Wines from Tuscany | Montalcino

A textbook Pian delle Vigne: a full bouquet of small red berries, brown spices, mocha and tobacco, before musky cherries and sage follow. Its cool, creamy texture introduces a dense wave of ripe red and black fruits, with salty minerals and fine-grained tannins providing grip. It will show its full beauty in a few years, but with sufficient aeration it is already a pleasure today! SUPERIORE.DE

Pianrosso: the red field. The name tells of iron-rich soils that give the Sangiovese that mineral depth that no cellar in the world can imitate. 11.7 hectares on the south-eastern edge of Montalcino, between 240 and 360 metres above sea level, where ancient marine material meets Galestro slate. Giuseppe Bianchini had the vineyard replanted in the 1980s, knowing that the heart of the winery lies dormant here. Pianrosso is only bottled in superior years, a strict selection of the best grapes, a whole year longer in Slavonian vats than the classic Brunello. 36 months in large wood, then further rest in the bottle. The result is not a wine for quick enjoyment, but a document of patience. In 2021, Montalcino produced one of those vintages that you never forget: bright September days, cool nights, perfect phenolic ripeness.

The bouquet shows a phenomenal blend of pure fruit with wild berries and herbs, before further depths of floral undergrowth and smoky nuances are added. The palate is full, silky smooth, with polished red and black fruits, then savoury spices and hints of sour citrus as it progresses. A hint of liquorice and mint lingers together with a layer of ultra-fine tannins on the long and lightly structured finish. For us, the San Polino Brunello is a prime example of finesse and elegance every year and a beauty on all levels. SUPERIORE.DE

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 is located in the south-easternmost tip of the denominazione – further away from the cool northern slopes of Montalcino, closer to Monte Amiata, the extinct volcano that moderates the climate of the area. When Gabriele Mastrojanni bought the Poderi Loreto and San Pio in 1975, there was hardly anyone here. The land was barren, the soil poor in clay and rich in sandstone, tuff and pebbles. That was precisely the reason. Today, Andrea Machetti as CEO and Oenologist Maurizio Castelli continue to run the winery in the spirit of the founder – with a consistency that knows no compromise: no herbicides, no chemical interventions since November 2022, fermentation in concrete cement with wild yeasts, long ageing in large Allier oak barrels between 16 and 54 hectolitres. Brunello is the result of the interaction between different plots of land – different exposures, altitudes between 180 and 420 metres, different vine ages – and from this it gains its complexity.

The Spuntali vineyard is historically known as the best area of the south-west, sea-facing slope of Montalcino. Spuntali is a historic cru for Brunello di Montalcino: it is its unique terroir, it is also the sunniest and driest of the three slopes of Brunello, and the sea, just 40 kilometres away, already provides a Mediterranean climate here.

Argiano recently caused an international sensation with its Brunello 2018, when the renowned Wine Spectator ranked it as the 8th best wine in the world in 2023. It is fermented in cement tanks and matured slowly in oak wood; its fruit comes from a 22-hectare vineyard with limestone marl soils. Now comes the follow-up vintage, and it is not only very promising because it already perfectly reflects the extraordinary Montalcino year 2019 in its own unique way.

Poggio Landis Brunello Riserva from the dream vintage 2016 is rich in fascinating floral notes. This wine is a statement of elegance and sensory freshness. Elderflower, geranium, noble magnolia and camphor on the nose. Full-bodied, powerful and lively on the palate, it is bursting with vigour and healthy tension with fine-grained, velvety tannins and a long, ethereal finish. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1991, Luigi Fabbro and Katia Nussbaum found an abandoned hill southeast of Montalcino: no water, no electricity – but 600-year-old olive trees and soil that had not seen any chemicals for decades. This is exactly what they were looking for. Gigi, a Friulian with experience in biodiversity mapping in the Amazon, and Katia, a London 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: forest, wilderness, corridors for animals and insects. "I see every bottle as performance art," says Katia. "Our entire philosophy of life is in the wine." The basic Brunello comes from the northern slopes, on clayey, marly soils. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, matured for three and a half years in large Slavonian barrels.

"Pianrosso" – the red plain. When Giuseppe Bianchini began planting this vineyard in 1985, he knew that the heart of his heritage would beat here, on the iron-rich Galestro soils above the Orcia Valley. Eleven hectares between 240 and 360 metres, supported by the slate and marl subsoil that was once seabed before the nearby Monte Amiata left behind its volcanic minerality. Today, his son Paolo and his son Alex continue this legacy – three generations of Bianchini, who face Montalcino's hottest zone with organic cultivation and prudent restraint. The 2020 vintage demanded everything: July heat, which led to 15.5 per cent alcohol, but underneath lies the elegance for which Castelnuovo dell'Abate is famous.

Dark and powerful in the glass with full-bodied flavours of black cherry and blackberry. Spices, leather and balsamic herbs are evident in the background. Medium to full-bodied with very fine tannins that are polished and attractive and melt into the wine. What beautiful purity and finesse! SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines whose story is also told on the label. It used to say "Joanni", today "Ioanni" – a subtle shift that reveals more than just spelling preferences. In the past, "Merlot" was confidently emblazoned on the label, today it is just "Rosso Toscana IGT". The reasons may lie in the depths of wine law or in the strategic considerations of the family – but the wine itself remains what it always was: a rarity, an experiment, a statement – a top Merlot! The small "Bandita" vineyard is located in the south-eastern part of Montalcino, where the tuff and clay soils provide the international grape variety with the fertile soil it needs. Low yields, late harvest at optimum ripeness – the conditions for concentration and depth. Paolo Vagaggini, who has been shaping Fuligni's oenological signature for decades, vinifies this Merlot with the same meticulousness that characterises the great Brunellos. But here he allows himself more time: the grapes mature for three years in French Allier tonneaux, followed by a further year in the bottle before the wine leaves the estate.

Medium, radiant ruby red. Complex nose of sweet and cedar wood, paired with Mediterranean maquis and delicate sweet cherry. In the mouth, balsamic notes, very finely woven tannins and a wonderful complexity that envelops the juicy fruit core and gives the wine an impressive depth and length. The elegance is also very impressive and will certainly increase with further maturity. SUPERIORE.DE

In the early 14th century, a place name appears in a document from Castelnuovo dell'Abate: "Vallocchio Brunello" – bordered between the "Podio Rubeo" and "Piage di Monte Caprile" parcels. This is the oldest documentary reference to viticulture in this municipality. Seven centuries later, the five oldest vineyards of Tenuta Fanti stand on this very land. History has never stopped here. Filippo Fanti has studied, cultivated and observed this terroir for decades. 2010 was the year – the first Vallocchio. Since then, it has only been released in exceptional vintages: no pressure, no annual promise, but a selective statement about what the place really has to say in a particular season. Five hectares, 20 to 35-year-old vines, well-draining Galestro soils of medium texture at 230 to 250 metres above sea level. Hand-picked from the second half of September to mid-October, depending on exposure and plot.

Nastagio (also known as Nastasio) is the name of an ancient farmhouse of the Fattoria di Sant'Angelo, which was already recorded in the maps of Grand Duke Leopold. Brunello Nastagio is released on the market five years after the harvest, as if it were a Riserva, and is the result of the many years of experience that Col d'Orcia has gained in the development and cultivation of the Sangiovese vineyard. It is also the result of the many research chapters that Col d'Orcia has been carrying out with the University of Florence for more than twenty years. The ageing in tonneaux (500 Liters) oak barrels and then in the traditional large "botti" represent an ideal combination between tradition and modernity, while maintaining the essential aspect of longevity.

Gentle balsamic notes with rosemary and lavender scents on the nose. When it opens in the glass, you can get a clear picture of the dark fruit at its centre and the delicate particles of chalk dust that frame the bouquet. The fruit for this wine comes from a five-hectare plot with alkaline soils that are rich in numerous mineral components. The complexity of the soils is reflected in the attractive bouquet, and this outstanding Riserva vintage offers a rich structure, velvety tannins and persistent intensity. SUPERIORE.DE

Neris Edel-Rosso was born with the purchase of a very special vineyard. True to the winery's philosophy of only producing wines from the best terroirs around Montalcino, the small 7-hectare plot with over 45-year-old vines was acquired in 2018. This was preceded by over 40 years of friendship with the previous owners, with whom Giovanni Neri planted the vines and nurtured and cared for them over the past decades. Incidentally, the best grapes from this vineyard have been used for a small quantity of the eponymous Brunello di Montalcino since the 2018 vintage.

Laura Brunelli's Brunello is an outstanding reflection of the appellation every year. A floral bouquet, the purest expression of cherry and strawberry imaginable, hints of mint, sage and cedar dust - all are found in its stunning bouquet. The youthful density of the ripe primary fruit contrasts with salty minerality and lively acidity, leaving a cascading and crisp impression on the palate. SUPERIORE.DE

Caparzo's La Casa vineyard, located in an enviable position on the hill of Montosoli, has been vinified separately since 1977 and is one of the first single-vineyard bottlings in Montalcino. Like regular Brunello, La Casa has a surprising underlying acidity that gives the wine brightness and focus, the northern exposure of the parcel certainly playing a role. Fresh herbs and pomegranate contrast with nuances of sun-baked earth and incense. On the palate, the wine is very full-bodied and concentrated, with tactile tannins, yet remains fresh and flowing at all times. SUPERIORE.DE

700 bottles. That is the entire production of this Vin Santo – from the Vigneto delle Valli at 420 metres, 5,000 vines per hectare, 1.5 kilograms of grapes per vine. Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Bianca, half each, harvested by hand in the first days of September 2018 and then transferred to the appassimento. The grapes were left to dry for four months in the ventilated appassitoio – four months in which the water drained away, the sugar concentrated and the flavour intensified. Then manual pressing with a mechanical hand press. What remains finds its way into 100-litre chestnut Liters– sealed with the winery's mother yeast, which is passed on from vintage to vintage. There the must rests, ferments slowly and matures for five years. Five years in which wood, yeast and time do their part.

Caparzo's La Casa vineyard, located in an enviable position on the hill of Montosoli, has been vinified separately since 1977 and is one of the first single-vineyard bottlings in Montalcino. Like the normal Brunello, La Casa has a surprising underlying acidity that gives the wine brightness and focus, and the northern exposure of the parcel has certainly played a role in this.

Neris Edel-Rosso was born with the purchase of a very special vineyard. True to the winery's philosophy of only producing wines from the best terroirs around Montalcino, the small 7-hectare plot with over 45-year-old vines was acquired in 2018. This was preceded by over 40 years of friendship with the previous owners, with whom Giovanni Neri planted the vines and nurtured and cared for them over the past decades. Incidentally, the best grapes from this vineyard have been used for a small quantity of the eponymous Brunello di Montalcino since the 2018 vintage.

In 1971, Giovanni Neri bought the Podere Casanova to the east of Montalcino. He was 48 years old, a grain merchant from Montevarchi, and had a single dream: to make a great Italian red wine. The Brunello DOC at the time comprised barely thirty producers, and the area was rough and undeveloped. Giovanni Neri saw what others had not yet seen. He lived long enough to introduce his son Giacomo to the work – but not long enough to see what became of that first podere. Giacomo and his sons Gianlorenzo and Giovanni saw it. On the fiftieth anniversary of the estate, they dedicated a wine to the founder that bears his name.