Brunello di Montalcino (2015)

About this wine

The 2015 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino is 100 percent Sangiovese showing ripe dark cherry and red berry aromas with notes of baking spice and tobacco. On the palate the wine is full bodied and concentrated, delivering succulent fruit, a savory earthiness and a saline mineral thread. Tannins are firm and structured yet polished, carrying the wine to a long, savory finish. The producer ferments in concrete and ages the wine for roughly 36 months in large oak barrels, which contributes to a broad mouthfeel and integrated oak influence. This vintage reflects Mastrojanni estate sites on clay and limestone soils and has been widely noted by critics for its combination of ripeness and classic Brunello structure.

About the grape

Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese, a Tuscan grape long selected in Montalcino for its local massal clones and historical links to the Biondi Santi selections. At Mastrojanni the estate has cultivated Sangiovese in Castelnuovo dell’Abate since the 1970s, working vineyards on calcareous, loamy soils sheltered by Monte Amiata and planted across the warmer southern slopes of the appellation. The producer favors estate fruit and single vineyard bottlings such as Schiena d’Asino that showcase chosen parcels and careful vine renewal rather than international blending grapes. In this bottling Sangiovese is managed and vinified to express site differences, using local clonal material or massal selections and controlled yields to concentrate the varietys structure and aging potential.

Quick facts

• 🏞️ Mastrojanni was one of the first estates to champion Castelnuovo dell’Abate within Montalcino, helping put that southeast corner on the Brunello map since 1975
• 📜 The estate was once part of the historic Fattoria dei Barbi lands, making its origins tied to one of Montalcino’s oldest wine stories
• ☕️ Since 2008 the Illy family owns the winery, and they kept the estate’s character while investing in organic certification and modern stewardship
• 🏛️ The cellar was built using large stone gabions, terracotta bricks and chestnut beams to avoid reinforced concrete, a design meant to respect the land and reduce electromagnetic influence
• 🍾 Mastrojanni’s 2015 Brunello came from a large production year with about 58,000 bottles, making it one of the more widely available modern Brunellos from the estate

Palate profile

Producer

Mastrojanni, established in 1975 by Gabriele Mastrojanni, is located in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, within the Montalcino municipality of Tuscany, Italy. Recognizing the area's potential, Mastrojanni transformed the San Pio and Loreto estates into vineyards, becoming one of the early producers of Brunello di Montalcino in this region. The estate spans approximately 110 hectares, with 41 hectares dedicated to vine cultivation, situated at altitudes ranging from 180 to 420 meters above sea level. In 2008, the Illy Group acquired Mastrojanni, continuing its legacy of producing high-quality wines that reflect the unique terroir of the area.