BRUNELLO’S GENIUS LOCI
I
n the wine world there is something far greater than simply the real estate on which vines grow. The human factor adds a multitude of traditions and experiences in farming the land and making wine that have been passed down through the generations to select and nurture the ideal grape variety for a particular location.
Montalcino, a medieval hilltop town in central Tuscany just south of Siena, is widely recognized as home to some of the best sites in the world for Sangiovese. However, unlike Barolo or Barbaresco, the sites within Montalcino have never been formally divided into subzones. ‘Crus’ never received official recognition, even though there are single vineyards known to produce exceptional wines year after year. Vineyards in Montalcino are scattered across four unofficial subzones, where altitude, aspect and soil combine with effects from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the
Orcia and Ombrone rivers and Monte Amiata to provide varying impact to a particular site’s terroir. While Sangiovese vines have been planted in Montalcino for centuries, Brunello di Montalcino is a relatively recent appellation. It was granted DOC status in 1968, after which the small number of producers more than doubled to 25. By 1980, Montalcino was the first Italian wine region to be awarded a DOCG designation. This led to a dramatic increase of producers, reaching more than 250 by 2012. Land that had never been used for viticulture before began to be cultivated to support the growing interest in making Brunello di Montalcino wines. Altesino, Il Marroneto, Poggio di Sotto and San Giorgio staked their claim in Montalcino long before this viticultural expansion began. The sites they steward demonstrate Genius Loci at its finest. And in vintages like 2017, that makes all the difference.
View the vineyard sites on Google Earth
EXCELLENCE AMIDST ADVERSITY “The old vines are often found in the best terroirs selected by our ancestors; what the Latins called Genius Loci. Our luck is to have preserved this viticultural heritage.” – Luca Marrone, Winemaker, Poggio di Sotto & San Giorgio
After back-to-back 5-star vintages, producers in Brunello di Montalcino met a challenging 2017. Spring frosts followed by summer drought and heat spikes tested growers across the region. Yields were drastically reduced, particularly in the south, where excessive temperatures caused berries to dry on vines. The 2017 Brunellos received a 4-Star Excellent vintage rating, but the specifics are far more nuanced. The challenges 2017 brought lead to wide stylistic variation within Montalcino. Vines in the best sites and from older vineyards, whose roots were better equipped to retain water reserves throughout the summer drought, performed entirely differently than more recently planted vines in less-than-ideal sites.
ALTESINO
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“We believe a lot in technology, but very little in chemistry.” – Alessandra Angelini, Altesino
The Land
The Human Hand
Area Under Vine: 45 hectares under vine in four areas of Montalcino Vineyard Elevation: 200 – 450m Soil Composition: Varies by site (Galestro in Montosoli) Average vine age: 20 – 25 (35 – 40 years old in Montosoli)
Owner: Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini Founded: 1970 Farming practices: Hand harvested, no synthetic fertilizers Cellar practices: Minimal intervention with modern technology Barrel regime: 50 – 100HL Slavonian Botti, custom toasted
Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini, owner of nearby Tenuta Caparzo, purchased the Altesino winery in 2002. Altesino, founded in 1970, was already a leader in innovation, introducing the first “cru” concept to Montalcino in 1975 with its single vineyard Montosoli wines, experimenting with barriques in ’79, and printing the first Brunello di Montalcino Futures in 1985.
Today, under Angelini’s leadership, Altesino is firmly committed to maintaining its hard-won reputation as a Montalcino institution and global leader in innovative winemaking while honoring the traditions of the 15th century Palazzo Altesi in the northern reaches of Montalcino.
Altesino
Toscana Brunello di Montalcino 2017
Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli 2017
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016
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Alessandra Angelini on the 2017 Vintage at Altesino
Alessandra Angelini on Altesino Montosoli
Alessandra Angelini on Altesino Vineyards
Alessandra Angelini on Altesino Riserva
WINEBOW IMPORTS
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IL MARRONETO
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“The best Brunello di Montalcino is 20% the influence of any particular vintage and 80% the result of decades of work by the hand of man.” – Alessandro Mori, Winemaker, Il Marroneto
The Land
The Human Hand
Area Under Vine: 5 hectares just north of the town of Montalcino Vineyard Elevation: 250 – 420m Soil Composition: Predominantly marine sand with micro-minerals Average vine age: 45 years old
Owner: Alessandro Mori Founded: 1974 Farming practices: Minimal intervention, hand harvested Cellar practices: Maximum extraction with no fining or filtering Barrel regime: Neutral 26HL French Oak between 10 and 40 years old
When Alessandro gave up his law career to pursue a dream of greatness in Montalcino, he knew he wanted to do so in the traditional way. Alessandro believes Brunello should be elegant with vibrant acidity and built for longevity. The vineyards were first planted in 1975 with a lower density to encourage strong rooting, envisioning the fruit they would produce decades later.
Today, those low yielding vines translate the magic of this steep terroir located just north of the city of Montalcino into consistently excellent quality grapes. The resulting Sangiovese has all components in balance and is ready to transform into a vintage wine that tells the story of the history of Montalcino through the heart and hands of a proud traditionalist.
Il Marroneto
Toscana Brunello di Montalcino Selezione Madonna Delle Grazie 2017
Brunello di Montalcino 2017
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Alessandro Mori on the 2017 Vintage at Il Marroneto
Alessandro Mori on Cellar Practices at Il Marroneto
Alessandro Mori on Traditional Philosophy at Il Marroneto
WINEBOW IMPORTS
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POGGIO DI SOTTO
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“2017 will be remembered as one of the hottest, driest and least productive, but the wines it generated maintained excellent richness of fruit and acidity.” - Luca Marrone, Winemaker, Poggio di Sotto & San Giorgio
The Land
The Human Hand
Area Under Vine: 12 hectares in Castelnouvo dell’Abate Vineyard Elevation: 200 – 450m Soil Composition: Sandy clay, limestone and rocky gravel Average vine age: 40 years old
Owner: Tipa Bertarelli Family Founded: 1989 Farming practices: Organic, hand harvested, low yields Cellar practices: Sponatneous fermentation, juice drained off skins, no filtering Barrel regime: 30HL Slavonian Botti
Poggio di Sotto is known in Montalcino for its old vineyards in which more than 120 unique biotypes of Sangiovese grow. This biodiversity is the cornerstone of the brightness and complexity found in the wines. Since its foundation, the estate has become famous for the low yields and high quality of the Sangiovese that it cultivates and has quickly achieved cult status, now among the 100 most collected wineries in the world.
Located in the southeast of the denomination in Castelnuovo dell’Abate at the foot of Monte Amiata, the steep vineyards on the south-facing slopes are all registered to Brunello production and all wine is made with the intention of becoming Brunello di Montalcino. Only after two years of aging and evolution is it determined what will be bottled as Rosso di Montalcino.
Poggio di Sotto
Toscana Brunello di Montalcino 2017
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016
SAN GIORGIO
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The Land
The Human Hand
Area Under Vine: 41 hectares in Castelnouvo dell’Abate Vineyard Elevation: 250 – 400m Soil Composition: Clay, tuff, and sandstone Average vine age: 20-35 years old
Owner: Tipa Bertarelli Family Founded: 1982 Farming practices: Organic, hand harvested, low yields Cellar practices: Spontaneous fermentation, juice drained off skins Barrel regime: 30HL Slavonian Botti
The San Giorgio estate vineyards are essentially a continuation of the coveted Poggio di Sotto site in Castelnuovo dell’Abate. As such, the Sangiovese Grosso cultivated here benefits from the same climatic conditions, soils, and exposures as its world-renowned sibling. As part of the Collemassari Group of estates, San Giorgio’s vines are now managed and vinified by the same world-class winemaking team of Tuscan icons, Poggio di Sotto and Grattamacco.
The production choices lead to a traditional Brunello style under the direction of oenologist Luca Marrone. Everything in the vineyards and cellar is destined to become Brunello di Montalcino. The barrique regimen of the previous owner is no longer used, with traditional large wooden barrels instead. These changes in philosophy in both vineyard and cellar management are quickly propelling San Giorgio into the upper echelon of Montalcino wineries.
San Giorgio
Toscana
Brunello di Montalcino 2017
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Luca Marrone on 2017 Vintage at Poggio di Sotto and San Giorgio
Luca Marrone on Vineyard Management at Poggio di Sotto and San Giorgio in 2017
Luca Marrone on Cellar Practices for the 2017 Vintage at Poggio di Sotto and San Giorgio
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BRUNELLO’S GENIUS LOCI
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