2020 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino

The noble Costanti family is one of Montalcino's oldest families. The current Conte, Andrea, is a geologist and has been at the helm of the winery since 1983. He knows his craft: the small estate is highly praised among connoisseurs. The estate is located two kilometers east of Montalcino and the soil is the famous Tuscan Galestro. The vineyards are situated high for Brunello: between 330 and 440 meters. In the 1990s, the highest vineyards were considered the absolute limit for ripening Sangiovese, but with climate change, this view is changing. Costanti now benefits from this altitude: the wines are fresher and more delicate than average.

Andrea believes in a unique aging system. After fermentation in stainless steel, all wine is aged for 14 to 21 days in 500-liter barrels, a maximum of 20% of which are new. After a year, the Rosso is bottled. The rest matures in Slovenian oak barrels averaging 3,000 liters. After another year, the specific Rosso (Vermiglio) is selected and bottled. The rest matures for another year as Brunello. After these three years of aging, it is determined whether to make a Riserva and, if so, which barrels are suitable. These are the ones with the highest acidity and firmest tannins, which are suitable for extended bottle aging. The Riserva then matures in the bottle for at least two more years, the Brunello for one year. Incidentally, this ingenious system lies somewhere between "cuvée selection" and "vineyard selection": the barrels are selected by vineyard, and generally, the same vineyards end up in the same wine. In 2018, Ian d'Agata of Vinous awarded 98 points to Costanti's Riserva in his 2018 review of nearly 200 Brunelli! He also awarded the "regular" Brunello 96 points, placing it in the top ten. There's only one drawback to Costanti: Brunello, especially the Riserva, needs time to mature to reach its full potential!

The Costanti Brunello di Montalcino is a classic Brunello from a top producer. In the glass, it has a deep ruby red color with an orange-brown rim. Besides ripe, primary fruit (amarena cherries, sweet blueberries), complex oak-influenced aromas (vanilla, cloves, toast), and sultry developing aromas (caramel, coffee), there are also tertiary aromas of tobacco, leather, and game. These complex aromas are also reflected in the palate, supported by a ripe structure with high concentration. Beautiful acidity and ripe tannins form the building blocks that guarantee this wine a long future.