Le Potazzine Brunello di Montalcino 2019

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

PRODUCTION AREA: Two distinct vineyard plots owned by the company: Le Prata, facing south-west at an altitude above sea level of 507 meters and La Torre with a south-east exposure at 420 asl., which, after being fermented and aged individually, come to the bottle in a single solution.

GRAPES USED: 100% Sangiovese certified organic

TRAINING SYSTEM: guyot

PLANT DENSITY: 5952 vines / ha.

YIELD PER HECTARE: 55/60 quintal

PHILOSOPHY: always ambassadors of the Montalcino tradition, aimed at reflecting the elegance of the pure Sangiovese, through long spontaneous fermentations, that in 2018 lasted 42 days, carried out only by our native yeasts, without the control of temperature.
Then the wine is aged for 42 months in big 30/50 hl barrels in Slavonian oak. Not filtered.

WEATHER CONDITIONS: 2019 vintage is considered a very variable year from a climatic point of view. The first half of spring was warmer and drier than the seasonal average, while May was marked by frequent rains that made possible the accumulation of a good water reserve in view of what turned out to be a very hot summer. The peculiar temperature range of our vineyards, the well distributed rains and the perfect conditions during the harvest have led to an excellent ripening of the grapes.

ALCOHOL CONTENT: 14,00%

About Le Potazzine

In the late 1980’s, Gigliola Giannetti purchased a small parcel of land at 530 meters altitude in the upper reaches of Montalcino, near the township. By 1997, she’d replanted the entire vineyard and she released the first Brunello, which established Le Potazzine’s reputation and set her up for success.

Historically not a favoured area for growing Brunello, Gigliola’s vineyard is now the envy of the region thanks to its temperate microclimate and the enormous diurnal shifts occurring during the ripening period. Harvest here happens about three weeks after the lower parts of Montalcino, meaning even in the warmest vintages the fruit is still filled with refreshing acidity.

In the cellar, Gigliola is accompanied by her daughters, Viola and Sofia. Together.

In the Vineyard

The organic-certified fruit comes from two single vineyard plots – Le Prata, which is south-west facing and sits at 507 meters above sea level, and La Torre, which is south-east facing and sits at 420 meters above sea level.

In the Winery

The wine is made to reflect the essence of Sangiovese, through long, spontaneous fermentation using nothing but native yeasts, and at room temperature for ~42 days in stainless steel tanks and conical wood fermenters. The wine was aged in large (30-50hl) Slavonian oak barrels for 40 months, then bottled unfiltered. After ageing well beyond the minimum requirements of their respective appellations (the IGT could be labelled Rosso di Montalcino, the Rosso could be Brunello, and the Brunello could be Riserva in every vintage), the wines are simply bottled with sulfur additions and without fining or filtration.

The 2019 Vintage at Le Potazzine

“2019 ranks close to 2016 in terms of overall excellence, but we don’t have another vintage of such volumetric importance and uniform quality in the foreseeable future. Some are poised for long aging of 20 years or more, but this versatile vintage also offers a great selection to enjoy in an immediate or medium-term drinking window over the next five to 10 years.”

Let’s get back to 2019 Brunello di Montalcino. What struck me most about this vintage is what I perceive as the possible beginning, or distant stirrings, of a new identity. It’s too early to call it a “new wave,” or “nouvelle vague” in French, but cinephiles might recognize certain patterns, a desire for experimentation and a spirit of iconoclasm.

I’m referring to the increasingly tight-knit group of artisanal winemakers like Il Marroneto, Le Chiuse, Le Ragnaie, Pian dell’Orino, Poggio di Sotto, Salicutti and Stella di Campalto, who are independently but simultaneously pushing the bar higher. Their work builds upon the timeless classics created by Biondi-Santi, Cerbaiona, Soldera and Salvioni.

A common remark from vintners was how uniformly easy 2019 fruit was to farm and ferment.

Elevation is one of the most talked about issues in the appellation today. Appellation guidelines once fixed the ceiling for Brunello di Montalcino at 600 meters above sea level, but that was recently raised to 650 meters. The highest point, the Passo del Lume Spento, sits at 621 meters in elevation. There has been a rush of important investments recently in these higher and cooler areas.

The generic 2019 flavor profile sees lots of dark fruit without excessive ripeness. There is good balance between acidity, concentration and tannins, which feel elegantly fine-grained and sometimes chalky.

The 2019s are also distinguished by more concentration and fruit weight that remains balanced and elegant.”
Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

“The 2019 vintage finally gave us all reason to exhale because we harvested with perfect ripeness and without worrying too much about fruit selection. Everyone around Montalcino threw big harvest parties to sing and celebrate the extraordinary quality of fruit,” says Alessandro Mori of Il Marroneto. “Fruit from 2019 showed elegance coming into the winery. This vintage was born elegant.”

The Montalcino consortium has reported the highest production of the last five years in 2019. Many producers attributed the bounty to vines bouncing back from heat and drought stress from previous years. Overall, most producers welcomed this with open arms, as it allowed them more freedom in the cellar, working with fully mature, thick skinned grapes and ripe stems, which resulted in wines offering immense pleasure, ripeness without excess and richness balanced with freshness. The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino bottlings are strikingly elegant, poised, and they show their power stealthily.

Where in the World is Le Potazzine?

Le Potazzine is Montalcino, Tuscany.