Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The grapes grow at 450–500 metres above sea level in a Mediterranean climate, on limestone and slate soils. The vines are 24 years old on average.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand into 15 kg crates and sorted manually at the winery. Spontaneous fermentation is followed by malolactic fermentation. During fermentation, délestage takes place one to three times daily for five days, while the cap is punched down once daily for 19 days.
Ageing
The wine undergoes three stages of ageing. Initially, 80% matures for 18 months in 3,200-litre barrels and 20% in two-year-old tonneaux. After blending, it spends a further 18 months in 8,400-litre barrels, followed by one month in steel tanks before bottling. The 2016 vintage was bottled on 29 August 2019.
Vintage notes
The 2016 winter was mild, with abundant rain in February. Budbreak occurred in the first week of April, followed by flowering in the final week of May under sunny conditions favourable to fruit set. Summer was generally mild, without extreme heat and with some rainfall. Ripening was slow and even, aided by marked differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures shortly before harvest. The vintage received a WineHunter Gold Award.
Label / history
In the hills of Montalcino, Sangiovese is also known as Brunello. The people of Montalcino formerly called the wine Bruno, meaning brown, after its intense brownish colour; over the centuries, the name evolved into Brunello.
