2013 Brunello di Montalcino

Camigliano is the name of an estate and of a specific subzone of Montalcino (that is, if Montalcino had official subzones - but they do exist, just as they do in, for example, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Barolo). The Camigliano subzone is a rather warm one, strongly influenced by the proximity of the sea, and so the wines are some of Montalcino’s most saline and savory. In hot years they can lack verve and be high in alcohol; in cooler years they have the sweet flesh and bright fruit that many of the wines from Montalcino’s northern zones will lack. Owner Gualtiero Ghezzi has been living at the Camigliano estate, which is really a small ancient town, replete with houses, squares and alleys, since 1993. (The estate has been in the family since 1957, and the first vintage released in bottle was the 1967; it could have been the 1965, but they did not like the wine and decided against bottling it.) The viticulturist and winemaker is Sergio Cantini, who lives in Montalcino. (The estate has also worked with many star wine consultants in the past, such as Lorenzo Landi.) The estate farms 92 hectares under vine and makes 230,000 bottles a year. The news from Camigliano this year is that the estate has released a new Brunello di Montalcino called “Paesaggio Inatteso” (from the 2012 vintage), made from a vineyard planted in 2004 in the area of La Magia.