About Caparzo

 

The gorgeous Caparzo winery is one of many in the hillsides of Montalcino in central Italy. The vineyards of Caparzo cover an area of 90 hectares and lie anywhere between 220 to 300 meters above sea level. The name Caparzo is derived from Latin and means “place touched by the sun.” Wine first started being produced here in the 1960s. The soil in the area is composed of sand and clay with a large presence of shale throughout. This, along with the microclimates evident in the vineyards, results in wine with complex bodies and the potential for great aging. Traditionally, Sangiovese grapes do extremely well in this region. Regardless of the climate of the specific vineyard, the composition of the vines along with the soils allow Caparzo to consistently produce high-quality wines of all styles.

Their Process

 

In the vineyards of Caparzo, they use a method called “spurred cordon” to train the plants. This results in dense plantings equaling 5,000 plants for every hectare. Each vineyard is carefully attended to by experts throughout each growth cycle. All grapes are picked by hand. However, before this process takes place, the vines are carefully inspected to ensure only the most ripened grapes are used. Only flawless clusters of berries make the cut. Harvesting always starts with white grapes. These are used to produce Caparzo’s Le Grance at the very start of September. Red grapes are then picked towards the end of September through the middle of October. Harvesting ends with the picking of white muscat. These are used in Caparzo’s late vintage Moscadello di Montalcino, which is produced in a limited volume.

Wines

 

One of Caparzo’s most sought after wines is the Brunello di Montalcino. It was first produced in 1970 when only 13 wineries existed in the area. This wine is defined by the Sangiovese grape used in production. The various terroirs throughout the vineyards allow these grapes to flourish and provide winemakers with complex flavors and aromas. Next, the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Vigna la Casa is one of the winery’s gems. It has an elegant complexity and captures the essence of the fruit that’s produced from the unique soils of Caparzo. As far as white wine goes, the Le Grance is a perfect example of how a winery that specializes in reds can simultaneously create exciting whites. Le Grance has a crisp, sharp fruitiness and is able to age well in the bottle for up to eight years.

Rosso di Montalcino DOC La Caduta comes from a Caparzo vineyard located south of Montalcino. In fact, this vineyard is fully dedicated to the production of this wine. It has a deep, ruby color and contains aromatic notes of vanilla and dark wild forest berry. It has an aging capacity of 15 years. Another complex red coming out of Caparzo is the Cà del Pazzo. The different grapes used for this blend are fermented separately for six days. It’s aged in wood barrels and has a well-defined aroma with notes of blackberries and licorice root. This wine is smooth and dry with a very velvety texture.

 

Meta: The Caparzo winery south of Montalcino has been producing a wide range of high-quality wines. Learn more about the region and the different wines available.