2015 Brunello di Montalcino

Andrea Costanti was off to Micronesia for a well-deserved vacation the same day I went to visit him at the winery, and told me he agreed to my visit even though it was such a bad time for him because he really wanted to be sure that I understood just how ecstatic he was over the quality of the 2015 Brunello vintage. Costanti’s vines are located roughly between 390-450 meters above sea level in an especially well-ventilated part of Montalcino (especially in the evenings); it’s an area with normally strong diurnal temperature shifts, and these were even more apparent than usual in 2015. Costanti strongly believes these were the secret to 2015’s success, ensuring a huge difference in 2015’s wine quality compared to other years when the summer was characterized by both hot days and warm nights. According to Costanti, the cooler nighttime temperatures really mark the profile of the area’s 2015 Brunellos and account for them being among the best wines Montalcino has ever produced, in his view. Clearly, Costanti also raved about the wines of the cooler 2016 vintage (to be released next year), but differently from 2015, it’s the wines of the warmer southern reaches of the denomination (like Castelnuovo and S.Angelo) that fared best in 2016.

Located just one mile southeast of the town of Montalcino, the historic house of Conti Costanti continues to impress with a style that somehow appeals to both the lover of traditional Brunello, as well as international palates. Andrea Costanti makes his Brunello from seven hectares surrounding his family estate, with many vines now over thirty years old, at elevations up to 450 meters. It’s a combination of terroir and vine age that lends his wines such finesse and minerality, while also maintaining primary Sangiovese fruit. In the winery, Costanti pays homage to both progression and tradition, using a mix of tonneaux and Slavonian oak. In the end, these are some of the most reliable and enjoyable wines coming out of Montalcino today.