Altesino’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a special, limited edition wine that is only made in spectacular vintages and in small quantities. It is 100% Sangiovese Grosso grapes, hand harvested from the Altesino, Macina, Pianezzine and Castelnuovo dell’Abate vineyards in the Val d’Arbia DOC. First produced in 1975, the wine ages for at least four years in Slavonian oak before spending six additional months in bottle. Ageing potential is twenty to thirty years, so consider laying a case down in your cellar and forgetting about it, if you can.
This Brunello has an opulent and full body, with an ample and complex bouquet of violets, wild strawberries, dark cherries, chocolate, spices, cedar and vanilla. The palate is quite seductive, confirming the nose, with layers of ripe fruit, a balanced acidity and plush mouth-coating tannins.
Try pairing it with a roast leg of lamb with rosemary, aged Pecorino, or Bistecca alla Fiorentina.
“The Altesino 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with 10,000 bottles made) shows a tight and firm delivery with the abundant fruit and the generous richness that is associated with this warm and sunny vintage. The wine is fermented in steel vats and ages in Slavonian oak casks for three years. The tannins are nicely integrated, however the wine’s solid structure will carry it forward over the years.”
95 points, robertparker.com, Nov 2020
“With its mesmerizing and utterly classic bouquet, the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva lifts from the glass, mixing crushed black cherry, plum and leathery aromas with notes of sage, lavender and violets. The textures are silky-smooth, enveloping the palate in vibrant red and hints of blue fruit, as salty minerals, spice and rosy florals build toward the close. Its tannins are firm, yet there’s plenty of primary intensity to balance, along with cooling herbal tones that add refreshing lift. One of the more successful Riservas of the vintage, the 2015 is produced from a selection made throughout Altesino’s vineyards. It’s matured in a mix of 3,000 to 10,000-liter Slavonian oak barrels for two years prior to bottling.”
95 points, Vinous Media, Nov 2020
A very pretty Brunello now with sweet berry, orange-peel and cedar aromas and flavours. It’s full-bodied, yet refined and relatively soft with silky tannins and a flavourful finish. Fine tannins. Drink or hold.
94 points, JamesSuckling.com, Nov 2020
