Brunello as a region has long stood for quality excellence and the purest expression of Sangiovese (specifically the Brunello clone). There is however more than one style of Brunello as leading producers from this famed Italian region began to highlight single vineyard expression.

For consumers, the intrigue factor behind better understanding single vineyard expressions from Brunello di Montalcino lie in the fact that there are indeed at least two styles to explore: the “cool climate” Brunello style, which yields around 30 to 35% of overall Brunello production raised from northern edges of the appellation; and the “warm climate” Brunello style, which accounts for 65 to 70% of overall Brunello production.

Traditionally, Brunello producers blend northern and southern fruit for the sake of complexity and consistency. Recent decades see the rise of single vineyard, terroir-specific bottlings. As the world continues to be fascinated by the Burgundian concept of terroir expression in wines, it looks like Brunello di Montalcino (as with rest of classic high quality regions in the world) will organically and naturally embrace the notion of single vineyard bottlings especially for flagship expressions. Today, we do a selection of two “cool climate” Brunello di Montalcino’s iconic single vineyard expressions for your consideration.

“Cool climate” Brunello – Altesino’s Montosoli single vineyard bottling

Montosoli is in fact a vineyard of about 5 hectares to the north east of Montalcino at an altitude between 350 and 400 metres, whose grapes were fermented and aged separately for the first time after the 1975 harvest. The composition of the soil (marly limestone and siliceous limestone representing the Alberese era with lithoid components dating from the same period), the unique position and particular microclimate contribute to ageing the grapes which produce an extremely complex and elegant wine.

Brunello Montosoli boasts a bouquet of black cherry, blackberries, raspberries, violet, liquorice, vanilla and a slight accent of pink peppercorn. On the palate it reveals a dry, warm, velvety flavour, rich in substance and noble pedigree, ending with a warm note that lingers persuasively. Altesino has received important international recognition for its Cru Montosoli when Wine Spectator called it Italy’s second most representative vineyard.

“Cool climate” Brunello – Valdicava’s Madonna del Piano single vineyard bottling

Valdicava has long been recognized as one of the top producers in Brunello. Renowned critic Robert Parker described the estate as “top three or four Brunello di Montalcino producers”. The winery locates in the northern part of Montalcino at an altitude of 300m. It is at this altitude where the grand vineyard of Madonna del Piano sits. Organic viticulture further ensures the authenticity and fruit purity of this estate’s Riserva single vineyard bottling.

Expect a superior degree of finesse, floral notes, pure red fruit and rich deep texture from Madonna del Piano. These wines gain elegance progressively over the years, with an average ageing lifespan of 20 to 30 years.