Castiglion del Bosco Campo del Drago Brunello

Montalcino, Italy

Vintage:2016 (Past)

2015 (Past) | 2017 (Past) | 2018 (Past) | 2019 (Current)

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Castiglion del Bosco Campo del Drago Brunello 2016
  • JS 97
  • WS 96
  • WA 95
  • V 93

Reviews

Wine Spectator 96 Points March 17, 2021, Bruce Sanderson

“A balanced, expressive style, offering plum, cherry, fruitcake, iron and spice flavors, which are fused to muscular tannins, but also vibrant acidity, keeping this energetic and defined. Fine balance overall and terrific length on the finish. Best from 2025 through 2048.”

The Wine Advocate 95 Points November 30, 2020, Monica Larner

“The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago (with only 8,000 bottles made) comes from a little vineyard measuring just 1.5 hectares. It is located at a high 450 meters above sea level, and what this parcel lacks in size, it makes up for in terms of view and exposure. The entire Castiglion del Boco property is surrounded by thick shrub oak forests, as the very name of the estate suggests ("bosco" means "forest" in Italian), with wild boar, roe deer and foxes (plenty of foxes). You most certainly smell aromas of underbrush and forest floor in this wine along with dark fruit, cherry and plum.”

JamesSuckling.com 97 Points November 11, 2020, James Suckling

“Another structured, layered red with blackberry, plum, walnut and cigar-box aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied with depth and intensity. Tight and structured. A wine with a long future. Fine-grained and refined. Try after 2025.”

Vinous Media 93 Points November 2020, Eric Guido

“The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago places smoky minerals and minty herbs before fruit. It gains further depths of spiced orange, clove and medicinal cherry over time. The textures are silky, almost creamy in feel, giving way to polished red fruits laced with salty minerals, as zesty acids add a motivating and spicy flair. Stern tannins arrive toward the close, clamping down on the expression and leaving only hints of tart berries through the cheek-puckering finale. The 2016 Campo del Drago will require a good amount of time to resolve its hulking structure, yet there’s plenty of concentration and acidity to maintain balance throughout.”

Overview

Castiglion del Bosco is one of the most prominent producers in Montalcino, both for the history of the estate and for its size, with 5,000 acres unchanged in the last 400 years. In 1967, when the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino was born, Castiglion del Bosco was one of its 25 founding members. This extraordinary property whose origin dates back to the 12th century was acquired by Massimo Ferragamo in 2003, who in turn totally restored the property to its original glory.

As Castiglion del Bosco‘s most representative wine, Brunello di Montalcino is an example of the Sangiovese grape‘s perfect symbiosis with the terroir of Montalcino.

Campo del Drago is a single-vineyard Brunello that comes from the finest and highest parcel of Capanna vineyard, 3.5 acres at 450 meters with the best exposure. Displaying a noble personality and structure, it has a unique character and a great aging potential. It matures two years in French oak. This wine has great power and personality and represents a wonderful combination of tradition and innovation.

Winemaking

The wine vats are filled by gravity alone, without resorting to mechanical pumps. The entire vinification process is carried out in Castiglion del Bosco’s cellar, completely gravity-fed. The grapes are quality-selected in the vineyards first, then the clusters travel to sorting tables where trained eyes make a further selection of the finest fruit. Fermentation in steel tanks starts with natural yeasts only, once completed, the wines are transferred to French oak in a spacious, climate-controlled cellar that is partially underground, where it refined for 24 months, partly in barriques and partly in 30-50 HL French oak barrels. This was followed by refinement in unglazed concrete prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes

Complex and rich wine, with great grit. Both on the nose and on the mouth, it is intense and harmonious, characterized by a crunchy fruit, with well-integrated acidic notes and hints of officinal herbs. The wine also has a remarkable tannic quality.

Harvest Notes

Characterized by mild winter and spring with higher than average minimum temperatures. This led to a slight advance in budding and a beautiful vegetative expression of the vines. The summer was cool and mild, slowing down the ripening which continued slowly and very well. Ripe tannins, richness in color and good acidity have therefore characterized the Sangiovese of this excellent vintage. The harvest began slightly earlier and ended however around mid-October as often happens in great vintages. There is an excellent balance in the aging of Sangiovese, this should lead to rich but also very elegant wines. 

Food Pairing

Excellent with red meats and game.

Technical Information

Varietals: 100% Sangiovese

Soil Composition: Galestro

Aging: 24 months partly in barriques and French oak barrels