# Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (2021)

- **Producer:** Col d'Orcia
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Sangiovese
- **Region:** Toscana, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €41
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Later
- **Serving temperature:** 18–20 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, violet, herbaceous, black pepper, cedar, cloves, leather, tobacco, forest floor

## About this wine

Col d'Orcia, meaning 'the hill overlooking the Orcia River,' is one of the most historic and influential estates in Montalcino, Tuscany. Owned by the Marone Cinzano family since 1973, the estate has pioneered organic viticulture in the region, becoming the largest certified organic vineyard in Tuscany. The 2021 vintage represents a unique moment in the estate's history. Due to a severe late-spring frost that decimated nearly 40% of the crop, Col d'Orcia made the bold decision not to bottle any of their single-vineyard Cru wines or their legendary Riserva. Instead, all of the top-tier fruit from these prized, high-elevation parcels was blended directly into this estate Brunello di Montalcino, resulting in an extraordinary bottling of unprecedented depth and pedigree.

## Interesting facts

- Col d'Orcia is the largest certified organic vineyard in Tuscany, demonstrating a massive commitment to biodiversity and conservation.
- Due to severe spring frosts in 2021, no single-vineyard Crus were made; all top-tier fruit was blended into this estate bottling.
- The estate completely avoids small French barriques, aging exclusively in large Slavonian and Allier oak casks to preserve typicity.

## Food pairing

This highly structured, high-acid, and firmly tannic Sangiovese requires rich, savory dishes to balance its intense profile. The high acidity cuts beautifully through the fat of roasted meats and rich sauces, while the robust tannins bind with the proteins in beef, lamb, and wild game, softening the wine's mouthfeel. Earthy dishes featuring mushrooms or truffles mirror the wine's complex tertiary potential, creating a harmonious, savory synergy.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for the 2021 vintage began with a rigorous manual selection of hand-harvested Sangiovese grapes. Fermentation took place in temperature-controlled, shallow stainless steel tanks designed to optimize skin contact and extract fine tannins and color over an 18 to 20-day maceration period. Following fermentation with indigenous yeasts, the wine was aged for three years (36 months) in traditional, large Slavonian and Allier oak casks ranging from 25 to 75 hectoliters. This traditional approach avoids small, new French barriques to preserve the pure, unadulterated typicity of the Sangiovese grape. Finally, the wine underwent a minimum of 12 months of bottle refinement before release.