2020 Altesino 'Montosoli' Brunello di Montalcino

An ICONIC 97 POINT single vineyard bottling of Brunello, from one of the best crus in the region…

With a trio of 96 point scores from the pros, plus one lone 97 leading the way AND a hefty 50% price drop?! Mic. Drop.

This wine is an absolute beast - “full bodied”, “saturated”, “rich” and “seamless” are just a few of the key words from the reviews. But they all summarize into one singular focus: this is a seamless work of art and a benchmark Brunello. One with increasingly intricate layers the closer you look – full bodied, built on a tower of black fruit, spice, and mineral notes with tightly-packed tannins that unfurl to velvety plushness at the edges.

When we tried it, both Agent Noir and Agent Rôtie wouldn’t shut up about how great this 97-pointer is. And the price!

If you know Altesino, you’re probably already checking out. If you aren’t familiar, they’re one of the most respected names in Montalcino. Founded relatively recently by Italian standards in 1970, they immediately made a name for themselves as innovators – producing the region's first single vineyard designated wine, Montosoli, in 1975.

Wine Advocate recently expounded, “Montosoli was the first cru wine made in Montalcino, and today it is considered one of the best growing sites in the appellation.” They continue, “Montosoli is distinguished by its compressed clay schist soils called galestro. What I discovered in this retrospective is a truly territory-driven wine that shows the flinty mineral nuances you would expect of this spectacular vineyard site. That mineral theme runs throughout these elegant wines.”

The other bit of secret sauce that makes Montosoli so celebrated is its altitude. Located atop one of the region's hills, north of the town of Montalcino itself; the vineyard's altitude set above the fog line offers exposure to marine influence from the west, giving the grapes plenty of flavor-developing sunlight without overripening.

Altesino was not the first to recognize this. But they were the first to do a designated bottling, framing just how special this cru is.

“Altesino’s modern history begins with Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini, who purchased the estate in 2001 and at the same time purchased the Caparzo estate in the north of Montalcino.” points out Jeb Dunnuck.

The winery continues to innovate, integrating modern science and environmental consciousness with traditional winemaking. As they explain, “In 2006, they built a fully sustainable winery and are currently producing zero CO2 emissions. Fermentations occur in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks with selected yeast before being transferred to large Slavonian oak up to 120 hl in size. The winery has two full-time winemakers, Simone Giunti and Alessandro Ciacci. Elisabetta’s children, Alessandra and Ignio (aerospace and environmental engineers, respectively) both tend the estate,”

And 2020 was a great vintage for Altesino. The growing season was hot and dry, but plenty of rain the winter before helped the vines avoid hydric stress and develop powerful ripeness. Later, rains in September helped cool things off, adding freshness.

The result? “The 2020s at Altesino are beautiful wines that show the aromatics and energy of this sun-kissed vintage yet maintain outstanding balance. The high elevations and galestro soils of Montosoli add another level of depth and complexity. There's much to enjoy here. Readers should expect a more Burgundian style and earlier accessibility than in the past.” raves Vinous.

So, yeah. A cellar-worthy, single-cru Brunello you can reliably mature for a couple of decades for, wait, WHAT?! Around the cost of a tank of gas?!

Agents Rôtie and Noir are both making room in their collection. You should, too!

97 Points – James Suckling *“A juicy and lightly austere young red with blackberry, cherry and bark character on both the nose and palate. It’s medium- to full-bodie