Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G. 2016

Despite the fact that Il Colle winery was only founded in 1972, the truth about its origin remains a mystery. One of the versions says that the vineyards were acquired in 1972 by Alberto Carli together with his wife Ernesta. But, according to another version, Alberto himself planted vines together with Giulio Gambelli and, being on his deathbed, prepared a surprise for Ernesta - a full wine cellar. Il Colle (one of the small gems of the Montalcino wine region) was formerly part of the Colle al Matrichese estate, which belonged to the Count of Constant, which rose at an altitude of 400-450 meters above sea level. The harvest from this vineyard, from which wines with a particularly delicate taste were obtained, began to be mixed with grapes from Castelnuovo del'Abate, located to the south, at an altitude of 220 meters. The family acquired this vineyard in 1998. Working with Gambelli, Alberto strictly adhered to the traditional technique of the maestro of Tuscan wine, and today Caterina Carli, who took over the leadership of the winery after her father's death in 2001, follows the tradition. Alberto used only natural yeast and vats without temperature control; he subjected his Brunello to a long maceration on the skins, never filtered and aged in botti produced in Slovenia. There have been few changes in the winery over the past 35-40 years. Gambelli has always held a high value for tradition, letting the grapes speak for themselves. The wine is not exposed to any external influences, apart from the vineyard and the harvest year.

Sangiovese red wines is appreciated for its vivid acidy, intensive tannins and balanced character. Elegant aromas of black cherries and dark plum are characteristic, and may be complimented by notes of dried herbs and spice. The use of oak barrels has become more popular and this involve bold flavors of vanilla, clove and cinamon.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is one of Italy's prestigious wines. It is made exclusively from Sangiovese grapes grown on the slopes around Montalcino – a classic Tuscan hilltop village 30 kilometers south of Siena. The wine is typically garnet in color with aromas of red and black fruit with underlying vanilla and spice, and perhaps a hint of earthiness. The wines are usually full bodied with alcohol levels around 14 or 15 percent abv. Good tannic structure and bright acidity provides balance. Rosso di Montalcino is found in the same defined area as its bigger brother. This DOC was created in 1984 in order to make the most of the fruit from younger vines of new plantings. The idea was to create a fresher style of wine that needed considerably less ageing time than its sibling.

The hilly terrain and warm climate make Tuscany an ideal region for winemaking. It ranks third by the amount DOC and DOCG category wines after Piemonte and Veneto. Currently the most popular variety is the noble Sangiovese - it is extremely thermophilic and successfully reveals its best traits in warm climates. Wines have a lovely structure, velvety tannins and a fruity aroma, the color is rich ruby red, but the most distinguishable flavor notes are cherries, raspberries and spices.