Brunello di Montalcino, Vecchie Vigne, 2016
Lots of ruby red fruit, a bit closed aromatically but a purity and intensity on the palate - not heavy but not wanting for concentration either. Clearly shooting for the more ethereal style. Raspberry leaf, a touch of rock salt and rose petals. Ripe raspberry and stones. From a single plot called Ragnaie, next to the estate, planted in the 60s, which at 550 metres above sea level, are among the very highest vines in Montalcino. The wine is aged in the same way as the estate’s regular Brunello in large 25hl Slavonian oak barrels for 36 months. Rarely more than 3000 bottles are produced.
critic reviews
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino V.V. is more of a whisper than a shout, impressing with a wonderfully floral display, as crushed stone and smoke gives way to bright cherries and strawberries, then dried roses and incense. It’s silky yet lifted but also youthfully compact, ushering in tart red fruits wound tightly in a mix of minerals and fine tannin. There’s a purity here that is otherworldly, even as this finishes classically dry and austere. The V.V. is sourced from the original vineyard and vines of Le Ragnaie at 600 meters. It will need many years to fully blossom and broaden out its textures, but it is worth waiting for.