Barco Reale from Capezzana — a Tuscan Star on the Rise
Why Barco Reale di Carmignano from Tenuta di Capezzana rewards patience — an entry-level Tuscan that blossoms beautifully at three to four years.
Written by The Wine Monk · Singapore
Why would a producer rave about their entry level bottling so much? This historical Tuscan estate is so proud they almost wear it on their sleeve.
This was the question that kept going through my mind as we sat down to taste Barco Reale from Capezzana for the first time.
First introduced with the 1984 Vintage, Barco Reale is an initiation into the house of Capezzana where the grapes get the same care and attention as their flagship Villa di Capezzana DOCG.
Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC takes its name from the Medici property whose boundaries were defined by the "wall of Barco Reale", more than 50km long.
It is a Tuscan wine produced with the same grapes as the flagship Villa di Capezzana DOCG — Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Canaiolo — vinified in steel tanks and developed for about 12 months in allier barrels.
Barco is meant to be drunk young. Most people probably won't take it beyond its 2nd anniversary. Yet what we are discovering is the bottle starts to turn into something else at the turn of its 3rd anniversary and continues to blossom into the 4th. The single-bottle 2020 and the case of 6 are both available now.
