2016 Gianni Brunelli Le Chiuse di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino

Gianni Brunelli, a man of many interests, established "Osteria Le Logge" in Siena (which has become one of the top restaurants of the city). In 1987 Gianni returned to Montalcino and purchased Le Chiuse di Sotto, an estate that had belonged to his father Dino, with two hectares of vineards standing at 200 meters above sea level in the northern part of the area. In 1989 Sangiovese for the production of Brunello and of Rosso started being grown again. The vines of a small plot are still the original ones planted by Dino in 1947. The "Podernovone" estate was subsequently purchased. The property has a magnificent view on Monte Amiata and is endowed with 4.5 hectares standing at 350 meters above sea level, mainly Sangiovese with a small percentage of Merlot (that goes into the IGT/proprietary wine "Amor Costante"). The soil of Podernovone, made up of calcareous-marly schists, reflects light and heat thus favouring the ripening of the grapes. The different climate of the two properties (fresh and airy at Le Chiuse di Sotto with a lot of rain in the summer and warmer and ventilated at Podernovone) results in complex and elegant wines. After Gianni passed away in 2008, his wife Laura, who already used to work with him at the estates and at the restaurant, takes care of the production and of the marketing of the wines. Paolo Vagaggini, one of the major experts of Sangiovese, is the winemaker. The vineyards are followed directly by Laura Brunelli with the supervision of an agronomist, a friend of hers. Sustainable viticulture is pursued.

(100 Points) The Gianni Brunelli Le Chiuse di Sotto 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a stunning wine with so much vitality, life and energy. It shows a brazen level of clarity and frankness. If you seek the truth in Sangiovese, I think you find it here. This Brunello unfolds to lasting purity, elegance and length. It is luminous and radiant. When tasted next to the 2015 Riserva from this estate (something I did on multiple passes), I continued to recognize the lifted and exciting personality of this wine next to the broader and heavier character of the Riserva. This Brunello shows extreme precision and focus, both to the bouquet and the mouthfeel. Wild berry, blue flower and licorice converge to perfection, and it's impossible to beat this quality at this price.  Issue Date, 30th Nov 2020. Source- End of November 2020, The Wine Advocate