When Silvio Nardi purchased the Casale del Bosco estate in 1950, Montalcino was a little, rural village, the powerful Consorzio del Vino Brunello wasn’t yet an idea, and Nardi was the first "foreigner" to invest in Montalcino (he was from Umbria). Today, Montalcino is a renowned wine community with many international investors, and the 36 vineyard plots of Tenute Silvio Nardi extend east and west of the town on three separate estates. Since 1990, Silvio Nardi’s youngest daughter, Emilia Nardi, has focused on vineyard development and produced wines of depth that are profound expressions of the land they come from.
Silvio Nardi's youngest daughter, Emilia Nardi, has focused on vineyard development and produced wines of depth that are profound expressions of the land they come from.
Silvio Nardi’s father, Francesco Nardi, was a pioneer in the manufacture of agricultural tools in Umbria. In 1950 Silvio Nardi purchased the Casale del Bosco estate in Montalcino, Tuscany, and in 1958 produced his first bottles of Brunello di Montalcino. The family's deep ties to agriculture and the optimistic atmosphere of Montalcino in the late postwar years focused Nardi’s determination to produce a natural product of tradition and excellence. In 1962, he purchased the esteemed Manachiara estate, and in 1972, the Castello di Bibbiano estate.
In 1966, Brunello di Montalcino was among the first eight Italian wine producing zones to be designated a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC). In 1967, Nardi was among the first members of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello, a voluntary association of producers who were determined to sustain and improve the quality of the wines of their zone as they gained prestige. In 1980, Brunello di Montalcino became the first Italian wine to receive Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status. The producers' awareness of the importance of astute viticultural practices and improved fermentation and maturation techniques led to a revolution in the 80s, with the development of more sophisticated viticultural and winemaking concepts. Brunello began to express its full potential.
Silvio Nardi focused on his vineyards, taking advantage of wine growing and winemaking technology and pursuing his belief in the importance of specific terroir. The result was that in the 1980s, Casale del Bosco and its Brunello were among Montalcino's best. A new generation’s leadership began in 1991 when Silvio’s daughter Emilia Nardi took over winery management and spearhead new projects of clonal research and phenological ripeness. Like her father, Emilia is focused on highlighting terroir in the wines. The exceptional 1995 vintage was the introduction for Manachiara, a "cru" created from a specially-vinified selection of the finest grapes from the single vineyard of that name.
Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.
Quite intense ruby red color with garnet highlights. Intense and complex aromas at the nose, rich in ripe fruits, spices and toasted notes. Smooth and bodied at the palate, with great persistence, elegant and wide concentration. Tannins are dense and velvety.
Reviews:
Blackberry, black-truffle and black-cherry aromas follow through to a medium body with juicy fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Polished, pretty tannins here. Nicely crafted. Drink after 2026.
-James Suckling 94 Points
In the bottle with the burgundy-colored label, the Tenute Silvio Nardi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is a layered and generous wine with black fruit, cherry, spice and a hint of Provençal mixed herbs on black olive. There are further hints of underbrush, crushed slate, petrichor from schistic soils, and toasted almond that adds some sweetness from French oak. The tannins are velvety and soft, but this wine is regularly balanced throughout. It's well made in an ample production of 150,000 bottles.
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 94 Points
A spicy version, whose black pepper and Szechuan peppercorn notes highlight the core cherry and strawberry flavors. Underbrush and iron accents also enter the mix, while this stays balanced and long as the tannins leave their grip on the finish.
-Wine Spectator 94 Points
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Intense ruby red color. Aromas characterized by hints of ripe red fruits, and hints of spices. On the palate it is warm, soft, and full with strong but velvety integrated tannins. Good persistence.
Pairs with meat, cheese, and game.
Klipsun Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain is made from 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 8% Syrah.
The 2017 vintage started out with a cool, wet winter, with significantly above average snowfall in eastern Washington. Red Mountain had a 24% increase in rainfall in 2017 over the 10 year average. Going into spring, the cool trend continued. As a result, bud break at Klipsun was behind the historical average and significantly behind the most recent warm vintages of 2013 2016. Bloom was also slightly delayed. Because of the cool weather, set was lighter than usual which translated into significantly less fruit in 2017.
The early part of the summer saw average temperatures followed by above average temperatures in July and August. As a result, he at accumulation was a bit above average for the season, despite the cool start. And because of the smaller than normal yield, harvest began right on schedule, perhaps even a bit early for some of the whites. In the second half of September, when Klipsun traditionally harvests all the reds, the temperatures cooled considerably, which delayed ripening. This allowed for luxurious amounts of hang time without the threat of increased sugar accumulation, stretching harvest into the first week of October. A s a result, all fruit going into the 2017 Klipsun Cabernet Sauvignon could be picked at perfect sugars levels with great fruit maturity and flavors. Overall, the quality of t he 2017 harvest is as high as the 2016. However, the style is slightly different. The 2017 wine has a firmer structure, more spice & mocha in the nose and will take a few mo re years than the 2016 to reach a perfect balance between fruit and tannin.
Review:
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 8% Syrah, which immediately emanates with aromas of dark roasted espresso bean, toasted oak, dried tobacco and dusty black fruit tones of cassis, currant and blackberries covered in dark cocoa powder. Full-bodied, generous in complexity and still tight in the mouth, the wine unpacks layers of cedar and vanilla tones with dusty purple flowers and bitter dark chocolate across the mid-palate, giving way to fine-grained tannins that will loosen with time. As the wine sits on the palate, the 100% French oak regimen is on full display for all to see. The wine lingering long and continues to evolve in the mouth, ending with a drying finish that highlights the oak and terroir. It’s still a baby, and I would keep it in the cellar for another few years before popping the cork—this will effortlessly coast for more than a decade. The 2017 vintage marks the second release of this wine, with 6,300 bottles produced. It comes from its namesake vineyard, first planted in 1984 on Red Mountain. I’m keeping my eye on this producer. I’m impressed, and even though the oak may be a bit much at the moment, it's still delicious. - Wine Advocate 94+ Points
Shenandoah University’s 150th anniversary white showcases albariño, a Spanish grape which Chrysalis Vineyards, the producer of this wine, helped bring to Virginia. Albariño is proving popular in Virginia, with its botanical aroma, bright acidity, and notes of peach and green apple. Drink on its own or with light meals such as seafood. The wine’s name recognizes the rolling hills of the university’s Shenandoah Valley home.