Fonterenza Brunello di Montalcino 2017

100% Sangiovese. Fonterenza grows 4.2 contiguous hectares of hilly vineyards just southeast of the town of Montalcino. The crown jewel of their holdings is a 1.6-hectare parcel valled Vigna del Bosco, so named for the fact that the steep, south-facing, amphitheater-shaped vineyard is entirely surrounded by thick woods. The Padovanis planted Vigna del Bosco in 1999 on this special site featuring complex galestro soils that vary quite a bit from top to bottom of the hill. They harvest it by hand in multiple passes.

Like their vineyard work, Fonterenza's cellar work is mindful and meticulous. The bunches are destemmed by hand and fermented spontaneously in Slavonian oak vats with a maceration of 20 to 30 days (whether there are punchdowns or only a cappello sommerso varies with the vintage). Typically, the wine ages iin 50-hectoliter Slavonian oak botti for the first 2 years and then is moved into smaller botti for 2-3 more years. The wine is bottled without filtration. The Padovanis do not release their Brunello until they consider if ready to drink, so inevitably the current vintage in the market is "behind" most other Brunellos by at least a couple of vintages.