2016 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO MONTOSOLI ALTESINO - 1x300cl

Tasting Notes

• 

  Goedhuis, February 2021

  A truly special example of this great vintage from Montalcino. Deep garnet colour, aromas of grenadine and kirsch jump out of the glass it is so beautifully perfumed. This is everything Brunello should be, succulent in the palate with characters of blackberry and dark toffee. Whilst unquestionably a wine which possesses a feeling of youthful power, the overriding characteristic is a wine of silky grace, the fruit is so pure and refined. The tannins sit so comfortably within the wine, they are almost sandy texture, giving the wine a presence and structure. The finishing freshness of acidity is light in touch and allows the wine to flow through the palate. A truly gorgeous wine with a great life ahead of it.

• 

  Wine Advocate, November 2020,
  Score: 96

  The Altesino 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli (with 15,000 bottles produced) is a true beauty. The wine reveals dark fruit intensity that comes forth as blackberry, plum and summer cherry. In no time, those aromas shift to the savory side of the spectrum with smoke, tar and tobacco. The results are generous and layered, offering the best of what the celebrated Montosoli cru can offer, especially in an ironic vintage such as this. Drink 2024-2048. Monica Larner, Wine Advocate

• 

  James Suckling, December 2020,
  Score: 97

  Lovely sweet cherries and heather with some leather and balsamic undertones. It’s full-bodied with a velvety and lightly dusty palate. Juicy fruit and pretty orange peel to the berry character. Hints of cedar and meat at the end. Subtle and complex. Drink after 2025.

• 

  Vinous, November 2020,
  Score: 96

  The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli pulls you close to the glass with a captivating display of candied citrus rinds, incense and dried roses giving way to rich cherry sauce and a hint of brown spice. It’s deeply textural yet youthfully dense, as it first cools the palate with lavender and ripe dark red fruits; yet beneath is a layer of grippy tannins that close the wine down. Notes of licorice, black tea and purple florals linger on the youthfully chewy finale. The 2016 is just a baby today, and it will need a number of years to come fully into focus - but it will be worth the wait. Drink 2025-2040. Eric Guido, vinous.com

• 

  Jancis Robinson, October 2020,
  Score: 16.5

  Mid ruby. Quite a savoury aroma, lightly spiced but gentle. Intense but tender tannins, succulent and very long with savoury spice and just a hint of fruit sweetness. All tied up in the tannins but very fresh and elegant. Lovely balance and tenderness. (JH) Drink 2022-2030

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Producer

Altesino

Altesino is amongst the finest addresses in Montalcino, celebrated for producing wines with striking elegance, power and majesty, the epitome of regal Brunello. Set amongst the north eastern hills of Montalcino the imposing structure of the 15th century Palazzo Altesi overlooks the estate. Built by the Tuscan family Tricerchi, whose marble crest can still be seen set over the old oak entrance door, since 2002 Altesino has been owned by the Gnudi Angelini family. The winery’s outlook combines an essential respect for tradition with a forward-looking perspective, resulting in wine that retains the unique and high quality reputation of Brunello. From an emphasis on traditional methods of agriculture, the careful hand selection of the grapes, to the rose bushes overlooking the rows of vines, Altesino firmly focuses on quality, a principle that governs every aspect of life and work at the estate. Their Brunello is always a wine of drive and energy. Moving to the ‘Montosoli’, this is Altesino’s signature vineyard location. The Montosoli hill is the most enviable vineyard site in Montalcino in which only a handful of growers own vines. The style here reveals a distinctive stony, mineral character and poise that comes from the galestro soil. It is always a wine for the ages and one that will continue to develop well beyond the ‘straight Brunello’.