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.

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. Ageing potential is twenty to thirty years, so consider laying a case down in your cellar and forgetting about it, if you can. Try pairing with a roast leg of lamb with rosemary, aged Pecorino, or Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

“The Altesino 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva holds tight to its unique character and power. The classic 2016 vintage produced generous wines that are layered and rich but also coiled tightly at their core. This wine exemplifies this point, adding lots of tart Sangiovese fruit and freshness along the way. It also shows an impressive richness of flavors with dried cherry, licorice, pressed violets, balsam herb and dusty limestone. The caveat with this wine, should you decide to drink it early, is that it needs extra time to open (and a double decanting would also help). This 10,000-bottle production opens beautifully in time.” 96+ points, Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, February 2022 

“The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is so incredibly dark and inward that it prompted me to open a second bottle just to confirm that impression. After an hour, the bouquet started to come to life, with hints of menthol and mint giving way to nuances of black currant and animal tones. It’s much more expressive on the palate, where silky textures are cooled by vibrant acids, and tart wild berry fruits mix with salty minerals and inner violet florals. The 2016 is long and structured, showing balsam herbs, black licorice and a flourish of inner sweetness. This is such an interesting showing as, other than the bouquet, all of the ingredients are here and well proportioned for a long, steady evolution. I’m very intrigued to see where this understated beauty is going over time. Until then, I chose to remain somewhat conservative. 2026-2036.” 94+ points, Eric Guido, Vinous Media, December 2021 

“Like its sister estate – the nearby Caparzo – Altesino boasts vineyards in different sectors of Montalcino. The Riserva blends fruit from southern vineyards near Sant’Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell’Abate with northerly plots, including Montosoli. Pretty yet restrained, this leads with floral fragrances of pressed violet and rose, then progresses to eucalypt and brushwood. It sits gracefully on the palate. Long, silky tannins build with powdery structure. Though the wine gains density, it ultimately expresses elegance over power. Its distinguishing characteristic in 2016 is a pleasant bitterness that recalls cocoa and quinine. Very mouth-cleansing.” 94 points, Micaela Morris, Decanter, November 2021