Castello Tricerchi "Brunello di Montalcino" Tuscany, Italy 2020

FROM OLIVER MCCRUM WINES & SPIRITS:

THE WINE: 100% Sangiovese, a blend of fruit from three different vineyards, the Vigna del Velo, the Vigna del Castello, and the Vigna dei Cipressi, with a range of exposures. All the vineyards were planted in 1995. The fruit is typically picked in early October; fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts; the maceration is extended past the active fermentation for a total of about 30 days on the skins; after pressing, the wine is aged in large neutral oak barrels for about 30 months.

Bright garnet color; aroma and flavor of red fruits (cherry, wild strawberry), herbs, new leather, and a hint of beef stock. Flavors carry on through the palate, middling structure, some Assam tea tannins, not bitter but chewy. This is perfect with red meats; I find the texture of wines made like this, with long macerations, relatively drinkable on release but this will certainly improve for 10-15 years or longer.

THE PRODUCER: The Castello di Tricerchi was built in 1441, and is still owned by the Squarcia family, who built it. It is in the far north of the Brunello di Montalcino appellation, very close to Altesino; wine growing is a relatively recent activity here, the vines having been planted in 1995, a little more than a century after the first commercial examples of Brunello were produced by the Biondi-Santi family. Tommaso Squarcia, a young scion of the family, has made it his mission to perfect the wines of the Castello; in co-operation with Maurizio Castelli, the great Sangiovese winemaking expert, he has decided to use completely traditional winemaking methods to allow the vineyards to fully express themselves. The wines are made entirely of Sangiovese (which is legally required but, ahem, not always in fact the case), fermented with indigenous yeasts, macerated on the skins for longer than normal, and aged in large oak barrels. The vineyards are around the castle, and the winemaking is carried out under it in a former dungeon, perfectly cold and humid. Total production is around 5,000 cases a year. As of 2022 the estate is converting to certified organic production.