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Big Impression
Il Palazzone
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A Note from Sergio
In wine, size doesn't necessarily matter. Small estates can perform better than the big boys and produce age-worthy, beautiful wines. The secret rests in the way those estates handle their yields, the way they bring their juice alive in the cellar, and the way they bottle their wines--the test of any wine is not the size of the estate but the taste in the glass. It's also in the risks an estate is willing to take, perhaps even going against the norm to craft a special brand of bottled magic. Owned by New York-born Richard Parsons, the 20-acre Il Palazzone epitomizes the potential of the small estate.
Parsons didn't come from a long lineage of Italian winemakers like Mascarello, Movia's Ales Kristancic or Josko Gravner; rather, he's one of the most renowned CEOs in the US. A former Chairman and CEO of Time Warner/AOL, current Chairman of Citigroup and a close advisor to President Barack Obama, Parsons, who was born and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, founded his reputation in the shark-tank business world. Parsons knew that the best way for him to produce great Toscana wine was to choose a special parcel of land and allow Il Palazzone's gifted winemaker, Paolo Vagaggini, full rein. The secret behind the estate's outstanding Brunello lies in Parson's vision and Vagaggini, the Italian crafting it.
When Parsons purchased the Il Palazzone estate in 2000 at the behest of his wife, he empowered Vagaggini to do what he does best. Following in the footsteps of Biondi Santi and a handful of other producers, Vagaggini ages the Il Palazzone Brun ello longer than required by DOCG law--up to four years--creating the most exquisite wine. Today, Il Palazzone has one of the best Brunello in the region, and the estate proves that big wines really can come from small places.
Only a few thousand bottles are produced each year of Il Palazzone's Brunello di Montalcino and Riserva; we have a mix of both from the 1997 through 2000 vintages, plus the premiere 2005 vintage of their Cabernet Franc-blend Lorenzo e Isabelle. If you want to indulge your big appetite for these small gems, you'll want to move quickly. But sip slowly; you'll want to savor every drop.
My Best,
Il Palazzone
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1999, 750ml, $135.00
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1998, 750ml, $125.00
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1997, 750ml, $200.40
The Il Palazzone estate has three different vineyards, which reflect the distinctiveness of Montalcino in the glass. The Le Due Porte vineyard has the benefit of altitude and balance of warm days and cool nights, which gives great aromatics; the older vines at La Vigna Vecchia contribute amazing mineral components; and La Vigna del Capa offers a saline tang, great fruit and ripeness. Il Palazzone ages their Riserva up to 50 months in Slavonian oak, but only in exceptional vintages are the best grapes destined for the production of their Riserva. The wine exhibits an intangible character of dark cherries with hints of mint and big tannins. The 1998 season started out hot and saw heavy rainfalls throughout Toscana later in the season. Luckily, Il Palazzone was spared due to their location, helping produce wines that were round and elegant. The weather stayed consistently warm throughout 1999 leaving behind plenty of quality Sangiovese, and the 1997 vintage is considered one of their best, producing wines with incredible body and the ability to age.
Il Palazzone
Brunello di Montalcino 2000, 750ml, $113.56
Brunello di Montalcino 1998, 750ml, $80.00
Premiered in 1990, Il Palazzone's Brunello di Montalcino ages for nearly three years prior to bottling. These Brunello are an intense ruby to brick red with hints of dark fruit and an elegant finish. Both vintages left behind a most refined Brunello. Full-bodied, these wines have layers of complexity.
Il Palazzone
Lorenzo e Isabelle 2005, 750ml, $75.00
Until recently, Il Palazzone focused exclusively on the area's traditional bottling: Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino. In 2005, Parsons premiered Lorenzo e Isabelle, a 60-38-2 blend of Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot. The wine is a celebration of his love for Super Tuscans and for his parents, for whom the wine is named. Aged for 16 months in oak barrels, then another 18 months in bottle before release, this wine is a bushel of cherries in oak with a lengthy finish.
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