ALTESINO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
TUSCANY, ITALY 2019
Why Buy: James Suckling has rightly hailed Altesino as one of the "greatest names in Tuscan wine," and its annual releases of Brunello are among the mostly hotly-anticipated new wines by collectors around the globe. As a result, bottles have been increasingly hard to come by in the marketplace, which is why we're so thrilled to have just secured a small allocation of their gorgeous, ready-to-drink, 95-point Brunello di Montalcino from the universally-acclaimed 2019 vintage. And at a best price of less than $60 a bottle, this is a wine you should be thinking of buying by the case, or, better yet, cases.
What They're Saying: Jeb Dunnuck and The Wine Advocate each lavished it with 95 points, with Dunnuck writing that it "moves seamlessly to the palate with equally harmonious structure and a great, long finish," and concluding, "this is one of those wines that’s going to have a very wide drinking window and is exceptional already." The Wine Advocate waxed lyrical: "beautiful ... velvety ... elegant."
The Vintage: "Outstanding," Decanter declared, with producers reaping the massive benefits of a "particularly benevolent" growing season to turn out wines that, almost across the board, deliver "immense pleasure."
Specs: The wine is 100% Sangiovese Grosso, sourced from the Altesino, Castelnuovo dell'Abate, Macina, and Pianezzine vineyards, and aged for 36-42 months in traditional Slavonian oak. It rested another 6 months in bottle.
The Story: It's no secret why Altesino's wines are so good, and so consistent from year to year. It is unapologetically throwback in its methods, leaning on time-honored practices that are extremely labor-intensive, slow, and low-yielding — inefficiencies that would bring the wrath of the CEO or the stakeholders in any other business, but which in the world of wine are deeply prized and admired, at least among the most discerning. But if Altesino is a stalwart of tradition, it is not hidebound in its ways, and in fact has long been an innovator. It was the first Tuscan estate to use barriques, and it was also one of the forerunners of the “cru” concept in Italy. Fifty hectares of vines extend over six of these crus, which are at the heart of the estate's production.
Our Tasting Notes: All the Altesino hallmarks are there: aromatic complexity, terrific intensity, and structural integrity. But this is, first and foremost, a wine of great and almost hedonistic pleasure, a sensual, sublime experience, in which all the various compositional elements are brought into alignment to make a seamless, integrated whole.
Fun Fact: In 2004, UNESCO named the hills of Montalcino a World Heritage Site, retaining much of the "layout, character, and aesthetic" of the time of the Renaissance.
Our Guarantee: We always buy and source directly from the distiller, so rest assured: your wine will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Secure your order today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Summer 2024. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NY, or TN. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Wednesday, April 17th, 2024.
