Country:
Italy Region: Tuscany Sub-Region: Montalcino
Type: Red Style: Bold Smooth Class: DOCG
No of Cases: 2,600
Drinking: 2023 - 2045
A selection of 100% Sangiovese grapes grown in estate-owned vineyards situated on the south-easterly and south-westerly slopes of the municipality of Montalcino, at altitudes carrying from 250 to 400 metres above sea level. The soils are made up of sandy loam, with clay and plenty of Galestro marl heavy stone. The wines age in 500-litre French oak tonneaux and 15 to 25-Hl Slavonian oak barrels for at least 24 months, followed by a period of bottle ageing.
In the 1950's Pierluigi Talenti moved from Romagna to the gently rolling and sunny hills of Montalcino. After a few years, he decided to acquire the estate and all its lands he had fallen in love with. Through the years, he devoted his time to the clonal research of Sangiovese all over Montalcino, taking his wines to the highest levels of quality. Today, his grandson Riccardo Talenti runs the winery and continues that research with the utmost respect for tradition, working with the very same passion and determination. The estate has been developed around an old farm called “Pian di Conte”, not far from Sant’Angelo in Colle, on the southern slope of the municipality of Montalcino, which has been restructured and expanded over the years. The property occupies an area of 40 hectares, among vineyards, olive groves, orchards and seed crops, surrounded by age-old holm-oak woods, characteristic of the Montalcino area. The vineyards are divided into eleven different plots, each with different altitude, exposure and soil composition, creating red wines that are incredibly complex and profound. We have always had a passion for the cultivation of olives which are a very traditional element within the Tuscan landscape. We grow the Correggiolo and Moraiolo varieties, from which a bright green and intensely scented oil is extracted.
- Sangiovese
A black grape widely grown in Central Italy and the main component of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as well as being the sole permitted grape for the famed Brunello di Montalcino.
It is a high yielding, late ripening grape that performs best on well-drained calcareous soils on south-facing hillsides. For years it was blighted by poor clonal selection and massive overcropping - however since the 1980s the quality of Sangiovese-based wines has rocketed upwards and they are now some of the most sought after in the world.
It produces wines with pronounced tannins and acidity, though not always with great depth of colour, and its character can vary from farmyard/leather nuances through to essence of red cherries and plums. In the 1960s the advent of Super Tuscans saw bottlings of 100% Sangiovese wines, as well as the introduction of Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blends, the most famous being Tignanello.
| Who | Score |
Start |
End |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Sanderson Wine Spectator Mar 2021 |
95/100 | 2025 | 2045 | This is supple and round, evoking macerated cherry, plum and licorice flavors, framed by accents of iron, tea and wild herbs. Solidly built, with a dense matrix of tannins enforcing the finish. Shows fine overall balance. Best from 2025 through 2045. |
| Monica Larner Wine Advocate Nov 2020 |
94/100 | 2023 | 2040 | The Talenti 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a balanced and symmetrical wine with bright red cherry on the one hand and pretty spice and balsam herb on the other. The wine pours from the bottle with dark color saturation and ruby highlights. It shows no signs of fading, and that bright color intensity is a common thread in this vintage. There is a good amount of Sangiovese acidity that reinforces the lifted and buoyant style achieved here. It ages in both tonneau and botte for 30 months. |
| Eric Guido Vinous.com Nov 2020 |
94/100 | 2022 | 2034 | The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino boasts a striking display of balsamic-tinged cherry and autumnal spice with a twist of sour citrus really appealing to the senses. It’s silky and pliant with a gorgeous display of ripe red and hints of black fruit. There’s a sweet and sour element here that I find quite attractive, as the 2016 gains a tactile feel toward the close through a mix of brisk acids and rounded tannins. The length and classic structure on the finish completes the expression, leaving dark florals and mineral earth tones. Talenti remains one of the best values in age-worthy Brunello in the market. That said, it’s also worth checking in on a bottle early to enjoy all of its primary intensity. |