This is a hold-onto-your-socks "I can't believe how good this wine tastes" type of wine.  Granted, I am biased, as Valdicava and Frescobaldi are amongst my favorite producers in the world.  The 1997 and 1999 vintages of Valdicava are excellent, and were reasonably priced on release, and continue to sell at a reasonable price if you are lucky enough to locate this wine.  Unfortunately, the 2001 vintage got a lot of great press, including a 98 point score from Wine Spectator, and this shot the price for the 2001 vintage into the $90-$100 dollar range.  My advice, skip the outstanding '01 with its inflated price, since it will not be ready to drink until about 2010, and buy the 1997 or 1999 for about half the price.

The 1997 Valdicava is starting to show a little garnet, brick coloring at the edge, which is a little surprising, as the wine usually does not start changing color at 10 years.  Perhaps my bottle is ageing prematurely.  The wine has a huge bouquet, with lots of earthy, loamy, white truffle elements, a healthy dose of toast, and some intriguing flowery and spice notes.  On the palate, the earthiness fades into black berry and mixed berry jam, finishing with a little wild cherry tartness.  Enough tannin remains to guarantee several more years of ageing, but the wine drinks well know.

For those with deeper pockets, I highly recommend Valdicava's reserve Brunello, termed "Madonna del Piano Riserva", which pushes the 5 star threshold.

4.5 stars.  Unavailable at most retailers.  Widely available at auction sites.

 

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