# Cerbaiona Brunello di Montalcino (2019)

- **Producer:** Cerbaiona
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Sangiovese
- **Region:** Toscana, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €190
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 18–20 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, strawberry, violet, rose, black pepper, vanilla, cloves, tobacco, forest floor, leather

## About this wine

Cerbaiona is a legendary estate in Montalcino, founded in 1977 by Diego Molinari, a retired Alitalia pilot who crafted some of the most sought-after, classically styled Brunellos of the 20th century. Located on the cooler, eastern slopes of the Montalcino hill near Canalicchio, the estate sits at an elevation of 300 to 400 meters on unique galestro and limestone soils. In 2015, Molinari sold the estate to Matthew Fioretti and Gary Rieschel, who initiated a meticulous, multi-million-euro revitalization. This overhaul included constructing a new subterranean aging cellar and replanting degraded vineyard blocks. The 2019 vintage represents a monumental bridge under Fioretti's leadership, combining the fruit of the oldest original vines with advanced, ultra-hygienic cellar practices while preserving the estate's historic soul.

## Interesting facts

- Founder Diego Molinari originally planted the estate's oldest parcels with vine cuttings sourced directly from the historic Biondi-Santi estate.
- In 2015, Cerbaiona declared itself a 'No Scores Zone,' refusing to submit wines to critics, though critics still buy and rate them highly.
- The estate produced exactly 9,382 standard bottles of the 2019 Brunello, making it an incredibly rare and highly allocated collector's item.

## Food pairing

This classic Brunello di Montalcino demands dishes with high protein and savory fat to soften its firm, youthful tannins. The wine's high acidity cuts beautifully through rich meats and cheeses, while its pronounced intensity matches the deep, earthy flavors of wild game, mushrooms, and slow-cooked ragùs.

## Wine making process

The winemaking at Cerbaiona under Matthew Fioretti blends traditional philosophy with modern precision. Sourced from certified organic, hand-harvested estate parcels, the Sangiovese grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in open-top, conical wooden tanks (15HL to 30HL) without crushing. To preserve elegance, pump-overs are minimized, and caps are punched down manually. The wine undergoes an extended post-fermentation maceration of approximately 30 days for deep structural extraction. It is then aged for 30 to 36 months in large, neutral Slavonian oak casks (botti) ranging from 10HL to 20HL, crafted by coopers Klaus and Jacob Pauscha. Minimal racking is performed to preserve fruit purity, and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, followed by 6 to 8 months of bottle aging before release.