Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva at Tuscany Bistro Restaurant Destin/Sandestin
Visiting our favorite vacation destination The Cove, Destin, Florida vacation rental home, we're working through the long list of restaurant options in the Destin, Florida area. Tonight, we dined at Tuscany Bistro in Miramar Beach, Destin/Sandestin.
Chef and owner, Guglielmo Ianni, has been preparing authentic Northern Italian cuisine there since 1976, starting out in Chicago and Wisconsin before moving to the Emerald coast in 1991.
Guglielmo specializes in seafood and pasta dishes with one of his signature entrees the whole fish of the day; locally caught fresh red snapper.
Guglielmo Ianni says, “My mother, Adalgisa, gave me the inspiration to pursue culinary talents, which led me to study in Italy and compile Mama’s recipes. Now, I am passing my talents on to the third generation, my daughter Theresa, continuing the Ianni family traditions of preparing authentic Italian cuisine for you to enjoy. For all of our dishes, we only use the freshest ingredients, choice meats, fresh seafood, and garden vegetables. We are fine dining at its best, but we consider the restaurant to be casual, yet comfortable, with a quaint touch of Italy. We want you to feel like part of our family.”
I ordered the Vitello Parmesan, a benchmark dish that serves as a basis for comparison from one Italian eatery to the next. Guglielmo's preparation is better than average for this favorite offering.
Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Sangiovese 2016
This is from Tenuta Caparzo wine estate/producer in Tuscany in the Montalcino region known for its signature Brunello di Montalcino ‘Vigna La Casa’.
Tenuta Caparzo was founded in the late 1960’s by a group of friends who bought an old ruin with vineyards in Montalcino and subsequently renovated and modernized the farm estate and replanted new vineyards.
The recent history of Caparzo dates back to the dawning of Brunello di
Montalcino at the end of the 1960s, when a group of friends with a
fondness for Tuscany purchased an old ruin with vineyards at Montalcino.
They set upon renovating and modernising the facilities and planted new vineyards and,
not long after, Caparzo began to make a name for itself producing estate wines.
In 1998, Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini, owner of the notable neighbor Altesino estate and brand purchased Tenuta Carpazo and integrated the property and operations with the help of her son
Igino and daughter Alessandra elevating the estate to another level. Combining tradition with innovation, the Angelini family produce high-quality wines year on year, always with an emphasis on selecting the best fruit from the best plots.
Caparzo covers an overall surface area of nearly 500 acres with 220 covered
by vineyards, distributed over different hillsides around the borough of
Montalcino. The vineyards are at a heights ranging from 720 to 985 feet
above sea level. The soils ranges between sandy-clay, shale-clay (marl),
shale-renaceous rich in skeleton, and sandy-stony. The exposure of the
vineyards, the nature of the lands and the microclimates of the areas
give fullness, age-ability and character to the Caparzo wines.
Located southwest of Chianti, Montalcino came into its own in the late 1880s when local producer,Biondi-Santi, discovered a Sangiovese clone in his vineyard that was darker in colour than the rest. Its colour,
however, was not its only attribute. It produced a wine with notable
body, structure and length. He named it ‘brunello' meaning 'little dark
one'.
This grape's genetic properties along with Montalcino's relatively temperate climate combine to create a wine stylistically different to that of more northerly Chianti. They are usually released approximately 5 years after the vintage following 2 to 4 years ageing in wood. The designation of Riserva indicates a wine usually produced with more concentrated grapes than the traditional cuvée and requires a minimum of one additional year of ageing. Today, Montalcino wines have become one of the most sought after appellations in the Tuscan region.
Caparzo's Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is only produced in the finest vintages and from grapes selected personally by winemaker Massimo Bracalente. It is a certified DOCG wine. It was first produced in 1980 and has shown to have the capacity to age for up to 40 years.
This Caparzo Riservarelease was constructed combining fruit from the estate’s
original vineyard in the far north of Montalcino, with La Casa on the
Montosoli hill, as well as Il Cassero and La Caduta which are in the
south to southwest of the denomination.
Winemaker Notes - Ruby, tending towards garnet with age. Penetrating on the nose with ample and very complex nose with echoes of wild berry fruit. Dry, warm, solid, harmonious, combining delicacy and austerity, and persistent.
This label release was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Decanter and Wine Spectator, 93 points by Vinous, and Wine Enthusiast.
2,000 cases were made, 500 cases imported.
It showed dark inky purple color, medium full body with concentrated structured red currant and black berry fruits with notes of savory herbs and clove spice, ash, earth with hints of pepper with silky fine grained tannins on the tongue coated finish.
RM 93 points.