San Polino Brunello 2018

This Brunello di Montalcino DOCG comes from a vineyard on the northern slopes of Montalcino, in Tuscany, at 300 metres above sea level. The vines thrive on well-ventilated, sun-drenched clay-marl soils that give the wine ripeness, freshness and mineral depth alike.

The grapes are picked in early October, then vinified by spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in 35 hl truncated-cone oak vats. A three-day cold pre-fermentation maceration is followed by around 30 days of skin contact after fermentation. Ageing continues for three years in large Slavonian oak casks, completed by a spell in French barriques kept in the cellar.

This wine reveals notes of morello cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, plum, orange zest, rose, violet, rosemary, smoked tobacco, incense, cumin, cardamom and flint. The palate, broad without heaviness, rests on a velvety texture, lively, mouth-watering acidity and fleshy, fine, tactile tannins. The persistent finish extends the spicy, smoky and mineral accents.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, home of the Dolce Vita, but how hard it is to understand how its wine is organised! The key to understanding Italy's appellation system is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single uniform one, since each region has its own appellation system. Yet Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavours and styles, as well as bottles full of surprise and creativity. Unfortunately it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most useful and commercially renowned names: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others... But let us talk a little history: winegrowing in Italy goes back to the most distant antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and changed the grape varieties, later calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and some regions already stood out for the excellence of their produce. The Romans also planted many vineyards across Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquests. Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a fairly harsh mountain climate. The plain in the "middle of the boot" has a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. The "south of the boot" enjoys a Mediterranean climate with very hot, very dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a great variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of them native to its land. It is a country just as complex as its wines, and well worth exploring!