Altesino
Brunello: not only a wine, a legend!
Despite all trends, Brunello di Montalcino remains not only a Tuscan classic, but also the quintessential Italian red wine.
Strict regulations for the production of Brunello – which means “little brown” in Italian and refers to the colour of the ripe grapes at harvest – ensure that this archetypal wine must be a pure Sangiovese Grosso from the region of Montalcino. The young wine can only be brought to market some five years after harvest, having spent at least two years in oak barrels and 4 months in bottle.
The Sangiovese Grosso variety is exigent and needs time to ripen. On the nose it shows intense aroma of violets, iris, forest floor and vanilla. On the palate we have relatively discrete fruit and crisp acidity. Warm and dry, with harmoniously integrated tannins and a long finish, a wine you can keep in cellar for many years.
The legendary quality, late release, high demand and limited offer – all of them reasons that explain the current Brunello di Montalcino price.
The Altesino estate is located on a small hill North of the village of Montalcino surrounded by cypress trees – and the historical Palazzo Altesi at its centre has played an important role in the history of Brunello over the past 40 years.
In the eighties, Altesino was the first winery in Montalcino to introduce French oak barrels. With its single vineyard Montosoli, it was also the first winery to create a Tuscan Grand Cru. Grown in a five-hectare plot that is both climatically and geologically favoured, it is a particularly complex and elegant Brunello that has set new standards for the region.
In 2002 the estate was purchased by Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini, an eclectic entrepreneur from Rome.
Altesino produces in most years both a Brunello di Montalcino and the single vineyard Montosoli. In the best vintages a Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is also bottled.
The Montosoli vineyard was planted in 1973. It quickly became clear that the plot was special. The clones thrived on the Galestro soil, made of schist, lime, marl and clay. Moreover, the north-westerly facing vineyard has plenty of sunlight during the day, but cools down in the evening, which facilitates the ripening of the grapes and ensures their aromatic freshness. With the 1975 vintage the decision was made to bottle the wine from this plot separately. Given its balance, exposition, soil and microclimate, the Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli is a perfect expression of the region.
In 2006 a new cellar was inaugurated with natural air conditioning, biological water purification facilities as well as photovoltaic solar panels for energy needs. The goal is to arrive at close to zero CO² emissions.
In vineyards as well great attention is placed on sustainability. Both Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini’s son and daughter are environmental engineers, focused on respecting nature as Montalcino and the Val d’Orcia are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Since 2002 the estate has also been expanding and now owns seven vineyards with different microclimates, soils and altitudes. This allows Altesino to deliver consistent quality in every vintage, even the most challenging ones.