Three vintages of Ombrone at Italian Wine Merchants

Italian Wine Merchants makes a focus on our Ombrone, selling three vintages combined during Christmas time in New York. Here's what they write:

IWM rarely offers Super Tuscans from Montalcino--we find the region's Brunello and Rosso so excellent that we don't need to! Therefore, when we find one we champion, it's special. Lionello Cousin and Ornella Tondini make a Montalcino Super-Tuscan worth embracing in their Sant'Antimo Ombrone. It's a bold, textured wine that marries international grapes and Tuscan terroir in a palate that's sure to please enthusiasts who love a big red, and this mini-vertical trio offers a three-dimensional view of this wine sensation from Cupano, a registered organic Montalcino estate.

Cupano sits on a rolling plain at the far edges of Montalcino, and it makes outstanding wines, including a beautifully structured Brunello di Montalcino, a delicious Rosso di Montalcino, and the luxurious Super-Tuscan Sant'Antimo Ombrone that we feature today. Owner-operators Ornella and Lionello founded Cupano in the late '80s, and together they use a decidedly French yet non-interventionist approach with their wines, which span the stylistic gap between traditional and modern.

Today, we're delighted to spotlight a trio of Cupano Sant'Antimo Ombrone, the brooding and structured 2008, the succulent and velvety 2009, and the full-bodied and elegant 2010. We like to refer to these wines as "big reds"; they're bold, they're luscious, and they wrap your palate in a complex, vibrant grip that doesn't let go. Cupano's Sant'Antimo Ombrone is a massive wine, an organically grown powerhouse that rewards a more modern palate, yet it's also a wine that remains true to its Montalcino roots. It's one of our favorites, and our allocations are limited; contact your portfolio manager to secure your Super-Tuscan trio from Cupano soon.

Cupano at Enoteca di Ghino, Pienza

Exhibition of Cupano in the shop window and inside the historical Enoteca di Ghino in Pienza, animated by one of the brightest connoisseurs of Italy.

Nürnberg, Germany.

Harvest Days 2015: Photo Movie

Slides from an extremely good 2015 harvest at Cupano, Montalcino. 

Ombrone 2011 by the sea

Spiaggia dei Sassolini, Scauri.

Ombrone, Sant'Antimo DOC: A Useful Guide

In Montalcino there are 4 denominations: Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino, Sant'Antimo and Moscadello di Montalcino, an ancient sparkling white wine.

Unlike Rosso and Brunello, which are 100% Sangiovese, the Sant'Antimo DOC is a sort of winemakers' workshop, allowing producers to introduce the so-called International varieties  - that Lionel doesn't use to call this way - in this area.

We took the name Ombrone from the river passing beside our hill, which goes from the Chianti area to the Tyrrhenian Sea and is the west boundary of Montalcino.

The peculiarity of our Ombrone resides in the fact that Lionel changes its assemblage every year, according to the vagaries of the seasons and of the harvest.

Many journalists, sommeliers and critics have talked about our cuvée. Here's a recap.

First of all, Matthew Jukes - Daily Mail and MoneyWeek columnist, most influential wine writer in the UK - has talked about the 2008 (http://moneyweek.com/575-wine-of-the-week-a-wine-worth-its-weight-in-gold-57548/) and 2010 (http://moneyweek.com/a-legendary-super-tuscan-to-blow-your-mind/) vintages, defining the last one «A legendary Super-Tuscan to blow your mind».

The 2008 Ombrone was reviewed by Antonio Galloni for The Wine Advocate too: http://cupanonews.blogspot.com/2012/05/ombrone-2008-on-wine-advocate.html

Also the two Best Sommeliers of the World, Markus Del Monego and Andreas Larsson, ont dégusté that vintage for TASTED: http://www.blindtasted.com/wine/view/13565-cupano-ombrone

Always talking about the 2008, here's what Francis Bown of Bown's Best wrote: http://www.cupano.it/PDF_STAMPAeALTRO/BownsBest.jpg

Now let's go back to the 2006 vintage, which is 50% Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in equal parts.

Ian D'Agata & Massimo Comparini included our Ombrone 2006 in their list of 100 Italy's Best Wines in 2010: http://www.cupano.it/INGLESE/PDF_STAMPAeALTRO/miglioriViniItalia_2010.pdf. D'Agata talked about Ombrone in Ecco, his personal guide to the greatest Italian wines too: http://cupano.it/PDF_STAMPAeALTRO/ECCO%20GUIDE.pdf

Will Di Nunzio and Janice Cable from Italian Wine Merchants, iconic Italian wine shop in New York, have often talked about that millésime: http://www.insideiwm.com/2014/05/19/expert-picks-cupano-and-il-palazzone/

http://www.insideiwm.com/2014/03/24/cupano-santantimo-ombrone-a-wine-for-lifelong-friends/

Ms. Cable also wrote an introduction to our estate and esprit de vie: http://www.insideiwm.com/2013/12/09/looking-at-cupano-makers-of-brunello-and-iwms-newest-find/

Still, it came out as the greatest Sant'Antimo both for 2006 (http://www.cupano.it/PDF_STAMPAeALTRO/Altissimoceto.pdf) and 2007 (http://www.cupano.it/PDF_STAMPAeALTRO/AltissimoCeto2010_2011.pdf) for Altissimo Ceto, achieving special mentions. These reviews were made by Ivano Antonini, 2008 Best Italian Sommelier, and Cristiano Cini, who are part of the 4-members jury declaring the Best Italian Sommelier every year.

The 2007 Ombrone was reviewed on Wine Enthusiast as the greatest «Other Reds», outside the Chianti, Brunello and Montepulciano denomination: http://www.cupano.it/PDF_STAMPAeALTRO/Wine%20Enthusiast%20OMBRONE%20TESTO.pdf

Furthermore, here's an introduction to this vintage made by our British importer Swig: http://www.cupano.it/PDF_STAMPAeALTRO/Swig,%20Ombrone%202007.pdf

The 2009 and 2010 vintages received 94 points by TASTED, greatest Italian wines tasted in 2014: http://www.blindtasted.com/wine/view/13116-cupano-ombrone

http://www.blindtasted.com/wine/view/13117-cupano-ombrone 

In Summer 2015 the Ombrone 100 - Cabernet Sauvignon in purezza - 2011 received 94 points from TASTED too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxwwrdhUWvA

Ombrone «100» 2011

We're glad to introduce to you a newcomer chez Cupano: Ombrone «100» 2011, belonging to the Denomination of Controlled Origin Sant'Antimo.

This special 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Ombrone comes out from an intuition by Lionel, who saw the great potential of that vintage, thanks to a pleasantly hot summer in Montalcino. 

Andrea really loves Ombrone «100» for its character, fruity nose, freshness and bouche.

Meanwhile, as you can see below, Lionel is already blending Ombrone 2012 in our kitchen.

Luciano Di Lello, La Repubblica, about Cupano

Luciano Di Lello, wine critic of the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica, reviewed our wines in the last years. Here you will find all his articles about Cupano.

Brunello di Montalcino 2003

Brunello '03 has the fascination of a great breed wine that will keep growing in the bottle with its succulent, elegant, creamy scents of melted butter, toasted vanilla, blackberry jam and sweet spices.

Brunello di Montalcino 2004 

Best Brunello of that vintage, wonderfully creamy on the nose, it is a summary of a fitting terroir, but also a taste and a way to feel the wine, thus creating a sumptuous and feminine Brunello, warm and soft, almost silky and sensual as a painting by Rubens, a really full enjoyment of fragrances and attractive complex with outcrops of sunny fruits, cream, spices and sweet vanillas, gently infused with white truffle.

Brunello di Montalcino 2005

Best and most delicious 2005 Brunello, [...] the result of a difficult vintage, it has everything to impress, the color depth, the precious scents that are a fine marquetry of ripe fruit and spicy gems, the sheer elegance of his sweet and balsamic palate which fades sensually in the nose.

Brunello di Montalcino 2006

Wines of outstanding beauty where you notice a cure and a feeling that make them overflowing with fruit, elegance, evocative aromas and a tastiness, a beauty, a sweetness of expression on the palate to indicate that the site of the vineyard has a great vocation. [...] Brunello '06 is a wonderful and complex casket of perfumes, where the notes of cherries and vanilla blend with a grace and a chewiness endless. 

Brunello di Montalcino 2007

Here in Cupano, for several vintages, Lionel Cousin has been making the most thrilling and sumptuous Brunello among all. [...] This Brunello '07 is a blow to the heart, a fascinating opening of precious and ancestral creams with a range, an opulent grace of wide splendor, in the large, serene smile of supreme wine.

Italian Wine Merchants' Expert Picks and articles about Cupano

We're really happy that Italian Wine Merchants' sommeliers and key figures have often talked about Cupano and chosen our wines for their Expert Picks. We decided to collect all the articles involving our estate and wines in a chronological order in this post, that we will update au fur et à mesure. 

September 9, 2015: David Gwo - Rosso di Montalcino 2008 1.5 L & Brunello di Montalcino 2008.

The 2008 Cupano Rosso is drinking exceptionally well right now, especially out of magnum! With softer tannins and less oak character, the Rosso demonstrates its delightful dark cherry, leather, and tobacco notes while being backed by zippy acidity. The perfect pizza or pasta wine, this bottle also a great weekend warrior. Magnums are always fun to open among good company and this Cupano Rosso is surely a crowd pleaser!

​I’ve had the opportunity to taste many vintages of Cupano, and this ’08 bottling is lovely. The 2008 will be earlier drinking than vintages like 2004 or 2006, but it has all the characteristics one looks for in a modern-style Brunello. Dark fruit, dark flowers, spice, and oak are at the forefront of the palate, but if you give this bottle a few more years, everything will round into form nicely. Cupano is an incredibly consistent producer and there’s no doubt that the 2008 will be a pleasure to follow into the next decade.​

April 13, 2015: Crystal Edgar - Brunello di Montalcino 2002.

This was a year in the Tuscan region that did not impress many winemakers. However, Cupano certainly doesn’t disappoint. In fact, this Brunello is deeply impressive! Intense yet genial, elegant yet backed with power, harmonious yet delineated, the ’02 Cupano Brunello di Montalcino seems to offer all components one would expect for a top Brunello, and it succeeds admirably with all components in balance.

March 17, 2015: Will Di Nunzio - Brunello di Montalcino 2007.

Every tasting, every dinner and, really, anytime, this bottle is an instant crowd pleaser. This smooth Brunello’s perfect fruit, balanced tannins and incredible vibrancy made for a perfect glass next Chef Mike’s Buacatini. What a pair! We were all in awe. From southern Montalcino, Cupano is Sergio’s latest addition to the IWM portfolio, and it’s a label that has been on our shelves permanently since December 2013, consistently making our customers overjoyed with wine delight.

November 10, 2014: Will Di Nunzio - Brunello di Montalcino 2008.

Cupano Brunello has become a staple wine in the past year since we’ve carried it at IWM. Almost every IWM client has read about and or tasted this wine, and those who have had it have loved it. I had this bottle with some great customers last Thursday, and of the six wines poured it was the favorite. It’s hard to get Brunello like this 2008; it’s a classic, approachable wine to enjoy now and for the next ten years. IWM’s Chef Mike Marcelli makes an incredible Saltimbocca all Romana, which is the ideal dish to have with this great wine.

October 2, 2014: Francesco Vigorito - Brunello di Montalcino 2003.

Many people might stray away from a 2003 Brunello, but I can guarantee that this Cupano Brunello will change your mind about that. [...] What you’ll get in the 2003 Cupano Brunello are loads velvety textured fruit, soft, integrated tannins and beautifully mature profile. This is a Brunello to drink now and drink often because it’s that good. Come see what Cupano is all about!

September 30, 2014: Garrett Kowalsky - Rosso di Montalcino 2005 1.5 L.

So I am sure by now you are all at least familiar with the name “Cupano.” It is the superstar estate in Montalcino that Sergio identified and secured exclusivity with! Their wines are naturally a little bigger, so it is unsurprising that their 2005 Rosso would still be outstanding. Even better is that we have the wine available in Magnum, so not only can you drink it now…you can drink it over the next decade. The wine was rich and palate staining and stood up perfectly to the amatriciana she had prepared. A wine perfectly matched for autumn’s hearty dishes.

August 25, 2014: Janice Cable - Smell, The Oldest Sense, And Two Tuscan Wines.

But a couple transported me to Italy in a single deep inhalation, specifically the Montevertine Rosso and the Cupano Brunello di Montalcino. Both of these wines smell so deeply of places I knew, places I’d spent time, places whose dirt I’d had under my fingernails, whose pointed scents I’d held in my nose, whose sun I’d felt on my shoulders, that they each felt like little time-travel machines, taking me back in time and across continents to Radda, to Montalcino, to places I know and love and haven’t seen in several years.

July 22, 2014: Robin Kelley O'Connor - Brunello di Montalcino 2008.

For the end of the day, the perfect wine for a twilight dinner of local farm-picked ripe tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella is Cupano Brunello di Montalcino 2008. The Brunello di Montalcino of Cupano have quickly become an IWM favorite. We have been blessed to clear the Cupano cellars of nearly ten vintages of their Brunello. Lionello Cousin, who founded Cupano in the late ‘80s with Ornella Tondini, is French, and he has brought his native sensibilities of winemaking to Montalcino to harmonize with his wife’s Italian passion and roots. They use non-interventionist methods both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Today I have selected the outstanding 2008 vintage. [...] This beautifully crafted ’08 Brunello is going to be a wine for the ages. Lionel Cousin is intensely engrossed in every aspect of his vineyard management. He uses only the ripest, best, low yield organically grown Sangiovese Grosso grapes for the Cupano Brunello. The wine spends 50 months in oak barrels and bottle before release. Deep bright ruby in color, this powerful, intense wine has a nose that’s loaded with exotic spices, fruit flavors. Offering an underlying velvety texture with great nuance, pitch perfect balance and a long finish that continues on for minutes, this is a wine you can drink now or put down for years.

May 19, 2014: Will Di Nunzio - Ombrone 2006.

Silky smooth, impressive, drinkable and delicious—this Ombrone is currently my favorite wine in this price range. What a bargain! Round and balanced, this is a wine that everyone loves. I have had it three times in the last 10 days and each time it put a smile on my face. By now we all know the great wines of Cupano, but to have a little wine like this at this age has been an absolute pleasure. I would drink this anytime.

April 21, 2014: Will Di Nunzio - Brunello di Montalcino 2002.

Yes, you read correctly, this is a 2002, the same vintage when many Italian winemakers fell into a depression because their vineyards were ruined by rain, hail and cold weather. In every storm is a little rainbow, and alongside some of the greats, Cupano prevailed against all odds. In my many offers of Cupano, I’ve written about the vineyard and I always, always highlight that the estate has great drainage. What does that mean? It means that in what is considered the worst vintage in 50 years you can get delicious wine because the water goes straight through the soil, rather than sitting and pooling and wreaking havoc with the vines and the grapes. The meticulous care of the owners helps, but nature makes it that simple. Enjoying this great bottle from an “off” vintage is an enlightening experience that everyone should have.

March 24, 2014: Janice Cable - Cupano Sant’Antimo Ombrone, A Wine For Lifelong Friends.

This past Christmas, I poured the Ombrone 2006 for friends at Christmas dinner. It drank like a perfect little chamber orchestra, each note building upon the one before, each one working in concert to create a delightful, deceptively powerful experience. I alone at the dinner had been to Montalcino—in fact, I think I was more or less the only wine person—but everyone loved the wine.
That’s the kind of wine Cupano Sant’Antimo Ombrone is. It’s like its two gracious makers, Ornella and Lionel, people who open their house, their lives and their bottles to strangers and make them lifelong friends.

March 24, 2014: Will Di Nunzio - Brunello di Montalcino 2007.

You’ve likely been seeing the great wines of Cupano, and it’s not by accident. Cupano is an incredible estate whose wines are beautifully balanced and extremely well made, but this high quality, like most of the best wines, speaks volumes about its vineyard. It is said, and some may argue, that Cupano has the best soils in all of Montalcino, why? Drainage, plain and simply. This is one of the few places you will find large river rocks embedded in the soil that allow any rain to dry up fairly quickly. Drainage gives the vines the correct amount of water. avoiding any watering down of the grapes thus maintaining concentration. This rich, delicious, balanced and extremely drinkable Brunello was the hit for the Italian table. Definitely something to pick up.

Cupano goes to Hong Kong with TASTED & Vinovogue

Here is an excerpt of Vinovogue's Vinexpo Asia-Pacific special issue in which you will find our Ombrone 2010, with ratings and notes from the two Best Sommeliers of the World who tasted it blind:

Andreas Larsson - Intense dark ruby red. Quite balsamic notes with hints of dried fruit, leather, and dark cherry, the palate is well integrated with a good evolution/complexity, ripe fruit, integrated tannin, fresh, long and dark fruity aftertaste, still youthful on the finish with rich tannin, should develop well for a long time. 93

Markus Del Monego MW - Dark purple red with violet hue. Seductive nose with elegant notes of blackcurrants, blackberries and mild spices, discreetly smoky nose. On the palate well structured and balanced with excellent weight and length. Hints of dark chocolate in the finish. 95

You can read the whole Vinovogue special issue at the following link (Ombrone, page 27)

Both the magazine and the journal had a massive distribution all over Hong Kong - airport, restaurants, hotels, bar, cafes and wine shops - as you can see in TASTED's newsletter.

Janice at IWM

Inside IWM. Expert Picks: Cupano and Castello dei Rampolla

Posted on | December 5, 2013 | Written by Will Di Nunzio

I love the cold. Mostly, and I say this often, I love it because I am inspired to drink great red wines. Two wines that we have recently received in stock, that struck me and that surprised me come from Montalcino’s Cupano and Chianti’s Castello dei Rampolla; these are two wines you can easily enjoy with the high carb and high protein diets we love to indulge ourselves with during the holidays. Order a steak and bring one of these bad boys with you—enjoy!


Cupano Sant’Antimo Ombrone 2007
Toscana – Montalcino – Cab Sauv, Merlot
To my surprise, the Ombrone is a huge, massive wine. It’s an organically grown powerhouse that begs for a more modern palate; those of you who enjoy that style, this is a gem that no one else has. Cupano is miniscule estate with only seven acres of property and its owner-winemaker, Lionello Cousin, takes incredible care of each vine. Some say that he can tell the difference between each individual plant as he walks the vineyard trimming them with cuticle scissors.

Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco 2006
Toscana – Chianti – Sangiovese, Cab Sauv
One of the great Super Tuscans of our time comes from biodynamic Castello dei Rampolla. Though not as well known as the heavy hitters like Sassicaia and Ornellaia, this wines of this estate are no less important. Making wine since the thirttenth century, Castello dei Rampolla has a long history in the wine world, but it wasn’t until 1980 when the modern era of wine making began and it was put on the map. The secret here is Giacomo Tachis, legendary enologist, who has put his hands on so much of Super-Tuscan winemaking. Between the current owners, Luca and Maurizia di Napoli, and Tachis’ guidance, Castello dei Rampolla’s wines have become worthy of sitting at a table with the likes of the previously mentioned Super Tuscans. This is an incredible bottle for the price.
SOURCE: http://www.insideiwm.com/2013/12/05/expert-picks-cupano-and-castello-dei-rampolla/

CINQUE annate di Cupano nella classifica globale dei 200 migliori vini del mondo

A seguito della prima degustazione alla cieca di vini italiani, tenutasi ad Essen lo scorso mese di gennaio 2013, sono ben 37 le bottiglie italiane che entrano nella classifica globale dei 200 migliori vini del mondo, stilata dai due migliori sommelier del mondo, Markus Del Monego e Andreas Larsson.

Link: Tasted Journal Tuscany. Blind Tasting. Aprile 2013.

Il primo numero di Tasted Journal dedicato all’Italia ha visto la partecipazione di circa 120 viticoltori provenienti da tutto il Bel Paese.

Tra questi spicca il Sassicaia del 2009 della Tenuta San Guido che, grazie ad un eccellente punteggio di 95 su 100, si attesta nei primi 50. Ottimi risultati anche per la Tenuta San Leonardo e Cupano, che fanno il loro ingresso nella prestigiosa classifica di Tasted con tre annate, e per Petra, Masciarelli, Domenico Clerico e Ornellaia, che piazzano due vini ciascuna. La regione più rappresentata è la Toscana, che porta 17 vini nella Top 200, seguita dal Piemonte, con 7, e dal Veneto, con 6.

Link: Cupano Brunello 2005 Riserva

Link: Cupano Brunello 2006 Riserva

Link: Cupano Brunello 2007

Link: tastedjournal.com 

Swig introduction to Ombrone 2007