2021 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli
The 2021 Altesino Montosoli is one of the best vintages of all time for this benchmark single-vineyard Brunello, drawn from the celebrated 13-acre Montosoli cru, a northwestern-facing, limestone-rich site at roughly 1,485 feet that Altesino has bottled separately since 1975. The 2021 vintage is outstanding as Brunello’s growing season was marked by severe spring frost and notable drought, yet the best wines have emerged with a classically proportioned style, combining freshness, grace, structure, and strong aging potential. In the glass, Montosoli delivers exactly the kind of pedigree that has made the site famous: black cherry, raspberry, violet, licorice, pepper, and outstanding minerality, subtle earthy complexity, with the depth and firmness to reward patience while still showing the finesse and precision that define top Brunello. This is not a vintage of Montosoli to miss!
Wine Advocate (Monica Larner) 97 points! "Proprietor Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini has important holdings in this special cru, and if you're after Montosoli, this is one of the best expressions around. Fruit comes from a five-hectare plot with friable galestro soils at a sweet spot perched at 350 meters above sea level. The Altesino 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli flaunts an especially sharp profile with enhanced minerality and focus. There is wild cherry and dried currant, but ultimately more impactful are the elegant aromas of crushed stone. These give the wine brightness and vertical lift. The mouthfeel is medium- to full-bodied in texture with fine, powdery tannins that are well integrated. It is matured in Slavonian oak casks. You can cellar this wine longer, but you can also enjoy it in the medium term to take advantage of that pretty fruit freshness. Production is 12,000 bottles."
Vinous (Eric Guido) 95 points! "The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli is intense, with a penetrating bouquet of crushed black cherries, stone dust, cedar spice box and worn leather. Vividly ripe red berry fruits meet crisp mineral tones and an air of sweet lavender. Balanced throughout, it leaves a web of fine-grained tannins and a subtle licorice tinge while finishing with remarkable length."
Description
The 2021 Altesino Montosoli is one of the best vintages of all time for this benchmark single-vineyard Brunello, drawn from the celebrated 13-acre Montosoli cru, a northwestern-facing, limestone-rich site at roughly 1,485 feet that Altesino has bottled separately since 1975. The 2021 vintage is outstanding as Brunello’s growing season was marked by severe spring frost and notable drought, yet the best wines have emerged with a classically proportioned style, combining freshness, grace, structure, and strong aging potential. In the glass, Montosoli delivers exactly the kind of pedigree that has made the site famous: black cherry, raspberry, violet, licorice, pepper, and outstanding minerality, subtle earthy complexity, with the depth and firmness to reward patience while still showing the finesse and precision that define top Brunello. This is not a vintage of Montosoli to miss!
Wine Advocate (Monica Larner) 97 points! "Proprietor Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini has important holdings in this special cru, and if you're after Montosoli, this is one of the best expressions around. Fruit comes from a five-hectare plot with friable galestro soils at a sweet spot perched at 350 meters above sea level. The Altesino 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli flaunts an especially sharp profile with enhanced minerality and focus. There is wild cherry and dried currant, but ultimately more impactful are the elegant aromas of crushed stone. These give the wine brightness and vertical lift. The mouthfeel is medium- to full-bodied in texture with fine, powdery tannins that are well integrated. It is matured in Slavonian oak casks. You can cellar this wine longer, but you can also enjoy it in the medium term to take advantage of that pretty fruit freshness. Production is 12,000 bottles."
Vinous (Eric Guido) 95 points! "The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli is intense, with a penetrating bouquet of crushed black cherries, stone dust, cedar spice box and worn leather. Vividly ripe red berry fruits meet crisp mineral tones and an air of sweet lavender. Balanced throughout, it leaves a web of fine-grained tannins and a subtle licorice tinge while finishing with remarkable length."
