Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino

Montalcino, Italy

Vintage:2017 (Past)

2015 (Past) | 2016 (Past) | 2018 (Past) | 2019 (Current)

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Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino 2017
  • JS 94
  • V 93
  • WA 92

Reviews

JamesSuckling.com 94 Points October 2022, James Suckling

“Aromas of ripe berries and plums with some flowers and nutmeg follow through to a full body with round tannins and a juicy finish. Chewy, but friendly and succulent. Excellent 2017, despite the dry growing season. Better in a year or two.”

The Wine Advocate 92 Points February 17, 2022, Monica Larner

“The Castiglion del Bosco project is a dream created by Massimo Ferragamo of Italy's celebrated leather and fashion family. The property includes a state-of-the-art winery and a luxury hotel. The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino unfolds to reveal textbook aromas of black fruit and ripe cherry. For sure, the wine embraces a soft and contemporary personality with a good amount of fruit weight, oak spice and tannins. It registers 15% alcohol. The warm 2017 vintage brings out the softer, richer side of this Sangiovese from galestro soils.”

Vinous Media 93 Points Eric Guido

“The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino pulls you close with a bouquet of crushed ashen stone and dusty dried roses giving way to bright cherries complemented by a flourish of sour citrus. It floods the palate with silken waves of ripe red and black fruits over a savory, salty core of minerals and brisk acids that keeps the expression surprisingly fresh. It’s persistent and concentrated, yet the harmonious structural build should carry the 2017 over medium-term cellaring. Castiglion del Bosco did a fantastic job finding balance in this difficult vintage. Of note is that this was tasted from the same bottle a full 48 hours later, and only improved.”

Overview

Castiglion del Bosco is one of the most prominent producers in Montalcino, both for the history of the estate and for its size, with 5,000 acres unchanged in the last 400 years. In 1967, when the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino was born, Castiglion del Bosco was one of its 25 founding members. This extraordinary property whose origin dates back to the 12th century was acquired by Massimo Ferragamo in 2003, who in turn totally restored the property to its original glory.

As Castiglion del Bosco‘s most representative wine, Brunello di Montalcino is an example of the Sangiovese grape‘s perfect symbiosis with the terroir of Montalcino.

Winemaking

Comes from a careful selection of grapes from vineyards located in the Capanna area of the estate, which lie at an altitude of 350 meters facing south, with a density of 4,500-5,600 vines per hectare. The soil is characterized by the presence of clay shale and gravel-pebble, a terroir ideally suited to the production of Sangiovese. The influences of the sea are felt in this area with hot, dry summers and constant winds that remove moisture. The richness of the ”galestro“ stone in the soil gives the wine its unique aroma, complexity and structure.

The entire vinification process is carried out in Castiglion del Bosco’s cellar, completely gravity-fed. The grapes are quality selected in the vineyards first, then the clusters travel to sorting tables where trained eyes make a further selection of the finest fruit. Fermentation starts with natural yeasts only. Once completed, the wines are transferred to French oak in a spacious, climate-controlled cellar that is partially underground. Alcoholic fermentation lasts for 18 days at a constant temperature of 82.4°F. After malolactic fermentation, the Brunello is transferred to French oak barriques (20% new oak barrels, 80% first and second passage barriques). Aged for 24 months in french oak barrels and 24 months in bottle before being released in the fifth year after the harvest.

Tasting Notes

Brunello 2017 has certainly enjoyed the benefits of a careful selection in the parcels (including the Millecento vineyard). The wine has a wide nose. It maintains crisp fruit and floral notes. In the mouth it is elegant, complete and supported by an excellent acidity.

Harvest Notes

The hot and dry summer of the 2017 vintage certainly characterized the ripening of the grapes. Compared to other areas of the denomination Castiglion del Bosco was distinguished with varied rains at the beginning of September. This mitigated the summer heat slowed the phenolic ripening especially in the upper part of Capanna. It also allowed to avoid the risk of over-ripening and helped maintaining a good acid level. At Castiglion del Bosco, similar to the rest of the appellation, the harvest began earlier than usual. The 2017 harvest was marked by quality thanks to the great selection in the vineyard.

Technical Information

Varietals: 100% Sangiovese