Brunello di Montalcinos from single vineyards are among Italy's wine treasures. They stand in contrast to most Brunellos, which are blends of grapes from different vineyards scattered across the small region. This makes vineyard specific Brunellos often times more aromatic reds with finer and more elegant tannins, and they express unique soil types and microclimates of predominately southwest-facing vineyards.
One of top vineyard of Montalcino is the vineyard of Montosoli owned by the estate of Altesino, one of the many properties but the favorite of Altesino owner Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini. It's a good place to start as Elisabetta's Montosoli was the first Brunello di Montalcino to be bottled from a single vineyard, starting as a riserva in 1975, but becoming a stand-alone cru by 1978.
Montosoli is a particularly low-yielding vineyard planted on galestro or schist-based soils, but what really gives its spicy aromatic qualities is its location. It's essentially a tiny hill at an optimum height for Montalcino of around 280m with excellent temperature variations between day and night. Elisabetta says it's this that gives its enchanting acidity and finesse.
