Montosoli, the northern and refined soul of Montalcino

by Riccardo Viscardi 03/08/18
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Montosoli, the northern and refined soul of Montalcino

The Brunello di Montalcino produced on the Montosoli hill represent the elegant soul of Brunello, with its elevated acidity, slightly lower alcohol content and refined tannins.

The Montosoli hill is what visitors notice first if they arrive to Montalcino from the north, Siena or Buonconvento. For me it represents the true gateway to Montalcino. Much like a lookout tower, Montosoli is an historic Brunello cru that is Montalcino in every way. Dating far back into history, the hill is renowned for being a particularly prestigious area for its vineyards and the land has always been extremely sought after by producers in Montalcino.

Montosoli has an excellent view of the Chiesa del Soccorso and the village of Montalcino and while its boundaries are geographically evident they are difficult to explain, but we will try. From the road that from Buonconvento rises towards Montalcino, right after crossing the Suga brook, one takes the dirt road to the right that runs alongside the Val di Cava estate (worth a visit). Still following the brook one continues right following the signs for Colombaio di Montosoli, the historic and fascinating estate of the late Nello Baricci, one of the fathers of Brunello. This is the heart of Montosoli and it continues along the dirt road to the Le Gode di Montosoli estate, the northernmost tip of this cru and its natural border. Above the road, with their southeast-southwest exposures, are the Caparzo and Altesino vineyards and the Brunello they produced are always bottled separately: La Casa (Caparzo) and Montosoli (Altesino). Some small parcels are owned by other producers but they are not bottled individually. The Pietroso estate is more recent to the area and bottles its wine as Toscana IGT Villa Monotosoli because the old vineyards, which are being replanted, also had varietals like Ciliegiolo and Colorino that by regulation cannot be used in Brunello.

Winegrowers were wise to leave a forest that extends to the east that serves as a natural boundary with an area where it is too cold and, above all, does not have enough sunlight to properly cultivate grapes. The forest also covers in part the top of the hill, which is also not suited for winegrowing. It is much more difficult to pinpoint the area’s lower border in regard to altitude, even if the different vegetation in landscape is a clear demarcation. The chief characteristic of Montosoli is its geological composition, with a significant component of marl with few traces of clay and a conglomeration of clay and chalk. With this in mind it becomes easier to recognize the borders of Montosoli because if there is a lot of clay, then it is not Montosoli. On the ground the difference is so evident that there is no room for confusion. As far as altitude is concerned, one could say that Montosoli ends at 130m above sea level.

The climate and soil make the Brunello from this area extremely recognizable. The method used to mature the wine (large barrels, smaller ones of French barriques) has a much greater effect on the aromas than the flavor. The wines distinguish themselves from others in the zone due to the high acidity (caused by the soil), a slightly lower alcohol content and tannins that are always more refined  and easier to polymerize (due also to the climate). The wine of Montosoli represents the elegant soul of Brunello, keeping in mind that Brunello is a wine that always makes a great impression and has great personality. In other words, a Brunello from Montosoli needs to have a more compact texture and greater progression than a Chianti Classico or a Nobile di Montepulciano.

The following wines are different interpretations of Montosoli, regardless of the vintage, but all have the soul this Brunello has always had.


Caparzo, Brunello di Montalcino La Casa

This was the first wine in Montalcino to be matured in barriques, on an initiative by Vittorio Fiore who back in 1978 has this positive intuition. The wine is extremely elegant with a bouquet that favors its fruity notes over the more evolved ones above all in the first years. Its freshness remains for a long time as recent tastings of older vintages have shown.


Altesino, Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli

This wine also has a long history and the methods of maturing it have changed over the years. This usually has an aroma more centered on floral notes and those of underbrush than of fruit. In the mouthfeel the light tannins settle quickly. After a long period of decline, this wine is on the upswing starting with vintage 2012 thanks to the estate’s new owners who want to restore it to its former glory.


Colombaio di Montosoli (Baricci), Brunello di Montalcino

Nello Baricci recently passed away but he remains the father of this cru as well as one of the creators of the rebirth of Brunello towards the end of the 1970s. His 1982 and some of his other vintages are unforgettable. The wine’s classic style is the product of using barrels, at first small but by now normal, 30hl-sized ones of Slovenian oak. The classic aroma has slightly fruity notes of autumn underbrush and hints of tobacco. The mouthfeel is very elegant with classic tannins.


Le Gode di Montosoli, Brunello di Montalcino

Although always classic, sometimes Brunello can be stylistically rustic and even if they are consistent with the elegant spirit of Montosoli, the tannins can be a bit frisky.

Related Products

  Product Producer Date of publication Author Read
Logo Altesino
04/23/18 Redazione Grafica
Logo Baricci Colombaio Montosoli
04/23/18 Redazione Grafica
Logo Caparzo
10/03/12 Redazione A brand on the up-and-up thanks to significant investments made in recent years. The aging barrels have all been replaced, a new outside consultant has been brought in to handle winemaking and some...
Leggi tutto
Logo Le Gode
04/23/18 Redazione Grafica

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