Description
The 2017 Brunellos are deep in color, ripe-fruit driven, and very approachable upon release.
Climate and harvest
The winter and spring were mild and dry, with medium-high average temperatures and only 15 mm of rain fell until May. A unique peak of cold occurred in April and slowed down the vegetative growth of the vines. Blossoming and fruit set occurred regularly. Then due to a very warm and dry summer (average daily temperatures of 40° C/86 F), the vines delayed their vegetative growth and ripeness of the grapes. The early harvest began at the end of August (August 28th) and lasted until the first half of September (Sept. 14th). Luckily, on average the grapes showed excellent health conditions, a very positive factor for us, demonstrating the resilience of our vineyards after facing these extreme climatic conditions. A quality selection was applied in a few of the vineyards in order to eliminate a few of the berries which were dried and burnt by the excessive sun exposure. The overall drop of the production in the Pieve Santa Restituta estate was estimated to be around 30%. The 2017 wines show intense and vivid colors, good tannic structure, high acidities and medium-high alcohol levels.
Color
The 2017 Brunello shows intense and bright color.
Grape Varieties
Aroma
From the glass rises initial notes of dried rose petal and hawthorn, followed by blackberry and white pepper. The entrance is juicy with black cherry and quince. The texture is smooth and lush with velvety tannins and vibrant acidity. The wine is elegant with a lingering finish.
Taste
The entrance is juicy with black cherry and quince. The texture is smooth and lush with velvety tannins and vibrant acidity. The wine is elegant with a lingering finish.
Vinification
The grapes from the different vineyards ferment and macerate separately for around three weeks. After 24 months of ageing in oak, the wines are blended and then aged for another six months in concrete vats.