Stoked to present our first Brunello di Montalcino from the acclaimed Le Ragnaie, now landed and in stock. View online

NEW ARRIVAL • NEW IN PORTFOLIO

AZIENDA AGRICOLA Le Ragnaie Riccardo Campinoti’s thrilling gems from Montalcino’s tallest terroirs

Riccardo Campinoti of Le Ragnaie (photo: Tim Atkin MW) Le Ragnaie is one of the great recent success stories of Montalcino. Proprietor Riccardo Campinoti grew up loving wine long before his family, originally from Siena, bought Le Ragnaie in 2002. Unlike so many of his colleagues in Montalcino, Campinoti has a level of intellectual curiosity about the world’s great wines that clearly fuels and inspires him. That is one of the reasons he has achieved what can only be described as a virtually unheard of level of success in less than a decade. — Antonio Galloni, Vinous . . Riccardo Campinoti was able to enhance the vineyards through an idea of viticulture that seeks out individual characteristics and expressive peculiarities. He has turned out splendid wines that are full of elegance and which have carved out a spot at the top of Italian wine echelon. — Slow Wine Guide 2018

It has taken years, but we’re glad we took our time to sign on someone important from Italy. With thanks to a kind friend, serendipity struck a few months ago when we encountered the elegant Brunellos of Le Ragnaie for the first time, and now our first Montalcino wines have landed. You can tell that Riccardo Campinoti is an intelligent man right away, someone who’s totally engaged in his craft. He answers my questions instantly, and always to the point. He knows what he’s doing, and why. “My wines aren’t your typical Brunello,” he quipped matter of factly, and continued: “Their fruit is almost too cool, but we have some of the highest vineyards in all of Montalcino, so actually it’s just the terroir speaking.” Riccardo has a penchant for simplicity. A case in point, he said he does not make any Riserva because he wants all his wines to be vinified and aged the same way, so that the expressions of the wines speak only of terroir differences. He is an avid wine lover and admires the wines of Burgundy. It all makes sense. When Riccardo and Jennifer Campinoti purchased the property, it came with a mix of old vines and younger plantings. The estate spreads across 42 acres, 12 acres of which are in the Le Ragnaie zone where the cellars are based. These are some of the highest vines in all of Montalcino, reaching as high as 600 metres above sea level, south facing in the central zone above Soldera di Case Basse. As one of the highest points in the region, the area became famous for bird catchers, and this is why the traditional birdcatchers’ net features on the label as part of the winery’s logo. The estate takes its name from the fact that this net looks like a spider’s web (i.e., ‘Ragna’ in Italian). Besides the Le Ragnaie vineyards, the Campinotis also own parcels in Petroso, a vineyard area along the Scarnacuoia road below the village of Montalcino and one of the oldest wine making zones in the area, as well as parcels in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, a vineyard located in the southern sector of Montalcino in front of the Amiata Mountain, right next to Poggio di Sotto. Proprietor Riccardo Campinoti crafts delicate, refined wines. One of Montalcino’s generation of emerging young producers, Campinoti has achieved considerable success in a very short time. — Antonio Galloni Viticulture and sustainability are central to Riccardo’s work and to this end he has fully converted to organics since 2005. At harvest time, the grapes are hand picked then transported to the winery which is located on Le Ragnaie estate itself. The cellar was expanded and remodelled recently to allow them to work in a super clean environment. The grapes are destemmed and placed on a vibrating table to further eliminate sub-optimal grapes, and leaves and stems that were not removed in the destemmer. This rigour ensures that only grapes that are of the highest quality will make it into the wine. The musts are then placed in cement vats to begin the maceration and fermentation by indigenous yeasts. The wines will remain in these vats for 25 to 40 days before pressing and transferring to oak barrels. Large 25-hl Slavonian and 225-l Allier oak casks are employed. The Rosso di Montalcino stays for 9 months in the barrel while the Brunello di Montalcino rests for 36 months. The wines are then bottled and rest in a temperature and humidity controlled environment until they are shipped. Le Ragnaie bottles three Brunellos: the straight Brunello di Montalcino bottling is made from vineyards at the winery and in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, the Ragnaie V.V. is made from the oldest vines on the property, while the Fornace comes from a site in Castelnuovo adjacent to Mastrojanni’s Schiena d’Asino. This combination of high-elevation vineyards and a young, dynamic winemaker makes Le Ragnaie a true breath of fresh air in historic Montalcino. The wines are always charming, aromatic and very high toned, yet they manage to retain the requisite power of a classic Brunello. Indeed, this uniquely elegant, fragrant and highly drinkable style swept us off our feet when we first tasted them. My tasting notes repeated “transparent”, “mineral”, “bright”, “superb” and “plush” far more than I would care to count. Elegance is the heartbeat of Le Ragnaie’s wines and vigneron Riccardo Campinoti has rapidly ascended the ranks of this stoic and timeless region. Today we are excited to present our debut offer, the wondrous Rosso and Brunello di Montalcinos from Le Ragnaie from two excellent vintages 2015 and 2013, freshly landed on our shores. 2013 has been considered to be one of the all-time great vintages by keen Brunello lovers. Wine critics concur. The 2013 growing season was long and slow, the grapes benefiting from ample sunshine and breezy conditions. The vintage produced fragrant, medium-bodied wines loaded with finesse. It will be remembered as a classic vintage by Brunello lovers across the board. With Riccardo Campinoti’s prodigious talent, expect no less than truly exquisite Brunellos. Orders will be processed subject to remaining availability and final written confirmation. Special prices quoted in this offer are valid only for orders taken up to 4 June 2019. Full payment is required no later than 7 days after confirmation invoice is sent. No further discount or reservation is allowed. All terms and conditions apply.

The Offer

-  OFFER VALID ONLY UNTIL 4 JUNE 2019   -  PRICES ARE QUOTED NETT, no further discount   -  SUBJECT TO FINAL WRITTEN CONFIRMATION

To be clear, the extremely high quality level of all the Brunellos made at this estate in any given year qualifies Le Ragnaie as one of Montalcino’s top six or seven wine estates. Virtually anything that gets bottled at this winery is a standout wine, and that’s information worth knowing. — Antonio Galloni

Rosso di Montalcino 2015 S$ 48 / 750 ML for 3-bottles or more S$ 52 / 750 ML Unlike a lot of Rosso di Montalcino that often is composed of the inferior barrels for Brunello, this is a site-specific bottling treated every step along the way like Riccardo’s Brunello offerings. The vineyard is situated in Castelnuovo dell’Abate on a steep hillside with Mastrojanni’s Vigna Schiena d’Asino on one side and Poggio di Sotto on the other. The grapes are handpicked and then gently crushed. The juice remains on skins for 30 days while undergoing a long, cool natural fermentation in concrete. It is then racked to large Slavonian vats where it rests quietly on lees for 24 months. This is a very serious Rosso di Montalcino that combines freshness and drinkability with intensity of fruit and an elegant finish. 2015 was considered a true ‘benchmark vintage,’ comparing favourably with the much lauded 2010s. It is a moderate to low yielding vintage with very good concentration of both flavour and aromatics as well as tannin. It has a deep ruby red colour and an aromatic bouquet of black cherries, balsamic, herbs and spices. This wine outclasses many Brunello di Montalcino’s with relative ease and remains a tremendous value.

Brunello di Montalcino 2013 S$ 84 / 750 ML for 6-bottles or more S$ 88 / 750 ML for 3-bottles or more S$ 92 / 750 ML This primarily hails from the Ragnaie Estate located at the highest point of the zone. The fruit from this plot is high toned and has a true elegance. It is supplemented by estate fruit from ‘Fornace’ and ‘Loreto’ in Castelnuovo dell’ Abate as well as older vines from ‘Petroso’ near the village of Montalcino. All farming is done organically (certified). The grapes are fermented in cement without the addition of yeast and left on their skins for nearly three weeks. From here the juice is gravity fed into 25-hl Slavonian vats where they gently rest for 3 years. The wines are then racked and blended and then off to bottle for an addition year of aging. “Bright red. Perfumed, precise aromas of raspberry, strawberry, espresso, minerals and violet. Penetrating, linear and youthfully juicy and fresh, featuring raspberry and bitter cherry fruit flavors given clarity by firm but harmonious acidity and a pronounced mineral component that is very Le Ragnaie-like. This very floral, pristine Brunello has an almost Pinot Noir-like primary quality and superb inner-mouth tension. The finish is extremely bright, long and clean.” Vinous 93 points

Brunello di Montalcino Fornace 2013 S$ 142 / 750 ML for 6-bottles or more S$ 148 / 750 ML for 3-bottles or more S$ 154 / 750 ML ‘Fornace’ is a sought-after slice of land in the Castelnuovo dell’Abate zone, adjacent to Mastrojanni's  famed ‘Vigna Schiena d’Asino’ and down the hill from Poggio di Sotto. The rounded river stones dot the landscape like Châteauneuf-du-Pape but the 800-850 feet steep hillside planting reminds you that you are in Tuscany. The soils are richer than the Ragnaie estate but still have a high concentration of limestone and friable clays. From a winemaking standpoint, ‘Fornace’ is just like the other Brunelli with a hands-off approach for fermentation and large barrels for maturation. ‘Fornace’ has the most power and masculinity of any Le Ragnaie wine. “Le Ragnaie’s 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Fornace is a slightly more robust and structured expression. It has a sturdier vinous exoskeleton, so to speak. For this reason, it needs longer to age and will undoubtedly benefit from more years in your cellar. In fact, I tasted this wine several times over the course of many hours and was delighted by the steady and positive evolution it showed. Given time, the wine gives wild berry and earthy tones that come together with encouraging symmetry.” WA 94 points “Dark red with a pale rim. Aromas of raspberry, violet, iris, licorice and sweet spices are accented by white pepper. Ripe but vibrant, this highly concentrated, seamless wine boasts nicely integrated acidity and light peppery and strong floral qualities giving lift to the explosive midpalate. Finishes with sweet, building tannins and superb fruity persistence complicated by notes of tar and licorice. Remarkably rich, pliant and distinctive traditional Brunello.” Vinous 93 points

Brunello di Montalcino Ragnaie V.V. 2013 S$ 335 / 1,500 ML  ** magnum ** This comes from the oldest vines, averaging 46 years old. Aged in 25-hl Slavonian vats where they gently rest for 3 years. Only 200 cases made. “An appealing mix of savory and fruity, displaying cherry, plum, licorice and underbrush notes, this is vibrant and juicy, with firm, dusty tannins for structure.” 95 points, Wine Spectator “Bright, fully saturated red. Heavily torrefacted notes dominate the nose at first, and red cherry, potpourri and flint emerge with aeration. Then silky and suave with just about enough freshness to the super-ripe red cherry, spice and mineral flavors. Finishes long and creamy with hints of underbrush and mushrooms. The oak-dominated nose is off-putting at first, but this Brunello is so crammed with ripe fruit that the oak is quickly pushed back into the background.” Vinous 94 points

TERMS & CONDITIONS Prices are quoted nett in Singapore Dollars (SGD), ex-cellar Singapore, valid until 4 June 2019. No further discount. Prices are for single bottle size (750 ML) unless otherwise specified. Please note the availability of magnum (1,500 ML) bottle size in the offer. Orders will be processed subject to remaining availability and final written confirmation. Full payment must be made no later than 7 days after invoice date to confirm the order. We reserve the right to redistribute wines ordered not honoured by timely payment or sufficient mutually agreeable notice. This offer is non-transferable and cannot be used in conjunction with other offers and/or promotions. Wines sold are not returnable. Delivery fee is waived for purchases over $500 before GST in a single receipt to a single Singapore address. Otherwise S$25 delivery fee per address applies. Please allow a few days to coordinate collection or delivery. Order(s) are to be collected/delivered within 1 month upon notification of ex-stock availability. Failure to take delivery / collect goods will result in storage fees being charged to your account.

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