This seems to be a fairly new Napa cab project, and one that is reasonably priced.
Has anyone tried the wines or have some info on them? According to Vinous the goal is to make classically structured cabs in the style of Togni and Dunn.
I know Massimo fairly well. I believe he makes this wine from Farella Vineyard in Commbsville and is Farella’s day to day winemaker. So if you have had those wines then you get an idea what you are in for.
I would say he is in the Cathy Corison, Phil Togni style, but without the big tannins Togni has because Farrella is in Coombsville, whereas Togni is a mountain wine. He is maybe 1 brix higher than Corison. His Cab reminds me a bit of 1999 Dominus.
I can see why Galloni would like it, it’s his style “to a T.” And probably that of a few others as well. They need 5 years for sure and are not fruit bombs at all. Lovers of Schrader need not apply, most likely. They are a “claret” style.
Nice to see him getting some traction.
Roy, thanks. That’s very useful info.
I picked up a bottle when I saw the name (we kind of share a last name, at least the Costanzo part). I want to open this before the '13 offer is released so I have an idea so maybe I’ll be able to pick up 2 next time. I met Massimo at the Farella property to pick up my bottle one day, I found him to be really nice and personable in our 5-10 minute chat, he seemed very passionate about his wines and I wish him much success! Sorry don’t have any notes or impressions yet but I am definitely going to open this soon and I am sure I will find myself ready for the next release!
Very cool to see my name pop up on the WB board. It has been educational to follow the board over the years and am somewhat embarrassed that I’ve waited so long to post.
Roy, thank you for posting your thoughts, but I figured it might be more informative to hear directly from the source.
In terms of style I would say that I land somewhere between the Napa Valley wines that are most influential to me, which are Dominus, Togni, Forman, Maya, and Screaming Eagle (pre-2008). My wines are somewhere between modern and classic.
I was the day-to-day/assistant winemaker at Screaming Eagle for the 2006 and 2007 vintages. I came on board with the new team that purchased the property from Jean Phillips. We designed a new winery and replanted the vineyard. A remarkable time of transition and an amazing learning experience.
My other experiences that have informed my style, have been vintages at Tenute Tignanello, Rustenberg (w/Adi Badenhorst), Clos des los Siete, Ovid, and Melka Consulting.
I have always viewed my training/apprenticeship in winemaking similar to that of chefs and restaurants. It is important to have experiences in other chefs kitchens where you better hone your craft and find your style. It takes time and requires patience, but in the long run your own product is better for it. It took me 10 years to articulate in bottle the wines that I would like to make.
By the way, Galloni’s review of the wine was spot on.
I hope this helps clarify a few things for you and I hope you give my wine a taste in the near future. The 2013 will be released Feb. 16th.
Cheers!
Massimo Di Costanzo 
Thanks for jumping in the thread, Massimo. Appreciate the added information. Looking forward to trying your wine and will be buying next week.
Thanks for jumping in, Massimo!
I blinded the '10 at Nopa last year and loved it. The savory pyrazine character was notable for me. Stylistically it seemed a bit richer and cleaner than Corison (her wines tend to have a bit of overt Brett spice).
Notes:
It’s what I like best about Bourgueil, with Bordeaux richness and some New World flare and intensity of fruit. The oak is worn very modestly, to my taste. Lovely balance within the context of New World structure.
Sweet ripe green peppers with intense dark fruit and modest, well-melded oak accent. Phenomenally elegant balance with just a hint of opulence, and supple tannins. Persistent.
Justin: Thank you for your support and look forward to getting the wine to you. If you are ever in Napa, please reach out.
Rajiv: Glad you had a great experience with 2010 at NOPA. It was a great turnout for Magnum Monday. We went through a case of mag’s before the first tables were turned!
The 2010 wine is dear to my heart, as it was my first commercial vintage. I drank a bottle at Press the other day and it struck me that I was 30 years old when I made that wine. Not sure where the time is going.
The 2013 has similarities to the 2010, but will show slightly riper. The 2013 vintage was cool at times, but not quite as cool as 2010. The 2013 also has a little more new oak, but wears it very well. The 2013 is my favorite wine to date.
-MDC
Massimo, great to see you getting active on the board! I got turned on to your wine through the folks at Acme Fine Wines. I really enjoyed the 2012 vintage and look forward to ordering some bottles of '13 when they are released next Tuesday.
6 bottle allocation is live this morning. Ability to wish list both additional 750s and magnum format.
At $85, it looks to have a nice QPR.
In for 3.
Massimo, how would you say your wine differs from the Farella Cab? I quite enjoyed the Farella last year during PNV (and the sauv blanc was exceptional, too). As an aside, I know Tim Mondavi thinks highly of the Farella wines.
Massimo - Thank you for your participation and explanation. Buona fortuna con il tuo nuovo progetto.
Roy - Thank you for your insights as well. The reference to 1999 Dominus is intriguing and led me to purchase a couple.
I looking forward to trying these.
Kyle, thank you for the question. We source from different sections within the Farella Vineyard, which does play a large role in the final product. My philosophy and style tends to lend itself to slightly more overall concentration. In terms of styles of wines that come off the vineyard, I land somewhere between Farella and Realm. Both great wines just polar opposites in terms of style.
Farella used to be a Mondavi Reserve Vineyard for many years, hence Tim Mondavi’s kind words.
Gentile Signor Melloni–Grazie per gli auguri! Sembra quasi come un sogno meraviglioso a questo momento.
Placed an order for 3. I think I’ll pop one of those sooner rather than later to check it out.
We had the 2012 Di Costanzo Farrella last week and it was terrific. It was a big hit all around.
Byron
In for 2. Very excited to try these.
Massimo has a pretty cool youtube page too. 
(jk)
We’re on our way back from a last minute Sonoma/Napa trip. I reached out to try and connect with Massimo after reading a quick post about his 13 in the Don Cornutt Cali Cab thread. It was a reminder of meeting him briefly earlier in the year. A good ITB friend of ours introduced us to Massimo in St Helena and had suggested I look him up in a future trip. Tight schedules for both of us and little notice on my part got in the way of meeting up live. Massimo did let me know that Acme still had the 13 and his wife Erin could help me out if we dropped by.
I swung into the shop yesterday afternoon just before closing after tasting at Realm and Rivers Marie and met Erin to pick up a bottle. She was kind enough to pour a healthy taste via Coravin for me to sample. We chatted about the 13 and the history of their project and what Massimo was trying to achieve with his wines. My plan of trying one back home changed by the time I finished the glass and I purchased some to take back on the plane. After tasting some terrific wine earlier in the day the Di Costanzo more that stood out and made me take notice. The descriptions above are spot on. For me it hits a sweet spot between modern and classic and reminded me of Forman pre 2007. Nice dark savory fruit intermixed with supporting acid and slightly firm but supple tannins. This is hits my sweet spot in Cali cab. Forman, Bressler, Spottswoode and Seavey fans I believe would all enjoy( Calling JFlegler…) Here’s a link to the website for those interested- https://www.mdcwines.com
Acme still has a few bottles of the 13 left so those that missed out should reach out to them. I haven’t been to Acme in many years and it was a quick reminder to what a fantastic selection of wines they have and how generous and welcoming they are to customers.
Cheers,
Fred
Fred, Thanks for the note. I might try one soon now that we are finally having some fall weather.
One of my favorite wines of the year. I bought two, as I was encouraged by comments on this website.
I opened one shortly after its arrival.
In sum, my one word tasting note: Elegant.
For what it is worth, the only two wines that I tasted this year that I thought of as highly as the Di Costanzo was a 2009 Ridge Monte Bello and a 2000 Pichon Baron.