Castiglion del Bosco Campo del Drago Brunello
Montalcino, Italy
Vintage:2018 (Past)
2015 (Past) | 2016 (Past) | 2017 (Past) | 2019 (Current)
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Reviews
Decanter 96 Points, Gold Medal DWWA 2023
“Powerful black cherry, red berry and earthy floral notes with a succulent underbelly of plum sauce and cola spice. Incredibly youthful and fervent with fine-grained tannins and a salty finish.”
View From the Cellar 94+ Points
“The Campo del Drago vineyard is the very highest in elevation in the Capanna area and is the top bottling from Castiglion del Bosco, hailing from their coolest vineyard site. The 2018 vintage of Campo del Drago is already beautifully refined on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet wafting from the glass in a mix of red and black cherries, plums, cigar wrapper, gamebird, fresh oregano, a beautifully complex base of soil, a touch of lavender and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very elegant in profile, with an outstanding core of fruit, excellent mineral drive and grip, ripe tannins and lovely focus and nascent complexity on the long, impeccably balanced and very refined finish. This is even more elegant in profile than the regular Brunello from Castiglione del Bosco, but it is also a bit more structured and will need a few more years in the cellar before it starts to soften up and drink with true generosity. An excellent wine. 2035-2085.”
JamesSuckling.com 95 Points
“Fascinating nose of pungent mushroom, almost truffly notes, together with ripe red berries and a twist of more exotic dates. Full-bodied with an excellent balance of ripe fruit, velvety but not chewy tannins and a long, tasty finish. You want to drink this now, but it will continue to improve with age. Best from 2024.”
Vinous Media 94 Points
“The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago wafts up with a compelling mix of crushed stone, savory herbs, wild strawberries and rose tones. This is elegant yet finessed in feel, with silky textures and pure, ripe red and blue fruits that take on a crunchy feel toward the close, as inner violet and lavender tones arch across the palate. Long and sapid, the 2018 finishes lightly tannic, packed full of salty minerals, and with floral perfumes that go on and on. Often dark and brooding to the extreme, I was very impressed with this 2018 Campo del Drago. There’s a beautiful balance here, but also admirable depth for the vintage. Well done.”
JancisRobinson.com 17.5/20 Points
“Lustrous ruby. Truly has the ‘wow-factor’ nose. Still a little tight and closed but with real purity of fruit on the nose and with an iodine hint. Pure fruit with lashings of fresh acidity and rich, long, finely grained tannins. Real elegance combined with concentration. Not ready yet.”
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
Campo del Drago 2018 is linked to its terroir, showing unique minerality and complexity. The palate is intense, broad and deep. The tannins are present, but remain elegant thanks to the acidity. The sour almond finish on the mouth is the evidence of how characterizing the vintage was for the Sangiovese grape.
Harvest Notes
The 2018 vintage has been a challenge for everyone, both man and vines. The fresh and rainy spring made the plants vegetation very intense. The management of the green required a lot of attention and work to allow the plant to have the necessary vegetative balance. These weather conditions continued during the first part of summer, which was characterized by cool days and heavy rains. The end of summer was hot and dry and allowed a good maturation, even if slightly earlier than the usual. Grapes showed excellent acidity and rather low sugar content, perfect for fresh and vibrant 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