Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Piaggione 2020

Powerful and generous on the nose: the bright cherry of Sangiovese Grosso, joined by black morello cherry, mulberry and blackberry, air-dried pork charcuterie, black pepper and allspice. Above that, dark chocolate, sandalwood and a touch of olive tapenade. Densely knit, with a pronounced umami impression, dry at 14.5% ABV.

The Cru Piaggione covers 1.2 hectares and lies at the foot of the cantina, facing east-southeast at 420 to 450 metres above sea level. The limestone soils are skeletal, resting on marlstone that is 60 to 80 million years old. A terrace break divides the vineyard into two plots, planted in 1994 and 2007. The Tyrrhenian Sea lies 35 kilometres away, and the climate is Mediterranean.

Single-varietal Sangiovese, hand-selected. Cellar master Gianni Fabbri vinifies exclusively Sangiovese at Podere Salicutti, producing 15,000 to 20,000 bottles a year. Francesco Leanza cleared the land in 1994 and planted the vines around the cantina; Sabine and Felix Eichbauer now run the estate and have farmed biodynamically to Demeter standards since 2022.

Meaty entry, intense, slightly toasted aromas, spiced with black cardamom and pepper. The precisely structured, fine-grained tannin gives it a chewy texture, compact and full-bodied with a meaty bite, while tobacco and leather hold the dark depth. Balanced despite its youth, with a noticeable drive. Large glasses are essential, and time in the glass pays off.

Podere Salicutti is Montalcino's first certified organic estate; the vines planted in 1994 have never stood in soil that came into contact with conventional pesticides. The label carries the Demeter logo, and the estate belongs to the respekt-BIODYN association of 36 European winegrowers. Of the estate's 11 hectares, 4.5 hectares are under vine, with the remainder given over to olive grove and woodland.