Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Teatro Riserva 2019 1500ml Magnum

The Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Teatro Riserva 2019 is a pure Sangiovese from Podere Salicutti's highest single vineyard, and at this stage it is more sketch than finished painting. The fruit sits tightly wound, overlaid with a dark, almost smoky tone, a touch of shoe polish and a subtle reduction. Anyone opening the Magnum now will need time, patience and large glasses.

At 0.7 hectares, Teatro is the estate's smallest cru and lies to the left of the cantina. The site opens south like an amphitheatre, sits at 520 metres and has the coolest microclimate of the three vineyards. The soils are sandy and clay-rich, with a skeleton ranging from very fine gravel to large chunks of limestone and calcareous marl; the foundation is 60- to 80-million-year-old marlstone. Wines from Teatro are always dark and deep.

Sangiovese from vines planted by Francesco Leanza in 1994, on soils that have never come into contact with conventional spray treatments. Sabine and Felix Eichbauer continue to farm the 4.5 hectares of vineyard biodynamically, with every bunch hand-selected. Winemaker Gianni Fabbri vinifies exclusively Sangiovese, producing 15,000 to 20,000 bottles a year. 13.5% vol., aged to dryness.

The attack is powerful and taut, immediately revealing the wine's inner density. The tannins are filigree and fine, yet firm and silky, the ripe acidity glows from within and gives the wine momentum. The finish is long and broad, with dark fruit and a smoky echo.

Podere Salicutti was Montalcino's first certified organic winery. Since 2022 the estate has farmed according to Demeter guidelines and belongs to the respekt-BIODYN association; the Demeter logo appears on the label.