PODERE SANTA MARIA
Rosso di Montalcino 2018 [1.5L]
Tuscany, Italy
This remarkable expression of Sangiovese comes from three vineyards eligible for Brunello classification, this being the fruit that remains after the very strict selection for that wine. It spent three weeks on skins and two years resting in large botti, with time rendering a complex wine of incredible power and poise that pairs delicate notes of red cherry, minerals and herbs to wonderful effect.
Sangiovese
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Marino Colleoni’s winemaking journey began when he and wife Luisa discovered a patch of old vines buried under shrubs on Montalcino’s northern reaches while taking an evening walk.
They spent the next few years clearing away at the undergrowth and to their surprise a rather detailed vineyard lay beneath. After replanting some of the damaged vines, they harvested for the first time in 2000.
At 470-500 metres above sea level their vineyards are some of the highest in Montalcino and unusually, face almost entirely north. They are surrounded by forest, well ventilated and planted over a complex mix of sand, limestone and volcanic rock. A visionary in the area, Marino really values biodiversity and is seeking to reduce the use of any compounds in the vineyard entirely, instead relying on natural predators of any bugs or disease.
These unique characteristics yield wines from Montalcino which are uncommonly detailed, mineral and fine and in the cantina Marino exercises a considered restraint, letting the wines truly sing.
In recent years, he has also rented a number of organic vineyards from further afield, where he makes the kind of easygoing wines he and Luisa like to drink on their terrace everyday.