Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (1982)

About this wine

This rare bottle is a traditional Brunello di Montalcino Riserva made entirely from Sangiovese grown on the historic Castiglion del Bosco estate in the Val d Orcia hills. The wine will now show a pale brick garnet color, with aromas that lean more toward dried red cherry, fig, orange peel, leather and tobacco than fresh fruit. With air, you can expect notes of forest floor, underbrush, tea leaf and sweet spice, reflecting its long evolution in bottle after extended aging in large oak casks as required for Brunello Riserva. On the palate the fruit is delicate and savory, framed by lively acidity, very fine tannins and a silky texture, so the impression is more of elegance than power, yet the flavor length can still be surprisingly persistent. Castiglion del Bosco is one of the founding members of the Brunello di Montalcino consortium and its vineyards are planted exclusively to Sangiovese, so this wine is a classic expression of the grape in a historic vintage. Given its age, the wine is best approached gently and allowed time in the glass so that its subtle tertiary notes of balsamic, dried herbs and leather can fully emerge.

About the grape

This Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is made entirely from Sangiovese, specifically the local Brunello type that has been cultivated around Montalcino since the nineteenth century and formally enshrined in the Brunello rules in 1966. At Castiglion del Bosco the variety is planted on about 62 hectares of hillsides in the Val d Orcia nature reserve, with vineyards such as Capanna sitting between roughly 350 and over 400 meters above sea level on clay, sandstone and marl soils that naturally limit yields. For the 1982 Riserva, Sangiovese from the estate s best exposed and most age worthy parcels would have been selected, reflecting the traditional approach of reserving the finest lots for long aging in large oak casks before release. The reliance on a single historic grape, grown in a relatively isolated and organically farmed estate, has helped make Sangiovese from Castiglion del Bosco an early and influential model for Brunello di Montalcino wines.

Quick facts

• 🏰 This 1982 Riserva was born inside a medieval estate whose fortress dates back to the year 1100 so you are literally sipping history from a thousand year old hilltop village
• 🌍 The vineyards that gave this Brunello sit inside the Val d Orcia nature reserve a landscape so beautiful it is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site
• 📜 Castiglion del Bosco was one of just twenty five producers that created the Brunello di Montalcino consortium in 1967 so bottles like this helped define the classic style of Brunello for the world
• 👑 Long before celebrities collected old vintages this estate was already famous among Italian nobility including the Biondi Santi family who helped invent the very idea of Brunello as an ageworthy red
• 🎨 When this 1982 was maturing quietly in the cellar the tiny church on the estate already guarded a fourteenth century fresco by Pietro Lorenzetti so tastings here happen in the company of original Gothic art

Palate profile

Producer

Castiglion del Bosco, established in the 12th century, is one of Tuscany's oldest estates, located in Montalcino, Italy. It was a founding member of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium in 1967, underscoring its pivotal role in the region's winemaking heritage. The estate spans approximately 2,000 hectares, with 62 hectares dedicated to Sangiovese vineyards, producing esteemed Brunello di Montalcino wines. In 2003, Massimo Ferragamo acquired the property, initiating extensive restorations that transformed it into a luxury resort while preserving its historical integrity. Notably, the estate features a medieval church adorned with a 1345 fresco by Pietro Lorenzetti and Italy's only private 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf.