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Tasted blind. Lustrous mid ruby. Backward on the nose but really enticing. Slow to unfold and with a gorgeous tannic structure and well-balanced acidity. Irresistible, but deserves much more time. Walter Speller
Although Giulio Salvioni's family has grown grapes since the early 1900s (which they then sold onto larger producers), it was not until 1985 that he began crushing his family's precious grapes from their tiny 3-hectare plot.His cellars are divided into 2 sections - the charming ageing cellar, which is tucked inside a discrete old building off the main piazza in the centre of Montalcino (if you blink, you'll miss it), and the working chai, which is situated next to the vineyards allowing the grapes to be pressed immediately upon picking.He produces only 2 wines, Brunello and Rosso. The Rosso is not made every vintage, but only whenone of his three medium-sized bottis (yes, that is all!) is not quite the concentration that it should be for his Brunello. His style is traditional and markedly masculine with wines that are able to age for many, many years. Out of our three Brunello producers, he might be considered the most Médoc-like in comparison. Only about 800 cases are produced.
Located southwest of Chianti, Montalcino came into its own in the late 1880s when local producer,Biondi-Santi, discovered a Sangiovese clone in his vineyard that was darker in colour than the rest. Its colour, however, was not its only attribute. It produced a wine with notable body, structure and length. He named it ‘brunello' meaning little dark one.This grape's genetic properties along with Montalcino's relatively temperate climate combine tocreate a wine stylistically different to that of more northerly Chianti. They are usually releasedapproximately 5 years after the vintage following 2 to 4 years ageing in wood. The denomination ofRiserva indicates a wine usually produced with more concentrated grapes than the traditional cuvéeand requires a minimum of one additional year of ageing.Today, Montalcino has become one of the most sought after appellations in the Tuscan region.