About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The 2017 vintage came from the estate’s high-altitude vineyards. Their elevation and the water reserves accumulated during winter helped the vines withstand an exceptionally hot, dry summer and achieve balanced ripeness.
Grapes
100% Sangiovese.
Vinification
For 2017, the fruit underwent three days of cold maceration at 5°C. A rapid alcoholic fermentation followed, then a further three weeks of maceration.
Ageing
The 2017 wine matured for 24 months in a combination of 500 L French oak tonneaux and 25 hL oak casks, followed by 24 months in bottle.
Technical data
2017 alcohol: 14.5% vol. Harvest: September 18–20.
Tasting profile
The 2017 Wine Spectator note describes ripe cherry and plum with earth, iron, tobacco and herbal accents. Supporting tannins, balance and a long finish frame the wine, with a suggested drinking window of 2025–2042.
Vintage notes
The 2017 season brought extreme drought and one of the hottest summers in recent decades. Winter water reserves and vineyard altitude moderated the stress, producing healthy grapes with concentration and ideal ripeness.
Label / history
Altero was first produced in 1983. From 1995 it qualified as Brunello di Montalcino DOCG after the production rules reduced the minimum period in wood to two years. It was conceived as a classical yet contemporary interpretation of Brunello and became particularly well known in the United States.