Altesino

Altesino sits within the northeastern hills of Montalcino, built around the 15th-century Palazzo Altesi, originally constructed by the Tuscan Tricerchi family whose marble coat of arms remains visible above the ancient oak entrance door. In 1970, Milanese businessman Giulio Consonno purchased the estate and embarked on an ambitious programme of innovation, convinced that the region's then-rigid winemaking conventions were holding back the expressive potential of its Sangiovese. Consonno and his collaborators introduced a series of firsts that redefined Brunello production: single-vineyard cru bottling in 1975, French barrique aging in 1979, the first estate grappa in 1977, and en primeur futures sales with the 1985 vintage. In 2002, the winery was acquired by Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini, also the owner of nearby Tenuta Caparzo, who oversaw the construction of a new underground cellar inaugurated in 2006, featuring natural insulation, biological water purification, and photovoltaic solar panels.

• 15th-century Palazzo Altesi built by the Tuscan Tricerchi family; marble crest still visible above the entrance
• Giulio Consonno purchased the property in 1970 and launched multiple Montalcino firsts across the 1970s and 1980s
• Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini acquired the estate in late 2002; historic cellar section inside the Palazzo still used to refine Brunello Montosoli
• New underground cellar completed in 2006 with photovoltaic energy and sustainable architecture

Altesino occupies a singular place in Brunello's modern history as the estate most directly responsible for establishing two practices now central to premium Montalcino production: single-vineyard cru classification and French oak barrique aging. By vinifying the Montosoli vineyard separately from the 1975 harvest, Altesino created one of Italy's first vineyard-designated wines and demonstrated that individual parcels within the appellation had distinct, communicable identities. Four years later, the introduction of small French oak in 1979 was considered heretical by traditionalists, yet the technique's ability to soften tannins and showcase fruit without overwhelming the wine proved highly influential. These innovations, combined with the first en primeur futures sales in 1985, established Altesino as the region's most forward-thinking estate and directly elevated international awareness of Brunello as a fine wine category.

• Introduced Italy's first vineyard-designated Brunello cru with Montosoli from the 1975 harvest
• First Montalcino producer to use French barriques for aging, beginning in 1979
• Launched Brunello en primeur futures sales with the 1985 vintage, a commercial first for the appellation
• Helped elevate Brunello di Montalcino to international collector status alongside Barolo and Barbaresco

Altesino's 100-hectare estate has approximately 50 hectares under vine, spread across six distinct parcels in different parts of the Montalcino zone. The flagship Montosoli parcel is approximately 5 hectares in size, situated northeast of Montalcino at 350 to 400 metres elevation. Its soils are composed of marly limestone and siliceous limestone from the Alberese era with lithoid components, a combination that contributes to the vineyard's reputation for producing wines of exceptional mineral precision and aromatic elegance. The remaining parcels, Altesino and Macina in the north and northeast, Cerbaia also in the northwest, Pianezzine in the Sant'Angelo in Colle area, and Velona in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, provide a diversity of microclimates and soil profiles. The estate's northern and northeastern positioning within Montalcino is associated with a refined, aromatic style of Brunello with higher natural acidity compared to warmer southern subzones.

• Montosoli: approximately 5 hectares at 350 to 400 metres elevation, northeast of Montalcino, marly and siliceous limestone soils
• Six parcels in total: Altesino, Macina, Cerbaia, Montosoli, Pianezzine (Sant'Angelo in Colle), and Velona (Castelnuovo dell'Abate)
• Northern and northeastern location produces a refined, aromatic Brunello style with higher acidity than southern subzones
• Sustainable viticulture practiced across all parcels; estate holds Sangiovese as its primary variety alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and white varieties for IGT wines

Altesino's portfolio is anchored by its Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli DOCG, and a Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG released only in the finest vintages. Earlier-drinking wines include Rosso di Montalcino DOC and the Toscana IGT bottlings Palazzo d'Altesi and Alte d'Altesi, alongside a Bianco Toscana IGT, Vin Santo, and estate grappa. The Montosoli vineyard's grapes are fermented and aged separately, resulting in a wine of greater complexity and structure that requires more bottle age than the standard Brunello. Aging for the DOCG wines uses Slavonian oak botti, consistent with the house's commitment to tertiary complexity over primary wood influence. The 2020 standard Brunello was released in an edition of approximately 110,000 bottles, reflecting the scale of the estate's production.

• Core DOCG range: Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli, and Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (best vintages only)
• Rosso di Montalcino DOC released September 1 of the year following harvest; Brunello Normale released January 1 of V+5
• Brunello Riserva released January 1 of V+6 with 2 years oak and 6 months bottle minimum aging required
• IGT portfolio includes Palazzo d'Altesi and Alte d'Altesi; estate also produces Vin Santo and Grappa di Brunello

Altesino Brunello is characterized by elegance and finesse rather than sheer extraction, a style closely linked to the estate's northeastern Montalcino location and its use of large Slavonian oak for aging. The standard Brunello shows classic Sangiovese aromatics of red cherry, violet, dried roses, and spice, with vibrant acidity and refined tannins that make it more approachable relatively early for the appellation. Montosoli releases are more concentrated and structured, with additional mineral salinity and graphite notes reflecting the vineyard's limestone and galestro soils; these wines benefit from a decade or more of cellaring. Wines progress from bright ruby toward garnet-brick with age, and older vintages develop classic tertiary complexity of leather, tobacco, dried herbs, and forest floor.

• Standard Brunello: approachable elegance, red cherry, violet, and spice with bright acidity; broadly accessible within 5 to 10 years of vintage
• Montosoli: more concentrated and mineral-driven, graphite and dark stone fruit, structured tannins requiring a decade or more for full development
• Aging in large Slavonian oak botti preserves Sangiovese's natural acidity and produces tertiary rather than primary wood character
• Palazzo d'Altesi and Alte d'Altesi are the estate's Toscana IGT Super Tuscan expressions, aged in small French oak

Altesino has accumulated a strong critical record across multiple publications, with the Montosoli cru consistently earning the estate's highest scores. The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli was ranked number 18 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list. Recent vintages of the Montosoli have earned 97-point scores from Wine Advocate (Monica Larner), Vinous (Eric Guido), Jeb Dunnuck, and James Suckling for the 2019 release. The 2020 standard Brunello received 95 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Wine Spectator has previously described Montosoli as one of the greatest vineyard sites in all of Italy, and Jancis Robinson has called Altesino a long-standing standard-bearer for the northern Montalcino zone.

• 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli: ranked number 18 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list
• 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli: 97 points from Wine Advocate, Vinous, Jeb Dunnuck, and James Suckling
• 2020 Brunello di Montalcino: 95 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
• Described by Jancis Robinson as a long-standing standard-bearer for the northern Montalcino zone