Passo del Lume Spento Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Vineyard and terroir

The organically grown fruit comes from Montalcino’s highest vineyard, situated on a sandy plateau at 621 metres above sea level.

Vinification

The grapes are harvested at optimal ripeness and sorted on a table, with selected bunches retained. Fermentation and maceration take place in concrete vats for 45–90 days, with regular manual pump-overs. After gentle pressing, the wine is bottled without filtration or fining and with minimal added sulfur.

Ageing

The wine matures for 36 months in 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak casks.

Vintage notes

The 2017 winter was mild, with above-average temperatures and little rain, prompting earlier budbreak than usual. Warm, dry conditions in March accelerated the growing cycle. Temperatures fell to almost 0 °C in late April, without damaging the vines. Flowering concluded in June under favourable conditions. July and August were dry and warmer than average. Yields were slightly below normal, while the grapes remained notably healthy and reached optimal ripeness.

Label / history

“Passo del Lume Spento” means “Pass of the Extinguished Lantern.” Until a 2016 rule change, vineyards for Brunello di Montalcino could not be planted above 600 metres. The 2017 vintage was the first produced from this site.