Lot 41
Lady Madonna

3 – 3 Liter Brunello Riserva “Madonna del Piano” (97, 99, 01)
3 – 1.5 Liter 1999 Brunello Riserva “Madonna del Piano”
48 – 750ml Brunello Riserva “Madonna del Piano” (12 each of 95, 96, 99 & 01)
Four (4) day trip to Siena, Italy for four (4) people
Accommodations at the Hotel Posta Marcucci for three (3) nights
Tours around Bagno Vignoni, Pienza, Siena and San Quirico d’Orcia
Dinner and a tour of Valdicava with Vincenzo Abbruzzese
Dinner at the Hotel Posta Marcucci
Dinner at “La Chiusa” restaurant

Under the radar. It is difficult to imagine that a winery that has received one of the few 100-point reviews from Wine Spectator for an Italian wine - ever - could be considered under the radar. It is even more difficult considering that Robert Parker, Jr. considered its Riserva Madonna del Piano to be the finest 1995 Brunello di Montalcino he had tasted. As Decanter Magazine has pointedly questioned, “Why isn’t this producer better known?”

Valdicava’s relative anonymity is fading as the star of Vincenzo Abbruzzese, Valdicava’s prodigious winemaker, is rising and his tiny 10 hectare Valdicava Estate is steadily achieving cult status among the wine elite. Known as Montalcino’s number one overachiever, Abbruzzese produces winner after winner, year after year. While considered part of the Brunello avant-garde, Abbruzzese borrows from both tradition and modernity, aiming to maintain the structure and aromas of traditional Brunello and the elegance and harmony associated with newer methods. Valdicava’s small size allows Abbruzzese great flexibility and is a key ingredient to his success.

Valdicava’s flagship wine, produced in scant quantities, is its Riserva “Madonna del Piano.” The wine and the vineyard are named after the Madonna del Piano church located on the vineyard property. For the first single vineyard Cru Brunello ever produced, only mature thirty to forty year old vines are used to make the riserva, with younger vines rotated in as they mature.

This lot features an extraordinary collection of the greatest Madonna del Pianos produced by Valdicava. Full cases of Madonna del Piano from its finest years; 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2001. Magnums of the 1999, a wine whose fantastic aromas and velvety tannin prompted James Suckling to call it the greatest wine ever from Valdicava. That is, until he gave a perfect 100-point rating to the spellbinding 2001 - presented here in an exceedingly rare Double Magnum, as well as the case of 750ml bottles. Double Magnums of the opulent 1997, as well as the remarkable 1999, complete this amazing collection.

Complementing the best Brunellos ever produced is an opportunity to experience the best of Brunello during four days and three special nights for two couples in the Val d’Orcia. The spirit of Siena is found in its water, architecture of its landscape, embodiment of its rivers and the heart of its spas. For millennia, these waters have offered well-being and health to those who have traveled far and wide to enjoy them.

This aquatic adventure begins in Siena, where a driver will escort the two couples to the Hotel Posta. Dinner that evening will be in Montefollonico at Ristorante Relais “La Chiusa,” a restored mill lovingly furnished with Tuscan antiques.

On the second day, spend your morning relaxing, or perhaps with a dip in the hotel’s thermal pool. In the afternoon, it’s off to the Abbazia di Sant’Antimo. This beautiful and unique abbey is home to artwork and relics that date back to the middle ages. Finish the day with a visit to Montalcino and a VIP visit of Tenuta Valdicava followed by dinner with its proprietors.

On the third day, return to Siena and its sights - the Duomo, Palazzo Publico, Palazzo Piccolomini and the Pieve di San Vito. Dinner will be at the Hotel Posta. This wonderfully romantic thee-star hotel is home to the Hostaria Molino del Grillo, featuring the best of Tuscan dishes. On your final day, visit the charming town of San Quirico d’Orcia. Its beautiful scenery includes a restored Romanesque church and an ancient castle.

Valdicava is not likely to remain undiscovered much longer. All the ingredients characteristic of highly collectable wines are present: a willingness to sacrifice quantity for consistently high quality year after year, high scoring wines, long aging potential, burgeoning attention from the wine press and a very limited supply - only a few hundred cases are ever imported to the U.S. Above all, there is a certain uniqueness about Valdicava’s wines. Seldom is the winemaker’s hand so evident in the personality of a wine. Abbruzzese is more like an artist than a winemaker, and these wines are his canvas.
Insider’s Info: Airfare to Italy is not included. Visit to be scheduled on a mutually agreeable date.

DONOR: Vincenzo Abbruzzese of Valdicava and Arlene & Michael D’Alessandro