Small stains on the front label Wine advocate 96/100 Size:0.75 l Type:Red Country:Italy Region:Toscana Denomination:Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Grapes:Sangiovese 100% Aging:30 months in 600-litre toneaux then 6 months in bottle Alcohol content:15% Service temperature:18/20°C Vintage:2016 Tradition, modernity and sustainability distinguish the work of Poggio San Polo in Montalcino, the Allegrini family winery that continues to make the most of its estates where international grapes are being added to the traditional and unfailing Sangiovese. There is no shortage, however, of productions that enhance the yield of Sangiovese, especially if they come from grapes traceable to single cru: this is the case with Brunello di Montalcino Vignavecchia, Poggio San Polo’s most iconic Brunello from a single vineyard of two hectares in size with vines over thirty years old. Facing west at an elevation of 420 meters above sea level, the Vignavecchia vineyard insists on stony, poor soil rich in marl and has an average planting density (4,000 vines/hectare), with a yield limited by the winery’s own will to 4-5 bunches per plant equal to 700-800 grams of grapes per vine. The 2016 vintage is universally acclaimed as exceptional, a vintage reminiscent of the quality peaks reached in 1990 and never repeated. The weather has been really clement over the months, following the seasons well and providing rainfall at the right times, without generating water stress in the summer period even on the hottest and driest side, which is the southern side of Montalcino. The result is of historic quality: acidity and skin thickness confirm the excellence of the grapes arrived at harvest and the great potential to cope with long macerations and aging. On tasting, Brunello Vignavecchia has an intense ruby color and a broad olfactory bouquet that ranges from floral notes of violet to ripe red fruit such as plum and cherry, from herbaceous notes of underbrush to vanilla and tobacco that can be traced back to the toastiness of wood. The sip is warm, direct, with soft but full-bodied tannins and a freshness that makes it lively and clean, closing with a long persistence that excites the taster. Brunello Vignavecchia is a wine that surprises for its meticulous precision, for its generosity in opening itself to a patient taster in a gradual way and for its exclusivity given by a very limited production that takes place only in the best vintages.