Brunello di Montalcino (2019)

About this wine

Vasco Sassetti Brunello di Montalcino 2019 is made from 100 percent Sangiovese, the only grape permitted for Brunello di Montalcino. It is produced in a classic, traditional style, with fermentation in stainless steel and about two to three weeks of skin contact at controlled temperatures to build color and tannin. The wine then spends extended time in large oak casks for roughly four years, followed by further bottle aging before release, consistent with Brunello rules that require long cellar maturation and at least two years in oak. Expect aromas of sour cherry, black cherry, and plum, with savory notes of tobacco, leather, and a touch of vanilla spice. On the palate it is full bodied but driven by lively acidity, with mature yet still firm tannins, and a long finish that can lean toward cocoa and dried herbs. The estate traces its roots in Montalcino back to 1900, and its vineyards are spread across areas including Montalcino and Castelnuovo dell’Abate, which helps explain the wine’s mix of ripe fruit and savory structure in this highly regarded 2019 vintage.

About the grape

Brunello di Montalcino is made only from Sangiovese, locally called Brunello, and the Consorzio rules require this wine to be 100 percent Sangiovese from the Comune di Montalcino. Sangiovese is an old central Italian variety, first written about in 1590, and it is valued because it responds clearly to site and needs a long growing season to ripen well in Tuscany. In Montalcino, the Brunello type of Sangiovese was famously refined in the late 1800s by the Biondi Santi family, later formalized in clonal work such as BBS11, helping define the local identity of the grape. For the 2019 Vasco Sassetti Brunello, the estate grows Sangiovese mainly around Montalcino and Castelnuovo dell’Abate, trains vines to guyot, uses cover cropping, and works alternating rows to keep soils healthy while producing fruit suited to long aging required by the appellation.

Quick facts

• 🍒 Although the label says Brunello, the grape is 100% Sangiovese, in Montalcino locals traditionally call the variety “Brunello.”
• 🕰️ The Vasco Sassetti estate traces its roots to 1900, when Vasco began with just 4 hectares and a small cellar in Castelnuovo dell’Abate.
• 🗺️ Today the property totals about 20 hectares split between Montalcino and Castelnuovo dell’Abate, a big leap from its original tiny footprint.
• 🪨 The winery’s modern cellar was built in 2004 and designed to be largely underground, with a stone façade that blends into the landscape.
• 📅 This 2019 Brunello could not legally be released before January 1, 2024, and it is commonly described as spending about 4 years in large French oak after a long fermentation in steel.

Palate profile

Producer

Founded in 1900 by Vasco Sassetti in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, Italy, the winery began with just four hectares of vineyards and a small cellar. In 1985, Vasco expanded the estate with the help of his cousin Terzilio Lanzini and wife Giovanna, increasing the vineyard area to 20 hectares. After Vasco's passing in 2009, the Lanzini family continued managing the winery, adding agritourism activities and maintaining a strong presence in Montalcino Salumi Srl. The modern cellar, built in 2004 with a stone façade, seamlessly integrates into the landscape and plays a key role from vinification to bottling.