started with a high level of rain in January and February, this bolstered water reserves. March was cooler than average. Budbreak started mid-March. April was cool but also dry. The end of April into May was rainy, more than average then June continued to be wet. Luckily, temperatures were cooler than usual, which slowed the growth of the vines. This, along with breeze, kept potential rot at bay. These, not obviously ideal conditions, were the key to balancing the warm and dry summer months that followed. 2016 had very even temperatures (warm but never overly hot) and no dramatic swings, other than the strong, healthy, shifts between day and night. This saw healthy maturation of fruit. Late summer and early autumn continued with moderate temperatures and dry conditions. There was a large rainstorm in mid-September. Fortunately, this did not pose too big a problem as producers in warmer sub regions could pick just before these rains, others could wait for calm to return.
“It’s a vintage of power and purity, the result of a long growing season with no extreme events.” Eric Guido, Vinous You can understand this when you look at the key elements. It was warmer than 2014 (not tricky) and with much less rain (also not difficult). The water reserves were topped up during the winter. The water table helped the vines through the dry, warm and sunny summer. Crucially this was balanced by cool night temperatures and just the right amount of rain when needed. It was then dry and relatively cool leading up to harvest. A healthy and ripe crop resulted.
RIDOLFI
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2022 OFFER
THE WINES ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2019 int-Émilion Grand Cru
“For us this is a very important wine, because it represents the calling card for Brunello; so, after eight months of medium-sized oak, we choose the best barrel, the one that proves to be the readiest”. Gianni Maccari
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I just wish the production here was so much bigger. The grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks with about 50 days of maceration. The ageing is 12 months in large Slavonian oak barrels with a capacity of 25-35 hl, and then at least 4 months of bottle ageing. Translucent, almost raspberry red in colour to the core. The fruit jumps out of the glass, redcurrant and other fresh red fruits with a few dried herbs. Lovely even texture with good livening acidity. A nice feel of spice on the middle of the palate. Refined and fresh. Good length, long but also delicate. 14%
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA “MERCATALE” 2015 Fermented and macerated for 60 days in stainless steel tanks at a temperature of 26 degrees. The ageing is 55 months in large Slavonian oak barrels and then at least 12 months of bottle ageing. Very pale, tawny more than anything. A resinous intensity strikes me and belies the pale, elegant colour. A real sweetness to the nose, a lift then a slight tang of mint and some herbs. “Refined pungency” my notes read. More weight comes through on the palate, succulent. There’s a real intense red fruit and freshness to the palate. Good acidity, “good to go” from now. 14% Corney & Barrow Score 18+ Recommended drinking from 2022 - 2029 £395/Case of 6 Bottles, in bond UK
Corney & Barrow Score 17+ Recommended drinking from 2022 - 2026+ £125/Case of 6 Bottles, in bond UK £555/case of 1 double magnum, in bond UK
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2016 Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux
Fermented and macerated for 60 days in stainless steel tanks at a temperature of 26 degrees. The ageing is 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels and then at least 12 months of bottle ageing. Clear translucent colour again with red and tawny. Wonderful lifted, almost airy nose. Some red fruit, some more degraded fruits. Notes of warm soil and Christmas spices. Very complex. Lovely texture, a good bit of grip (by stealth). Some tar and warmer fruits with a certain sweetness. Properness to the structure, good acidity and a very complete long finish. Splendid. 14% Corney & Barrow Score 18 Recommended drinking from 2023 - 2030+ £225/Case of 6 Bottles, in bond UK
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO “DONNA REBECCA” 2016 The best selection of grapes which are picked, fermented and aged separately. Winemaking Vinification Intégrale process with full berries placed in specific small barrels expressly made by Tonnellerie Baron. Fermented and macerated for 90 days at a controlled temperature of 26 degrees. Daily bâtonnage through barrel rotation. 30 months in barriques and 18 months in bottle. A different “beast” in a way. A fair bit more colour as expected, still translucent and bright. Warm herbs and spices, full mulled fruits but not lacking precision. This is a winter wine for when its horrid outdoors, it’s a wallowing wine. Iodine, menthol and almost a kick of quinine. The tannins are rounder and fuller. A wine for the hedonist. Sweet attack allied to good acidity and a “gourmand” finish. 15% Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 18 Recommended drinking from 2022 - 2028 £475/Case of 6 Bottles, in bond UK
To find out more about Corney & Barrow visit www.corneyandbarrow.com
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANT SINCE 1780
“Rosso di Montalcino sometimes gets over looked in the rush to focus solely on Brunello. That’s a shame, as the best Rossos offer pedigreed expressions of Sangiovese from this magical hillside town and its surrounding vineyards” ANTONIO GALLONI, VINOUS
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2022 OFFER
To find out more about Corney & Barrow visit www.corneyandbarrow.com
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANT SINCE 1780
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