Talenti Brunello di Montalcino ‘Piero’ 2019

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

A selection of 100% Sangiovese grapes grown in estate-owned vineyards located on the south-easterly and south-westerly slopes of Montalcino, at an altitude from 250 to 400 m (asl).

About Talenti

In the 1950s Pierluigi Talenti moved from Romagna to the gently rolling and sunny hills of Montalcino. After a few years, he decided to acquire the estate and all its lands he had fallen in love with.

Through the years, he devoted his time to the clonal research of Sangiovese all over Montalcino, taking his wines to the highest levels of quality.

Today, his grandson Riccardo Talenti runs the winery and continues that research with the utmost respect for tradition, working with the very same passion and determination.

https://youtu.be/q5eqKtlyQrc

In the Vineyard

The estate has been developed around an old farm called “Pian di Conte”, not far from Sant’Angelo in Colle, on the southern slope of the municipality of Montalcino, which has been restructured and expanded over the years. The property occupies an area of 40 hectares, among vineyards, olive groves, orchards and seed crops, surrounded by age-old holm-oak woods, characteristic of the Montalcino area.

We cultivate and tend our land with respect for tradition, harvesting the grapes and olives by hand. The vineyards are divided into eleven different plots, each with different altitude, exposure and soil composition, creating red wines that are incredibly complex and profound. We have always had a passion for the cultivation of olives which are a very traditional element within the Tuscan landscape. We grow the Correggiolo and Moraiolo varieties, from which a bright green and intensely scented oil is extracted

In the Winery

We hand pick the best grapes and place them in small containers to preserve their integrity. Later, the bunches and individual berries undergo further selection to obtain the best of every harvest. We think that the birth of a fine wine also depends on constant research into new technologies. During fermentation in steel tanks we personally check every process, from pumping over to punching, every phase being temperature-controlled. In the barrel cellar there is a strong link between tradition and a continuing effort to improve.

The wine ages in 500-litre French oak tonneaux and 15 to 25-Hl Slavonian oak barrels for at least 24 months, followed by a period of ageing in bottle for the time required to enhance the aromas and the character that make our wines unique and inimitable.. The wine has a deep ruby red colour with garnet highlights, and an ample, slightly spicy bouquet. It is full, intense, smooth and velvety on the palate, with sweet, elegant tannins.

Vintage 2019 in Montalcino

The current releases from Montalcino are an embarrassment of riches for collectors and fans of the appellation. … classic 2019 Brunellos, the high-energy and fruit-forward 2021 Rossos.

…this is a year where the entire region excelled, from southwest to east and northeast to west. Frankly stated, finding a 2019 that doesn’t show remarkable balance, vivid fruit and freshness is a difficult task. In my opinion, this is always a mark of a great year. The highs are exceptionally high, and the lows are few and far between. What’s more, this is a year where many lesser wines excelled, making picking out a 2019 Brunello a relatively easy affair.

This is a vintage of radiance and appeal without any sensation of over-ripeness or lack of complexity. The wines are aromatically intense and full of dimension, with translucent color, fruit typicity and the ability to communicate a sense of place. They are structured and built for cellaring, often showing their best after being open for over two days in bottle. The terms classic, racy, cool-toned, crunchy and sleek litter my tasting notes, and while many 2019s display an inviting personality today, they are balanced for the cellar and sure to mature beautifully over the next ten to fifteen years, if not more. This is the vintage we’ve all been waiting for. 

Eric Guido, Vinous

2019 ranks close to 2016 in terms of overall excellence…

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,”

“Fruit from 2019 showed elegance coming into the winery. This vintage was born elegant.”

Alessandro Mori, Il Marroneto

Where in the World is Talenti?

Riccardo Talenti sources fruit from five vineyards spread out between higher elevations of Sant’Angelo in Colle and lower elevations of Castelnuovo dell’Abate.

1. Vigna Colombaio
2. Vigne delle Torre
3. Vigna Quercione
4. Vigna del Capanno
5. Vigna del Campone
6. Vigna di Piero
7. Bianchella
8. Fonte Lattaia Vecchia
9. Fonte Lattaia Nuova
10. Poggio Farnese Vecchia
11. Poggio Fernese Nuova