Piancornello, Brunello Di Montalcino, 2016

Piancornello Brunello Di Montalcino is ruby red colour with hues of brick. The bouquet is characteristic, both of the Sangiovese grape variety and of the Montalcino area, with notes of sour cherries, chocolate, tar, a balsamic touch and aromatic wild herbs. The palate is full-bodied, generous with chewy fruit and spices, dense and persistent.

The Piancornello estate is located in the southern part of Montalcino, where the Brunello wines typically show considerable breadth and richness. The soil is of volcanic origin and it is very rich in small stony material, which gives the wine more structure and complexity. This, along with the steep slope of the vineyard, allows for substantial drainage. The vineyards are 10-20 years old and they are planted with highly-selected clones of Sangiovese in order to give low yields and loose clusters of grapes. The vines are grafted onto stalks that are resistant to drought and high summer temperatures.

This Piancornello Brunello Di Montalcino is an amazing wine from the excellent 2016 vintage. After the malolactic fermentation, the Piancornello Brunello was aged in barrels and tonneaux for 10 months before the wines from various vineyards are blended together. This final blend is then aged in Slovenian oak botti for a further two years before spending yet more time in bottle prior to release, resulting in a delicious and complex wine.

The Paincornello Estate is in the Cru zone of Sesta which has become famous for organic and Biodynamic production with Piancornello leading the way. They respect all of the nature around them and their belief in minimal intervention delivers wines of truly amazing quality.

About the grower

"One of my favourite under-the-radar estates in Montalcino." - Antonio Galloni, September 2013

The Pieri Family purchased the estate vineyard at Piancornello in 1950, and sold fruit to other Montalcino producers until releasing the first vintage under the Piancornello label in 1991. The name “Pian” refers to the vineyard's location on a hamlet of rocky, volcanic soil in the Orcia Valley near the village of Montecucco. This warm, southwestern portion of Montalcino produces full-bodied, mineral flavoured wines as result of its southern exposure, hilly slopes and alluvial soil.

The certified organic vineyards sit on southfacing slopes between 200-250 metres high in the Sesta zone, and are planted with carefully selected, low yielding Sangiovese clones that can withstand drought conditions and high summer temperatures. The soils at Piancornello are alluvial, rich in rocks, pebbles and sand. Located just south of Montalcino, the Mediterranean sea breeze influences the vineyard microclimate by allowing for an early harvest before the rains. All fruit is picked and sorted by hand.

• ❖ ABV: 15%