Altesino Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 1995 (1500ml)

Awarded Due Bicchieri (Two Glasses) by Gambero Rosso Vini d'Italia, Italy's most influential wine publication  

Set amongst the eastern hills of Montalcino near Siena stands the imposing structure of the 15th-century-built Palazzo Altesi, home to the Altesino winery. The building overlooks the 100 hectare estate, approximately half of which comprise vineyards. 

"One of my favorite Tuscan estates, Altesino's wines are consistently among the finest of the region."  Robert Parker

The Altesino Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100% of the local Sangiovese grape referred to as Brunello or Sangiovese Grosso. It is a DOCG wine and must be be aged five years before release. The wine must also spend at least two years in wooden barrels and age at least four months in the bottle. 

Expert reviews

"The Brunello '95 is equally impressive (as the '95 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli), although its characteristics differ. It, too, needs to breathe for a while to unfirl its bouquet of liquer cherries and hints of vanilla. Prominent acidity and tannins on the palate do not seriously disrupt the general harmony."  Gambero Rosso Vini d'Italia - Due Bicchieri (Two Glasses)

"The dark ruby/purple-colored, outstanding 1995 Brunello di Montalcino offers a sensational bouquet of dried herbs, incense, licorice, and ripe, jammy strawberry, cherry, and red currant fruit. Opulent on the palate, with sweet, intense, berry fruit, this lush, ripe, evolved Brunello is ideal for drinking over the next 7-8 years. One of my favorite Tuscan estates, Altesino's wines are consistently among the finest of the region. Drink 2000-2008."  Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate – 93 points

Awards

Gambero Rosso - Two Glasses  

About Montalcino

Montalcino, located in the province of Siena and situated just below the area of Chianti, is Tuscany's most famous wine region. It surrounds the town of Montalcino and is the warmest and driest area in Tuscany, which allows the Sangiovese grapes (commonly referred to as Brunello in this area) to achieve maximum ripeness.

Montalcino covers 24,000 hectares, 15% of which is occupied by vineyards. The site is approximately a square bordered by rivers Ombrone, Asso, and Orcia. The range of slopes with various exposure, the extremely hilly terrain, and the varying elevations from 120m to 650m above sea level create distinctive microclimates.

The two main wines that are produced from Sangiovese in Montalcino are Brunello di Montalcino (DOCG) and Rosso di Montalcino (DOC). Brunello di Montalcino (known as Brunello for short) was granted DOCG status in 1980, while Rosso di Montalcino was granted DOC status starting with the 1984 vintage.

Brunello di Montalcino must be aged five years before release. The wine must spend at least two years in wooden barrels and age at least four months in the bottle. The Riserva wine must age at least 6 months in the bottle, and is released a year later onto the market.

Rosso di Montalcino is a wine to be enjoyed earlier and need only be aged for one year before release.

Tuscany Wine Regions

About the winery

Set amongst the eastern hills of Montalcino near Siena stands the imposing structure of the 15th century-built Palazzo Altesi, home to the Altesino winery. The building overlooks the 100 hectare estate, approximately half of which comprises vineyards.

Altesino has always been a leader among Montalcino estates, unafraid of innovation. The estate pioneered the technique of aging its IGT wines in small French oak barrels, limiting the time spent in oak to enhance each wine's personality. The resulting wines were a groundbreaking improvement over those produced by traditional methods. No longer overwhelmed by wood, they were able to display the unique characteristics of the fruit, with softened tannins and perfect balance.

Not content to rest on its laurels, Altesino became the first Montalcino estate to introduce the concept of cru wines, made with a special selection of grapes from a single vineyard. Its Montosoli Brunello (Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli DOCG), named after the prestigious vineyard, was the first of these wines and is still considered among the region's finest. Elegance, finesse, and a fruitier, richer style are the trademarks of Altesino's wines and have earned the estate a position among the very top producers of Brunello. This achievement is even more impressive considering Brunello is perhaps the most recognized Italian appellation.

The estate vineyards (approx 50 hectares) comprise six plots - Altesino in the north (17ha, 220m elevation), Macina in the north-east (9ha, 250m elevation), Cerbaia (2ha, 285m elevation) and Montosoli (5ha, 275m elevation) in the north-west, Pianezzine (6.5ha, 250m elevation) in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, and Velona (6.5ha, 180m elevation) in Castelnuovo dell'Abate.