Podere Bucine Brunello di Montalcino 2019 DOCG 0,75l

The Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2019 from Podere Bucine comes from a small family vineyard on the northeast-facing slope of the Montalcino hill, between 350 and 400 meters, in the area of the Canalicchio municipal road. It is pure Sangiovese grosso: the vines, planted in 2002 and trained to a spur cordon, grow in clay and stony soil facing northeast, a cool outlook that allows the grapes to ripen in balance. The origins of the estate date back to the 19th century. In 1980, ownership passed to a family of farmers from Montalcino: at first, the wine was just for home, shared with friends, then over time, especially thanks to Ermete, the head of the family, a small winery was established. The name recalls Bùcine, in Valdarno, the hometown of those who lived on the estate before them. On around ten hectares among olive groves and chestnut trees, the vineyard occupies just one and a half, and there are only two labels: this Brunello and the Rosso di Montalcino. All the work stays in the family. The soil is worked by machine, with a subsoiler and disc harrow, and grass is left between the rows in summer. The 2019 harvest was done by hand on September 28 and 29: the grapes, already selected in the vineyard, undergo manual sorting before destemming and, after crushing, fall by gravity into stainless steel fermenters, where they remain on the skins for 21 days with brief pump-overs. What distinguishes this Brunello above all is time. The regulations require at least two years in wood and four months in bottle; here, the wine spends 30 months in 500-liter oak tonneaux and 36 months in stainless steel, then rests for 4 months in bottle. Such a long aging period, in barrels larger than a barrique, is the hallmark of a winery in no hurry. The 2019 had a cold, dry winter, a cool spring with rain in May, and a warm summer without extremes; early September rains brought cooler conditions in the final weeks before harvest. The result is a classic-style Brunello, in which the structure of Sangiovese from Montalcino is joined by the freshness of a northeast-facing slope and tannins that have had time to soften during the long aging. In Bucine's range, it is the flagship wine, capturing the character of the place, alongside a younger Rosso. Serve at 18 °C, opening the bottle an hour beforehand or decanting it, with red meat, braised dishes, game, and aged pecorino; it can continue to age in the cellar for a long time. In the STELT selection, this Brunello represents the Montalcino of small family wineries, made in limited quantities and without rushing.