Red Still Wine | Italy | Tuscany | Montalcino | 75cl
£74.95
/
£449.70
£427.22 case
ABV: 14.5%
Size: 75cl
Closure Type: Cork
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Sub-Region: Montalcino
Wine Style: Full Bodied
Grape: Sangiovese
The estates Brunello was first produced in 2005 and is comprised of fruit from Sugarille, Rennina, and the family’s other vineyard in Torrenieri (in the north-east of the Montalcino area). The soils in Rennina and Sugarille are generally clay-calcerous with lots of galestro, the soils in Torrenieri are clay, silt and sand. Each of the vineyards undergo sperate maceration, fermentation and ageing for 24 months in oak, followed by careful blending. The final wine is then aged for a further 6 months in concrete prior to bottling.
A quality vintage that is arguably the best since the lauded 2016, with a welcome return to roughly average production for the region. Antonio Galloni sums up 2019 as “the vintage we’ve all been waiting for”.
Tasting Note
This classic Brunello displays a light ruby-red colour typical of a cooler vintage. The nose is herbal as evidenced by the Mediterranean scrub notes of thyme and rosemary along with a hint of balsamic, which opens to red berry aromas of cherry and plum. There are hints of pine resin and sweet notes of vanilla bean. The palate shows a balance of acidity and fruit with sweet, enveloping tannins that will ripen over time. This wine drinks beautifully now but will reward those who chose to age it.
*****
Following on from a spectacular 2016 vintage, 2017 and 2018 Brunello’s were a mixed bag where some producers masterfully created elegant wines, but the vintages were undeniably challenging. It is therefore no surprise that the 2019’s were so hotly anticipated – a quality vintage that is the best since the lauded 2016, with a welcome return to roughly average production for the region. This is brilliant news given the increasing demand for Brunello, a tiny DOCG of just 2000 hectares registered under vine.
Demand has increased so much that prices now exceed $1m per hectare, whereas it was difficult to give the land away 40 years ago, and this has of course translated in the pricing of the wines. Brunello di Montalcino is a crucial addition to the cellar of any savvy wine buyers and collectors, and with such limited volumes available the quality producers are well worth a closer look. Moreover, many producers in 2019 have produced wines that are approachable now but have huge cellaring potential, and this is certainly the case for the Gaja family and Pieve Santa Restituta, with Eric Guido stating that Sugarille “…will be worth the wait.”.
