Palazzo Desti (2007)

About this wine

This wine is made from 100 percent Sangiovese grown in the Montalcino zone, produced under the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG rules. On the nose it offers red cherry and plum with floral violet hints, followed by secondary notes of leather, tobacco and dried herbs that develop with time in bottle. On the palate it shows concentrated red fruit, a clear mineral undertone, bright acidity and firm, grippy tannins that give it a long structured finish. The 2007 vintage in Montalcino was widely judged excellent for long aging, which contributes to the wine's ripe fruit and layered savory development. Brunello by law is aged well before release, including time in large oak casks or barrels, which adds cedar and spice nuances while allowing the Sangiovese fruit to remain front and center. Over time this bottle will show more tertiary notes such as leather and forest floor while the tannins soften, reflecting both the grape and the Montalcino terroir.

About the grape

Brunello di Montalcino is legally made from 100 percent Sangiovese, locally called Brunello or Sangiovese Grosso, a clone prized for thicker skins and late ripening that has been cultivated around Montalcino since the 19th century. In this producer s bottling the estate works with Sangiovese vines planted across Montalcino s varied elevations and soils, from clay rich valley sites to shallow rocky hillsides, at sites that can reach roughly 600 meters above sea level to create structural concentration. Viticultural rules for Brunello favor relatively high planting densities, controlled yields and hand harvesting, and the wine is traditionally aged in large Slavonian oak or in smaller oak barrels for at least two years to let the Sangiovese tannins and acidity integrate before release.

Quick facts

• 🏰 This Brunello wears the Palazzo Desti name but is made and distributed by the Tinazzi family company that is originally based near Lake Garda, a surprising link between Venetia and Montalcino
• 🎉 The 2007 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino was celebrated as an exceptional year across the appellation, often described as a collectors vintage when released in 2012
• ⭐ Critics awarded many 2007 Brunellos strong scores, and bottles labeled Palazzo or Palazzo Desti from 2007 have surfaced with around 90 point evaluations from major reviewers
• 🖤 Brunello is made from the local Sangiovese clone called brunello which means little dark one, a name that points to the grape skin color and local tradition
• 🌍 Although Brunello is often associated with small family estates, this bottle is an example of a larger Italian wine company bottling a classic Montalcino wine which made it widely available in international retail and online shops

Palate profile

Producer

Casa Vitivinicola Tinazzi was founded by the Tinazzi family in 1968 and grew from a local wine trading business into a national producer known for Veneto wines. The company established its main cellar and head office in Lazise on Lake Garda, later acquiring the Tenuta Valleselle estate to strengthen its Bardolino and Garda area production. In 2001 the family expanded to Puglia with the San Giorgio estate in Salento, adding southern varietals such as Primitivo to its portfolio, and in 2002 Tinazzi opened a modern production facility in Lazise to centralize vinification and bottling. Today the business remains family run and combines wine production with hospitality and enotourism, while exporting wines to many international markets.