Sunday, August 24, 2025

At Altesino, a Brunello di Montalcino Producer known for Several Innovations (Us of French Barriques, Single Vineyard Concept, Brunello Futures) in Montalcino, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025



From June 16 to July 3, 2025, Annette and I spent time in wine country Italy, by car.

For an overview of the whole trip, go here: Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025 

Fourth Stop: Montalcino and Montepulciano (Tuscany)

From Chianti Classico we drove to Montalcino and stayed 2 nights at La Ragnaie, a well-known Montalcino winery which also has 12 rooms. 

One day we focused on Brunello di Montalcino producers and one day on Vino Nobile de Montepulciano producers.

On both nights we had dinner in the village of Montalcino.  

 

Altesino

Altesino is north of of the village of Montalcino and we stopped there on our way from Chianti Classico to Montalcino. I had a Brunello di Montalcino shortly before the tour at my favorite apple wine tavern Desche Otto (I brought the bottle from my cellar).
 

 
Altesino (GoogleAI based) 

Altesino is a renowned winery in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy. 

Location: Situated amidst the eastern hills of Montalcino, near Siena in central Tuscany. The winery is housed within the elegant 14th-century Palazzo Altesi.

Ownership: Owned by Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini since 2002.

Wines: Altesino is celebrated for its Brunello di Montalcino, made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso grapes, known for its richness and aging potential (up to 10-15 years or more). Other wines include Rosso di Montalcino (from younger vines), Rosé, and IGT wines. They also produce Super Tuscan wines like Alte d'Altesi and Palazzo Altesi, and a Vin Santo d'Altesi.

Innovations: Altesino is known for several innovations in winemaking, including: 

Pioneering the use of small French oak barrels (barriques) for aging wines.

Introducing the concept of "cru" wines (from single vineyards) in Montalcino, with Montosoli being their first and highly acclaimed example.

Initiating the concept of Brunello futures (pre-selling wine before release).

Vineyards: The estate has about 50 hectares of vineyards, subdivided into "crus" like Altesino, Macina, Castelnuovo dell'Abate, Pianezzine, and the highly esteemed Montosoli.

Wine Styles: Altesino's wines are characterized by a fruitier, richer style compared to some traditional Brunellos.

Altesino's single vineyard crus 
 
Montosoli: This is Altesino's most famous single vineyard and was the first Cru in the history of Montalcino, introduced in 1975. Located on a hill north of Montalcino at 350-400 meters elevation, Montosoli's galestro-rich soils and northeast exposure are ideal for Sangiovese, resulting in excellent drainage, slow ripening, and vibrant acidity. One of the most sought after wines from Montalcino, Montosoli is consistently a blockbuster red. 
 
Altesino also produces single vineyard wines from other Cru vineyards including: Castelnuovo dell'Abate, Macina, Pianezzine.  

Altesino (wine-searcher)

Societa Agricola Altesino is a leading estate in Montalcino, Tuscany, particularly known for its Brunello wines. Its Montosoli expression was one of the first "cru" (single-vineyard) wines released in Italy when it was introduced in 1975.

The company produces a range of wines. The generic Brunello di Montalcino is aged for four years with a minimum of two years in large Slavonian oak casks, with five and three years for the Riserva.

The Montosoli wine spends at least two years in casks plus three to four months in French barriques (four years aging in the cellar in total). Their Rosso di Montalcino receives eight months in Slavonian oak.

Palazzo Altese IGT Toscana is 100-percent Sangiovese, made with partial carbonic maceration.

Other wines include Alte d'Altesi and Rosso di Altesino, both blends of Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; the Bianco di Altesino from Vermentino, Chardonnay and Viognier; and a Vin Santo from Trebbiano and Malvasia.

The portfolio also includes several grappas and a brandy, as well as olive oil.

Altesino has around 50 hectares (123 acres) planted to vine. This is divided into the crus of Altesino, Macina, Castelnuovo dell Abatae (in Velona), Pianezzine and the famed Montesoli.

The majority of plantings are of Sangiovese (known here as Sangiovese di Montalcino) for the Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wines. 

Brunello di Montalcino (wine-searcher) 
 
One of Italy's (and the world's) greatest red wines, Brunello di Montalcino is a small wine region in southern central Tuscany, producing particularly impressive wines. In Tuscany, its homeland, it perhaps ranks alongside Chianti Classico. On global markets, it seems to command even greater attention.
 
What does Brunello di Montalcino wine taste like?
 
The wine is typically garnet in color with aromas of red and black fruit with underlying vanilla and spice, and perhaps a hint of earthiness. The wines are usually full-bodied with alcohol levels around 14 or 15 percent ABV. Good tannic structure and bright acidity provide balance.
 
Brunello a.k.a. Sangiovese Grosso 
 
All Brunello di Montalcino wine is made exclusively from Sangiovese Grosso grapes grown on the slopes around Montalcino – a classic Tuscan hilltop village 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Siena. Sangiovese Grosso is the large-berried form of Sangiovese. Brunello, its name here, translates roughly as 'little dark one'. The use of this synonym, and its inclusion in the name of the wine, was part of a clear strategy to differentiate the wine from Chianti. (© Wine-Searcher)
 


 
History
 
Early period
 
The first recordings of red wines from Montalcino date back to the early 14th Century. In the 16th Century, it is said that the French mercenary leader Blaise de Montluc reportedly brought color to his cheeks during the siege of Montalcino by rubbing the local wine on his face.
 
Later, ducal auditor, Bartolomeo Gherardini visited the area between 1676 and 1677, noting that the town produced "strong wine, but not in large quantities". In 1744, British merchant Charles Thompson wrote that “Montalcino is not very famous, except for the goodness of its wines".
 
The importance of Biondi-Santi
 
However, the all-Sangiovese Brunello di Montalcino style we know today did not emerge until the 1870s, just after the creation of a single Italian state. Its evolution was due in no small part to the efforts of Clemente Santi and Ferruccio Biondi-Santi, whose name lives on in one of Montalcino's finest estates.
 
A soldier in Garibaldi's army, Biondi-Santi returned home from the Garibaldi campaigns to manage the Fattoria del Greppo estate for his grandfather Clemente. It was here that he developed some novel winemaking techniques that would revolutionize wine styles not only in Montalcino but in much of Tuscany.
 
Biondi-Santi's approach to winemaking was unique within the region, as he vinified his Sangiovese grapes separately from the other varieties. In Tuscany at that time it was common practice to ferment all the grapes together, whether different clones, varieties, or even colors.
 
His wines were also noticed to be livelier and fruitier than most other wines. What makes the freshness of these wines all the more remarkable is that these wines were aged in wooden barrels, sometimes for more than a decade. This was a key departure from standard practice at the time.
 
This Brunello di Montalcino gained a reputation as one of Italy's finest by the end of World War II. According to government documents of the time, the only commercial producer of Brunello was the Biondi-Santi firm.
 
They had, however, only managed to produce wines in four vintages by that time: 1888, 1891, 1925, and 1945. This was enough, though, to encourage several more producers to try their hand at making wine in this area and in this particular style. By the 1960s, there were at least 11 Brunello producers in the Montalcino area.
 
Recent history
 
At this time Brunello really began to make a name for itself and was formalized as Italy's first DOCG in July 1980, alongside Piedmont's Barolo. Today, there are almost 200 winemakers producing this high-quality red, most of whom are small farmers and family estates.
 
Growing conditions in Montalcino
 
DOCG regulations require Brunello vineyards to be planted on hills with good sun exposure, at altitudes not surpassing 600 meters (1968ft). This limit is intended to ensure the grapes reach optimal ripeness and flavor before being harvested. Any higher than 600m and the mesoclimate becomes cool to the point of unreliability.
 
Fortunately, the climate in Montalcino is one of the warmest and driest in Tuscany. Achieving full ripeness is consequently a rarely encountered problem for Brunello's vignerons. In good years the Sangiovese Grosso grapes ripen up to a week earlier than those in nearby Chianti and Montepulciano.
 
Naturally, microclimates vary between the different vineyard sites depending on their exposure. Grapes grown on the northern slopes tend to ripen more slowly, resulting in racier styles of wine. On the southern and western slopes, however, the grapes are exposed to more intense sunlight and cool maritime breezes, resulting in more complex and powerful wine styles.
 
Top Brunello producers tend to own vineyards on all of the finest terroirs. This allows them to create base wines of both styles and to use those to create a blend in their desired style.
 
Production methods
 
Traditional Brunello di Montalcino winemaking methods involve long aging in large vats, typically made from Slavonian oak. This results in particularly complex wines, although some consider this style too tannic and dry.
 
Modernists began to pursue a fruitier style in the 1980s when they began to shorten the barrel maturation time and use smaller 225-liter French oak barriques. This can be criticized for the overtness of the oak characters in the final wine.
 
According to the disciplinare di produzione (the legal document laying out the wine's production laws) for Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello must be made from 100 percent Sangiovese and aged for at least four years (five for riserva wines). Two of these years must be spent in oak, and the wine must be bottled at least four months prior to commercial release.
 
Rosso di Montalcino
 
The "junior" version of Brunello is the Rosso di Montalcino appellation. Fruit from young vines in Brunello vineyards might be used, or perhaps vineyard plots that catch less sun. These wines are designed to be more approachable when young and aging requirements are greatly lowered.
 
Other wines made in the Montalcino zone
 
Some producers in Montalcino make small amounts red and white wine under the IGT Toscana designation. The reds usually feature Bordeaux grape varieties from a few well-established plots. Argiano's Solengo (Bordeaux blend) and Non Confonditur (Bordeaux varieties with Sangiovese) cuvées are among the better-known examples. More unusually they classify their Suolo wine, from their two best Brunello parcels as IGT Toscana.

Gianfranco Soldera (who died in 2019) released several IGT wines which were all Sangiovese Grosso, reflecting a fractious history of relations with the Consorzio. The success of the "Brunello brand" does however provide ample reason to limit IGT production.

At Altesino 














Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025
 
From June 16 to July 3, 2025, Annette and I spent time in wine country Italy, by car.
 
For an overview, go to:  Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025
 











 
Postings

Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025  

Lake Como 

At Villa Almana in Cernobbio at Lake Como - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025 

Bolgheri 

Dinner at La Tana del Pirata in Marina di Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Winery Tour and Tasting at Tenuta Argentiera, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Florentine Steak - Dario Cecchini Selection - for Lunch at Osteria Magona in Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Running into Marco Balsimelli, Production Director, Ornellaia and Masseto, at Osteria Magona, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at La Macchiole, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Visiting Vigna Lodovico and Tasting Lodovico Antinori's Cult Wines Lodovico and Il Nicchio with his Assistant at Locanda dell' Aioncino - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025 

Dinner at Locanda dell' Aioncino, Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Tasting the Wines of Tenuta di Biserno and Staying at Relais di Biserno, Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia): Barrel Cellar Tour and Tasting - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Bistecca alla Fiorentina for Lunch at Osteria Enoteca San Guido (Sassicaia), Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Dinner at La Pineta, with Chef/ Co-owner Daniele Zazzeri, a Michelin Starred Seafood Restaurant, at Marina die Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025 

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Grattamacco, a Benchmark Producer in Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Lunch at La Tana del Pirata in Marina di Castagneto Carducci/ Bolgheri/ Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
Bolgheri Turning into an Open Air Restaurant - "Cena in Strada" Dinner 2025: Al Fresco Dinner in the Streets of Bolgheri, Tuscany, with Hundreds of other Wine Lovers - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
Chianti Classico 
 
3 Days at Fattoria e Villa di Rignana in the Chianti Classico Region (Tuscany) - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
 
 
Returning to Badia a Coltibuono in Chianti Classico: 2025 and 2012 - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
 
 
At Isole et Olena Winery, a Major Force behind the Chianti Renaissance in the 1970s - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
At Fattoria Nittardi in Chianti Classico, Tuscany: Art and Wine - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
 
Sunset Dinner at Locanda Poggio al Sole (Hill in the Sun Inn) in Chianti Classico - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
(Brunello di) Montalcion and (Vino Nobile di) Montepulciano
 

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