2018 Castello dei Rampolla Toscana d'Alceo IGT

The 2018 D'Alceo is a wild, exotic wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot come together in a wine that is sumptuous, layered and exceptionally beautiful. Inky blue/purplish fruit, sage, mint, lavender and chocolate are some of the many notes that take shape. The 2018 was fermented in cement then aged 12 months in a combination of 500L tonneaux and barriques. This really blooms with time. Castello dei Rampolla's Sammarco and D'Alceo have been benchmarks for several decades. Both 2018s will take their place among the best wines ever made here. Maurizia di Napoli and her brother, Luca, craft wines of notable intensity and pedigree. Biodynamic farming and low intervention winemaking are the rule. Of the two flagship wines, D'Alceo is a bit more opulent, likely because the terraced vineyards are south and south-east facing, while Sammarco has a bit more tannic backbone and energy. Both are off the charts great.

The Castello dei Rampolla 2018 d'Alceo (85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot) is elegant and generous, perhaps showing a little more ripeness and fullness overall. The 2018 vintage continues to show black and purple primary fruit; however, it's leaning into the next chapter of its life. This vintage is quite rich and succulent, qualities that are underlined by velvety tannins and baked plum. It's drinking very nicely at the moment, although you could wait longer if desired. There is a fil rouge (common thread) that connects all of these vintages. D'Alceo always shows a profound sense of deflation and etched sharpness.