2011 Renieri Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

Renieri di Montalcino is a 300-acre estate in southern Montalcino. Its 75 acres of vineyards face south and were planted in 1998. Along with Sangiovese, the principal grape of the appellation, Renieri grows Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. The estate is owned by Marco Bacci, a Tuscan garment industry executive who turned the family apparel business into a highly successful jeans company. In the 1980s he began buying property in several regions of Tuscany, including Chianti, Maremma, and, in 1998, the Renieri estate. Renieri produces Brunello di Montalcino, as well as blends and Syrah.

Brunello di Montalcino is regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino is entirely Sangiovese. Montalcino itself is a picturesque, hill-top town not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine. Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.