Conti Costanti

The Costantis are an old Sienese family documented since the fifteenth century, and they appear in Montalcino's history through the events that led to the creation of the Republic of Siena on Ilcinese (Montalcino) land in 1555. The earliest evidence of the Sienese Costantis is a 1506 coat of arms belonging to Giovanni, a jurist and chancellor of the university. In 1711, brothers Crescenzio and Carlo Costanti received the hereditary title of Counts for their service to the Venetian Republic. Later generations turned from warfare to agriculture, on land that stretched from Colle al Matrichese to Bibbiano castle and Sovignano, near Siena. Tito Costanti, a count and lawyer, was among the first Montalcino producers to call the local red wine "Brunello." At the wine Exhibition of the Province of Siena in August 1870 he presented a Brunello from the 1865 harvest at 14 degrees alcohol, alongside a one-year-old wine from the 1869 harvest that he also called Brunello. Emilio Costanti, a doctor and wine grower, brought the wine its wider commercial release: until the early 1960s it circulated mainly among close friends and at Rotary Club dinners in Pescara, where Emilio was president, before slowly becoming known in Italy and abroad.

• Sienese family documented since the fifteenth century; earliest evidence is a 1506 coat of arms; 1711 hereditary Count title granted to brothers Crescenzio and Carlo Costanti for service to the Venetian Republic
• Tito Costanti, count and lawyer, among the first to call Montalcino red wine "Brunello," presenting a wine from the 1865 harvest at the 1870 Siena provincial exhibition
• Emilio Costanti, doctor and wine grower, drove the wine's wider commercial release from the early 1960s; before then it circulated mainly among friends and at Rotary Club dinners in Pescara

In 1983 a very young Andrea Costanti took over Colle al Matrichese, inheriting one of Montalcino's few distinguished labels of the era. His uncle, Emilio Costanti, had no children of his own; he traced the sole living descendant of the ancient Sienese family and found Andrea, then a new geology graduate of the University of Siena. Andrea Costanti describes his aim as developing the wines' aromatic variety toward an elegant and perfect bouquet; the vines, grown above 400 meters with extreme ranges in temperature, have given richer aromas. Today Andrea owns the estate and makes the wines with enologist Vittorio Fiore, and average yearly production is about 60,000 bottles.

• 1983: Andrea Costanti, a geology graduate of the University of Siena, took over the estate from his uncle Count Emilio, who had traced Andrea as the family's sole living descendant
• Andrea's knowledge of geology underpins his work with Colle al Matrichese's galestro: Cretaceous-era shale marls of sand and calcareous rock with very little clay
• Andrea makes the wines today with enologist Vittorio Fiore; average annual production is about 60,000 bottles

The estate totals 25 hectares at Colle al Matrichese, in Montalcino: 12 hectares under vine, 4 hectares of olive groves, and the remainder fallow land and woodland. The vineyards sit at 310-400 meters above sea level, with exposures carefully selected. Vines are Sangiovese, known locally as Brunello, ranging from 6 to 25 years old, planted at densities of 3,333 to 5,500 vines per hectare; three hectares have recently been planted with Merlot and Cabernet. The land is organically poor but rich in lithoid components; geologically it is galestro from the Cretaceous era. Harvest usually begins in early October.

• 25 hectares total: 12 ha vineyard, 4 ha olive groves, remainder fallow and woodland; vineyards at 310-400m elevation with carefully selected exposures
• Sangiovese (locally "Brunello"), 6-25 years old, 3,333-5,500 vines per hectare; three hectares recently planted with Merlot and Cabernet
• Soil organically poor but rich in lithoid components, galestro of Cretaceous origin; harvest usually begins at the start of October

The current range comprises Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Vermiglio DOC, Grappa di Brunello di Montalcino, and Grappa di Brunello Riserva. Brunello ferments with two weeks of maceration in stainless steel vats and is aged 48 months total: 18 months in tonneaux, 18 months in Slavonian oak wooden barrels, and 12 months in bottle. Rosso di Montalcino DOC (100% Sangiovese, called "Brunello" locally) ferments for 3 weeks in stainless steel and ages 12 months in Allier barriques of 3.50 hectoliters. Vermiglio DOC, also 100% Sangiovese, ferments on the skins in temperature-controlled stainless steel for about two weeks, then ages 12 months in French tonneaux of 5.0 hectoliters and 12 months in Slavonian oak casks of 30.0 hectoliters. In the cellar, Brunello ages in 30-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks between 3 and 15 years old and in 5-hectoliter barriques, while younger wines age in three-year-old, 225- and 335-liter barriques of Allier oak with medium toast. Grappa di Brunello di Montalcino is drawn from Costanti Brunello marc within 48 hours of racking and distilled at Gioacchino Cannoni's artisan distillery in Paganico using an intermittent four-column low-grade steam system, at 42% alcohol; the Riserva grappa is aged a year in oak casks, then in apple, pear, and wild cherry wood barrels, with more than a year of further bottle aging, also at 42%.

• Brunello: two weeks maceration in stainless steel; 48 months total aging (18 tonneaux, 18 Slavonian oak, 12 bottle)
• Rosso di Montalcino DOC: 3-week stainless steel fermentation, 12 months in 3.50 hl Allier barriques; Vermiglio DOC: about 2-week skin fermentation, 12 months French tonneaux (5.0 hl) plus 12 months Slavonian oak (30.0 hl)
• Grappa di Brunello di Montalcino is distilled from Costanti Brunello marc at Gioacchino Cannoni's distillery in Paganico; both grappas are bottled at 42% alcohol

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino received two 100-point scores. Kerin O'Keefe, formerly of Wine Enthusiast, scored it 100 points, calling it "breathtakingly gorgeous" and describing aromas of blue flower, woodland berry, forest floor, and new leather leading into Marasca cherry, wild raspberry, blood orange, menthol, and baking spice, framed by firm, ultra-refined tannins and bright acidity. Decanter's Michaela Morris (November 2023) also scored it 100 points, calling it "gloriously sculpted... statuesque and stately." The same wine received 96 points from Vinous (Eric Guido, December 2023) and 94 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Monica Larner, December 2023). Decanter's 2019 Brunello di Montalcino report placed Conti Costanti among the vintage's highest-scoring wines, from the region's most celebrated estates alongside Le Chiuse, Il Marroneto, and Canalicchio di Sopra. Andrea Costanti told Decanter that "September was beautiful" in 2019, with warm days, windy evenings, and cool nights. The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva received 98 points from Kerin O'Keefe at Wine Enthusiast (May 2021), praising its ripe dark-skinned fruit, forest floor, rose, and wild mint aromas, with a drinking window of 2023 through 2035.

• 2019 Brunello di Montalcino: 100 points (Kerin O'Keefe, formerly Wine Enthusiast), 100 points (Decanter, Michaela Morris, Nov 2023), 96 points (Vinous, Eric Guido, Dec 2023), 94 points (Wine Advocate, Monica Larner, Dec 2023)
• Decanter's 2019 Brunello report placed Conti Costanti among the vintage's highest-scoring wines, from the region's most celebrated estates alongside Le Chiuse, Il Marroneto, and Canalicchio di Sopra
• 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: 98 points from Kerin O'Keefe (Wine Enthusiast, May 2021), suggested drinking window 2023-2035

The 2003 harvest was the earliest in Costanti history, beginning September 10 in a very hot, dry year that produced an important wine not meant for very long aging. The 1997 harvest was rated five stars by the Consorzio, after a perfect season that gave grapes of great structure and balance, picked in mid-September; Andrea Costanti's notes call it the greatest Montalcino harvest of the twentieth century. On Colle al Matrichese's poor, lithoid galestro soils, with vines above 400 meters in places and extreme temperature swings, Andrea Costanti describes his aim for the Sangiovese as an elegant and perfect bouquet.

• 2003: earliest harvest in Costanti history, beginning September 10, a very hot and dry year not suited to very long aging
• 1997: rated five stars by the Consorzio after a perfect season, with a mid-September harvest
• House style aimed at aromatic elegance, from poor, lithoid galestro soil and vines above 400 meters in places

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.costanti.com/en/73/history, https://www.costanti.com/en/102/estate, https://www.costanti.com/en/prodotti/products. Secondary sources: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/2x-100pt--Breathtakingly-GORGEOUS--Costanti-Brunello--19.html?soid=1102573047231&aid=U0s49fxg6jc, https://www.empson.com/wine_producer/conti-costanti/, https://www.decanter.com/premium/brunello-di-montalcino-2019-full-report-522099/. Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.