Brunello di Montalcino San Polino

Intro to Brunello di Montalcino San Polino –

Brunello di Montalcino San Polino is a sensuous expression of Sangiovese with concentration of flavours and balance.

Full tasting note and wine making –

Brunello di Montalcino San Polino is fruity, fresh and pure, a gorgeous, sensuous expression of Sangiovese with real concentration and superb balance in spite of the alleged lightness of the vintage. It can be aged, but it is hard to resist now, hitting this very rare, sweet spot where a wine is ready to drink while having the bones to age further. This wine shows the strength and character of the San Polino terroir.

The vineyards are to the north-east of Montalcino at 300m altitude where a meandering stream runs through it attracting much wildlife. Worked by hand, organically and biodynamically, the canopy is well-managed to produce healthy, juicy, thick-skinned grapes.

The fruit is harvested early in October, there is a cold 3-day maceration, followed by a spontaneous fermentation on native yeasts in 35hl tronic oak barrels, a 45 day maceration in total after which the skins are pressed, followed by a one month spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Finally the wine spends 3 years aging in large Slovenian and French oak casks before bottling by hand in the winery. 5% of the barrels are new.

The Producer –

There is a small ‘oasis’ northwest of Montalcino, where Luigi Fabbro and Katia Nuassbaum founded San Polino nearly thirty years ago. Using Luigi’s scientific experience of mapping the Amazon rainforest they decided to try their hands at “creating wines as complete reflections of the biodiversity of their terroir”.

This tiny estate of only four hectares now produces luscious and balanced wines farmed organically and bio-dynamically by this energetic couple who, it is clear, pour all their heart and energies into these sublime wines. Praised by critics and peers they have been described as having “an incredible clarity and pureness of fruit that is unequalled in the region”.

The Brunello vineyards are surrounded by forests and mediterranean shrubland, enhancing their incredible richness of biodiversity. Work on the vines is done by hand, as is the harvest. The winery is situated  under the family house, where spontaneous fermentations  on native yeasts create wines which are to be seen as true reflections of their terroir, non-interventionist and in true respect of nature. They believe that all life on this planet is linked by a single thread, forming a myriad of wondrous interconnections which encompass all of us, the soil, the vines and all of life at San Polino.

Drink with –

Amazing complement to roasted or grilled vegetables, meat, mushrooms, and full-bodied cheeses.