Altesino Brunello Di Montalcino 2021

Altesino is one of the historic names of Montalcino and an important estate in the development of modern Brunello. The property has about 100 hectares, with roughly half planted to vines, spread across six sites including Altesino, Macina, Cerbaia, Montosoli, Pianezzine and Velona. The estate has always emphasized traditional farming, careful hand selection and an elegant, ageworthy interpretation of Brunello. Altesino is also historically significant for introducing the single vineyard concept to Brunello with its Montosoli bottling in the 1970s.

The 2021 Brunello comes from a selection of Altesino’s vineyards, including Altesino, Macina, Pianezzine and Castelnuovo dell’Abate, with soils ranging from clay and sandy sedimentary soils to galestro. The estate describes its vineyards as being managed with traditional agricultural methods and careful attention to the health of the vines. The wine is 100% sangiovese, harvested by hand, and the 2021 vintage is a particularly classic expression of the variety, balancing ripe fruit with freshness and structure.

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel with a traditional maceration and extraction, followed by malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for approximately 36 to 42 months, followed by at least six months in bottle. This is important to the Altesino style: despite the estate's early experimentation with barriques, the regular Brunello is matured primarily in large, older oak, allowing the sangiovese and Montalcino's character to remain at the forefront rather than being dominated by wood.

The 2021 is a beautifully classic vintage for Altesino, with red cherry and wild berry fruit alongside violet, dried herbs, tobacco, spice and subtle balsamic notes. It has the combination of firm but refined tannins, lively acidity and savory length that makes Brunello so compelling, with considerably more elegance than sheer power. This is a traditional, polished Montalcino that should drink well now with decanting but has the structure and balance to develop beautifully over the next decade or more.