Deep ruby-garnet color; tart cherry, raspberry, forest floor, earth, licorice, vanilla, spice, smoke, minerality on the nose and palate.
Dry; firm, fierce tannins—decant or expose to air in vigorously-swirled large glass; balancing acidity. Big, powerful, elegant. Full body. Vivid fruit. Grapes dry-farmed on north-facing slope at more than 1,600 feet and framed by a forest, giving it one of the coolest climates in Montalcino. It usually is one of the last vineyards to be picked. 100% sangiovese. Finished for three years in large Slavonian oak barrels, aged at least six months in bottle. 14.5% ABV
Brunello di Montalcino comes from vineyards surrounding the Tuscan town of Montalcino, 70 miles south of Florence. By legal requirement, it must be made with 100% of sangiovese grosso, a specific clone of sangiovese. Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s best known and most expensive wines with a history dating back to the 1300s. The Montalcino region was the first region to achieve Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status, Italy’s highest recognition of quality.
Carpineto was founded in 1967 by Giovannni Sacchet and Antonio Mario Zaccheo in the small town of Dudda within the municipality of Greve. Quality was emphasis from beginning, with careful selection of sites, clonal selection, and low yields to concentrate flavor. The website notes: “On the oenological front, too, they will prove to be pioneers of cutting-edge techniques-which will mark the oenology of the modern era-such as controlled malolactic fermentation, the use of indigenous yeasts, cold and carbonic macerations, and barrel aging.”
The winery has a strong commitment to responsible winemaking. Thanks to land management, including a wildlife and forest preserve, extensive use of renewable energy, and reduction of bottle weight. By 2017 they achieved carbon positive certification—meaning they reduced the carbon footprint of their operation to capture 25% more carbon than they produce. The website has several good videos explaining their operation and commitment to ecological responsibility.
The website continues: “Today the Sacchet and Zaccheo families work together managing five estates, 500 hectares [1,240 acres] of land, all cultivated in a sustainable way and with very low environmental impact with zero emissions. Caterina Sacchet is the winemaker who inherits from her father not only a great wealth of knowledge but also a strong passion for the land. Carpineto is the story of two friends and their families, united by a common love for Sangiovese and a strong desire to participate in the renaissance of wine in Tuscany. Today they continue their dream of producing the wines they love, appreciated in 70 countries around the world.”
Carpineto Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2019 delivers complex bouquet, powerful, almost brooding, dark fruits with significant tannins (decanting advised). All you expect from a Brunello di Montalcino from an esteemed maker. Just rounding into its best drinking stage after six years. Pair with grilled lamb chops, beef tenderloin; roasted veal, pork. Bistecca alla Florentine (Florentine-style T-bone steak). Wild game—wild boar, guinea fowl, duck stewed on braised. Pasta dishes with tomato sauces and red meat, including sausage. Mushroom risotto. Cheese—pecorino toscano, parmigiano-reggiano, gorgonzola, mature and spicy cheeses. $55-65
