Brunello 2021 & Riserva 2020

In 1970, Caparzo produced its first Brunello, at a time when there were just thirteen wineries in Montalcino – one of the appellation's historic estates. What continues to set Caparzo's Brunello apart to this day is the provenance of its Sangiovese grapes: The estate is one of the few in Montalcino to own vineyards spread across various geographical zones throughout the entire appellation. Rather than drawing from a single terroir, this Brunello combines the microclimates of four vineyards into a complex whole: "Caparzo" itself in the north at 220 metres, sandy-clay Pliocene sediments; "La Caduta" in the south-west at 300 metres, loose, stony sandstone-schist; "Il Cassero" in the south at 270 metres, Pliocene sediments with a sandy, stony and schistose matrix; and "San Piero-Caselle" in the east at 250 metres, sandy-clayey.

The Ghezzi family has been cultivating the extensive estate on the south-western slope of Montalcino since 1957 – 530 hectares in total, 50 of which are planted with Sangiovese Grosso alone, on clayey-limestone soils with silt and fossil inclusions. A Brunello that combines the power of the south with the elegance of careful clonal selection comes from this sunny, warm location on the Ombrone. 20 to 30 days of maceration, fermentation at 26–28 °C, followed by 24 months in oak barrels and a full year of ageing in the bottle. The 2021 vintage is considered a classic great Annata: late frost in April noticeably reduced the yields, a warm but never overheated summer and two saving August rains brought the grapes to full, slow phenolic ripeness.

Montalcino is a hill. To be more precise: a single large cone of limestone, marl, slate and sand that rises above the Val d'Orcia – exposed to the north, south-east and south-west, characterised by three completely different climates. Most of the producers in the appellation have access to one of these slopes. Val di Suga has all three. Vigna del Lago in the north-west, Poggio al Granchio in the south-east, Vigna Spuntali in the south-west. Three soils, three microclimates, three characters – and a single winery that unites them all under one roof. The basic Brunello is the result of this unique position: a cuvée from all three sites that does not aim for simplification, but for synthesis. Fermentation takes eight to twelve days at a controlled temperature, with maceration lasting a further two to three weeks. Maturation in traditional 50-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months, followed by six months in concrete and then the bottle. The 2021 vintage brought a late frost in April – the harvest was reduced, the quality concentrated. A dry summer without extreme heat, a long, even autumn. The Consorzio and a jury of eight Masters of Wine agreed on three words to characterise the vintage: fragrant, precise, vertical.

Sometimes a great vintage needs a little scare first. In April 2021, the thermometer dropped to minus seven degrees in parts of Montalcino – late frost, which hit the more sensitive sites and reduced the harvest to around 15 per cent below the previous year. What was a loss for some farms proved to be a gift for quality. Fewer grapes, more concentration. The surviving vines seemed to know what was at stake. The rest of the year followed the textbook pattern of classic Brunello meteorology: regular spring, hot and dry summer – then two decisive rain events in the second half of August, which gave the vineyards water and the grapes their final aromatic complexity. The September nights cooled the Sant'Angelo vineyard in Colle to temperatures that distinguish phenolic ripeness from genuine elegance. Harvest did not start until mid to late September – patiently waited, fully redeemed.

In April 2021, temperatures in Montalcino dropped below zero. The vines, which had already begun to bud, were hit by the frost. What followed was a season of recovery: a rainy spring gave the vines the strength they needed to withstand a long, hot summer. Significant temperature fluctuations between day and night preserved freshness and aromatic precision. The harvest: concentrated, fragrant, healthy. In Montalcino, 2021 is regarded as a classic, elegant vintage. Not the opulence of 2019, nor the concentration of 2020, but balance. 100% Sangiovese, organically grown, spontaneous fermentation, 38 months in large French oak barrels (30 and 54 hectolitres), at least 6 months in bottle.

Ugolforte was a resistance fighter. In the 12th century, he led the people of Montalcino against the Sienese occupying forces – a local hero whose name lives on to this day: in a Brunello. The most striking contradiction dates back to 2010. That was when Tenuta San Giorgio began officially supplying the Ugolforte to the Pontifical Swiss Guard – that 500-year-old corps which guards the Pope in the Vatican. The estate says that shared values, and the symbolism of St George himself – virtue and courage, good triumphing over evil – guided the decision. The wine of the medieval rebel in the service of Christendom's oldest army.

In 1980, Filippo Fanti bottled his first Brunello. He had taken over the estate in the early 1970s, replanted the vineyards, studied the soil plot by plot – and then waited for the first harvest he deemed worthy. This first vintage was no trial run. It was a declaration of intent. Since then, Tenuta Fanti has not missed a single vintage. Castelnuovo dell'Abate is the southernmost sub-region of Montalcino – closer to the sea, warmer and more Mediterranean than the northern vineyards, watched over by the Abbey of Sant'Antimo, a silent witness to centuries of history. Fanti owns 10 hectares of Sangiovese here, spread across various hillside plots at altitudes between 350 and 430 metres above sea level. Slate, galestro, clay, tuff – the soils vary from plot to plot, giving the Brunello that complexity which has always characterised the estate. Elisa Fanti, who joined the team in 2007, has fine-tuned the style: less intrusive oak, clearer fruit, greater transparency. 2021 was a year of great harmony in Montalcino: consistent ripeness, pronounced structure, elegant tannins.

Tenuta Il Poggione is situated on the south-western slope of the Montalcino hill, in Sant'Angelo in Colle – one of the most historically significant areas within the appellation. Lavinio Franceschi laid the foundations here at the end of the 19th century, as a founding member of the Brunello Consortium and one of the first to market this wine under its current name. Today, his descendants, Leopoldo and Livia, cultivate 140 hectares of vines, with vines up to 60 years old, and adhere to a winemaking philosophy characterised by classical rigour: natural yeasts, large French oak barrels, and time.

In 1985, estate manager Giuseppe Bianchini inherited the estate from the childless Countess Elda Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona – a vote of confidence that is renewed every year. Today, his children Paolo and Lucia continue the legacy, 55 hectares in the privileged area of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, in the shadow of the Romanesque Abbey of Sant'Antimo. The 2021 vintage is considered one of the most brilliant of the last decade: bright September days and cool nights gave the Sangiovese that rare balance of aromatic precision and tannic finesse. 24 months in large Slavonian barrels, then further rest in the bottle.

Forty vintages. You have to let that melt in your mouth: When Pierluigi Talenti left the mountains of his native Romagna in the early 1950s and came to the hills of Montalcino, he not only found work at Sant'Angelo in Colle, but also his life's work. For over four decades, he shaped one of the appellation's most famous addresses as cellar master of Il Poggione – and is still considered one of the founding fathers of modern Brunello. He selected his own Sangiovese clones, set new quality standards and became a role model for an entire generation. In 1980, at the end of this era, he bought the Podere Pian di Conte – an old estate with a round tower overlooking the Orcia Valley – and began to press his own Brunello. Pierluigi died in 1999. Since then, grandson Riccardo has run the estate with the same tenacity, advised by Carlo Ferrini and supported by the knowledge that there is something special in these soils of sandy loam, clay and galestro.

Altesino has undoubtedly helped write the history of Brunello. The house was the first to introduce the cru concept in Montalcino, the first to introduce barrique ageing for IGT wines – and was the first to offer its Brunello for subscription. And yet the Annata Brunello is the most honest proof of what Altesino stands for: a style that aims for elegance and finesse, not power for its own sake. Four parcels – altesino, Castelnuovo dell'Abate, Macina and Pianezzine – give the wine its foundation: 100% Sangiovese Grosso from older vines on pliocenic, clay-sandy soils in the eastern hills of Montalcino, at 220 to 280 metres.

Francesco Illy came to Montalcino as a nature photographer – and stayed. What began in 1997 as a personal project is now one of the most exciting biodynamic estates in the appellation. Demeter-certified, run by a young team, with a philosophy that sees no contradiction between perfection and joie de vivre. The "Cielo d'Ulisse" – the sky of Odysseus – comes from the western plots of Montalcino, near Camigliano. Loamy-sandy soils with a touch of galestro, evening sun, a cool woodland climate: a combination that gives Sangiovese freshness and elegance rather than power. Fermentation is spontaneous, and the wine is aged for three years in large, second-hand Slavonian oak barrels.

There are vintages that you can sense even whilst in the vineyard. 2021 was one of them: April frosts reduced yields by up to a third; what remained ripened slowly and fully under a long, hot, dry summer. No rain in September, no rush to harvest – a luxury afforded by this vintage and one that is rare in Montalcino. For Giancarlo Pacenti and his north-facing Pelagrilli vineyards, this meant ideal conditions for a Brunello of classic elegance.

Anyone who knows the south-east of Montalcino knows: no sea breezes, no proximity to the lake, no soft light. Monte Amiata reigns supreme here – the extinct volcano in the background, which breaks the winds, intensifies the temperature fluctuations between day and night and gives the soil its unmistakable character: Galestro slate, gritty, barren, rich in minerals. Oaks and holm oaks stand between the vines, where elsewhere cypresses or olive trees characterise the landscape. Poggio al Granchio – the "crab hill" – lies at 380 to 450 metres, south-east exposure, the historical heart of the appellation. Val di Suga acquired this vineyard in 1999, thus completing a triangle that no other producer in Montalcino possesses. The grapes are harvested by hand in crates, in micro-zones, and the optical selection is uncompromising. In the cellar: fermentation for ten to fourteen days, followed by intensive post-fermentation maceration at 30 degrees for twenty to twenty-five days – this is where extract, density and colour are created. 2021 was particularly favourable for the Poggio al Granchio. The influence of Monte Amiata mitigated the dryness of the summer, while the long autumn ensured even ripeness.

Montalcino is not a homogeneous terroir – it is a mosaic of microclimates, altitudes and soil types that produces completely different interpretations of Sangiovese within a very small area. San Polo lies in the south-east, on the Podernovi hill, where the extinct volcano Monte Amiata shields the vineyards from hot sirocco winds and has left behind pyroclastic deposits that lend the Sangiovese a mineral character found in very few other vineyards. At an altitude of 450 metres, the estate is one of the cooler areas within the appellation – ; large temperature variations between day and night enhance the aromatics and acidity, whilst the dry summer conditions concentrate the berries without stressing them.

The southern quadrant of the Montalcino hill follows its own logic: more warmth, more sunshine, and a ripening process that is more consistent and complete than in cooler exposures. Tenuta Campogiovanni is situated precisely here – on medium-textured silt-sand soils overlying sandstone and limestone, in a location that gives the Sangiovese Grosso reliability in poor years and depth in great years. 2021 was a great year – but it began with a shock. A mild, dry winter had brought forward budbreak; by the end of March, the best-exposed vineyards were already sprouting. Then came the April nights. Temperatures dropped below zero, and the early buds froze. Yields were significantly reduced. What followed was a rainy spring, which helped the vines survive a long and very hot summer. The grapes that survived concentrated what they had. Harvest took place from the third week of September through into October.

A lake next to the vineyard – this is not a metaphor, this is geography. Vigna del Lago is located in the north-west of Montalcino, at 280 metres above sea level, and the small lake that gives the vineyard its name softens the otherwise continental climate of this exposure: harsh winters, very hot summers, pronounced day-night temperature fluctuations. The soil is clay – heavy, watery and cool. A combination that forces the Sangiovese Grosso to take deep root, mature slowly and develop elegance rather than mass. The vine material is the densest in the entire Val di Suga portfolio: 7,500 vines per hectare – a figure reminiscent of the planting densities in Burgundy. Double spur cordon, careful foliage management, yield reduction through thinning out. Hand-picking into crates takes place exclusively in the early hours of the morning. In the cellar: fermentation for eight to twelve days, maceration for a further two to three weeks. Maturation in 40-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months, then concrete, then bottle. No barrique, no wood pressure – pure site. 2021 was a lucky vintage for Vigna del Lago. The late frost in April reduced the harvest – and concentrated the best. No extreme summer, no stress.

In 1977, at a time when the term "terroir" was virtually unknown in Montalcino and little attention was paid to the concept of zoning, Caparzo produced the first vintage of this wine. Its name derives from the farm where the farm labourers who worked for the owners of the nearby Palazzo Montosoli once lived. With "La Casa", Caparzo was once again a pioneer: one of the first single-vineyard Brunellos in the entire appellation, from one of Montalcino's most privileged vineyards. And this wine marks a second milestone: Caparzo was among the first wineries to introduce barrique barrels to Montalcino, thereby creating a wine of a gentle, elegant character. The five-hectare vineyard is situated on Montosoli hill, 275 metres above sea level, with a south-southeast-facing aspect. Montosoli is not a large hill, but its slightly greater altitude protects it from both mist and late frosts – a decisive advantage in this northern sector of the appellation, which has cooler average temperatures than other areas. The soil is schist-clay, known locally as "galestro", and is well-drained; the site enjoys an exceptional amount of sunshine.

Lodovico Lisini died in 1950, leaving the estate to his daughter Elina. At a time when the mezzadria system was coming to an end and agriculture was falling into disuse, Elina took a different approach: she invested, planted new vineyards and transformed the family home into a proper winery. In 1967, she was one of the 24 founders of the Brunello Consortium. She served as its president for many years. Until her death in 2009, it was the quiet, tenacious Elina Lisini who built the reputation of this estate – and of a wine that Giulio Gambelli, Italy's most legendary wine taster, helped to shape. The estate is situated in southern Montalcino between Sant'Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell'Abate, on tuff-rich soil of Eocene origin, 300 to 350 metres above sea level and characterised by the warm Maremma breezes. 2021 was a year of extraordinary harmony: a warm, balanced summer, cool nights lasting well into September, consistent ripening and precise tannins.

In 1978, the first bottle of Brunello from Casanova di Neri found its way onto the market – then still called "Vino Rosso dai Vigneti di Brunello", five years after the first harvest. Giovanni Neri had found his dream and his son Giacomo began to realise it. The white label was there from the very beginning – and still is today. The Brunello White Label comes from specially designated vineyards around Podere Fiesole to the east of Montalcino – the same vineyards from which the estate has been making its Brunello for over four decades. After a cool, slow spring, 2021 brought a balancing, dry summer and even ripening into September.

Pianrosso: the red field. The name refers to iron-rich soils that give the Sangiovese a mineral depth that no winery in the world can replicate. 11.7 hectares on the south-eastern edge of Montalcino, at altitudes between 240 and 360 metres, where ancient marine deposits meet galestro schist. Giuseppe Bianchini had the vineyard replanted in the 1980s, knowing that the heart of the estate lay dormant here. Pianrosso is bottled only in exceptional vintages, following a rigorous selection of the finest grapes, and spends a whole year longer in Slavonian botti than the classic Brunello. Thirty-six months in large oak, followed by further ageing in the bottle. The result is not a wine for immediate enjoyment, but a testament to patience. In 2021, Montalcino produced one of those vintages you never forget: glorious September days, cool nights, perfect phenolic ripeness.

A railway station from the 19th century still stands on the estate – silent, fallen out of time, functionless. The wine that is produced here has something of this image: it doesn't hurry, it waits. And the 2021 came quietly anyway – no record-breaking summer, no headlines, just a cool spring, moderate heat and day-night fluctuations that gave the Sangiovese exactly what it needed: room to mature. Tenuta Pian delle Vigne is located six kilometres southwest of Montalcino, on calcareous clay soil with fine gravel, exposed to the southwest, around 130 metres above sea level. Antinori-owned since 1995 – and has been unyieldingly committed to the same principle ever since: large wooden barrels of between 30 and 80 hectolitres that preserve rather than dominate the Sangiovese fruit. No barrique dictates, no fashionable make-up. Only conviction.

Castelnuovo dell'Abate lies in the south-easternmost corner of the Denominazione – further away from the cool northern slopes of Montalcino, and closer to Monte Amiata, the extinct volcano that moderates the climate of the area. When Gabriele Mastrojanni bought the Poderi Loreto and San Pio estates in 1975, there was hardly anyone here. The land was barren, the soils low in clay but rich in sandstone, tuff and pebbles. That was precisely the reason. Today, Andrea Machetti, as CEO, and Oenologist Maurizio Castelli continue to run the estate in the spirit of its founder – with a consistency that knows no compromise: no herbicides, no chemical interventions whatsoever since November 2022, fermentation in concrete vats with wild yeasts, and extended ageing in large Allier oak barrels ranging from 16 to 54 hectolitres. The Brunello is crafted from a blend of different plots – varying exposures, altitudes between 180 and 420 metres, and vines of different ages – and derives its complexity from this.

In 1991, Luigi Fabbro and Katia Nussbaum discovered an abandoned hilltop south-east of Montalcino: no water, no electricity – but 600-year-old olive trees and soil that had not seen any chemicals for decades. That was exactly what they were looking for. Gigi, a Friulian with experience in mapping biodiversity in the Amazon, and Katia, a London-based anthropologist, became pioneers of the biodynamic movement in Montalcino. All vintages have been certified organic since 2001. Of the 35 hectares, only four and a half are planted with vines. The rest: woodland, wilderness, corridors for animals and insects. "I see every bottle as a work of performance art," says Katia. "Our entire philosophy of life is embodied in the wine." The entry-level Brunello comes from the northern slopes, on loamy-marly soils. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, followed by three-and-a-half years' ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels.