Martoccia di Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2019

A hilltop Brunello of extraordinary restraint — bonsai-trained vines, quartz-strewn soils, and some of the lowest yields in the entire DOCG.

Grape Varietals & Region: 100% Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello clone) from the Martoccia estate's southwest-facing slopes at 250–500 metres above sea level, just 500 metres from the historic town of Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy. The vineyard soils are both typical and atypical at once — at their baseline, the usual clay-and-fossil mixture of the region, with calcium carbonates lending natural acidity to the Sangiovese. But additionally, many of Luca's vines benefit from large pieces of quartz littering the topsoil on his southwest-facing slope. The name "Martoccia" has been recorded in Montalcino documents going back to the Middle Ages, with a 16th-century chronicle citing it as one of the two vineyards for the best Brunello di Montalcino

Taste Profile: The woodsy, wintry nose is defined by aromas of dark berries, pine, earth, and mulled spices, especially cloves. All of those notes crescendo on the palate, creating a rich, velvety feel, with acid rising above dense, chewy tannins for levity. Winemaker Luca Brunelli chose only the most densely concentrated grapes from low-yield vines to make the 2019 Brunello — an exercise in discernment, patience, and intention. Rated 93pts by Wine Enthusiast. Best decanted for 2–3 hours; peak drinking from 2026 through 2040

Winemaking Process: Aged for up to 36 months, partly in Slavonian oak barrels and partly in French oak barrique, followed by at least 6 months of bottle ageing before release. Organic farming in practice though not certified — dry-farming, sustainability, and hand-harvesting are simply a way of life at Martoccia. Luca takes the bonsai approach to his craft, sculpting small plants with excruciatingly low yields — his Sangiovese Grosso vines grow only 20 inches high, with the lowest grapes often just 6 inches off the ground, and he permits only 4 clusters per plant for his Brunello, making it physically impossible to get even 1 bottle from each vine — yields lower than some of the most expensive Right Bank Bordeaux