2018 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli

In 2018, Siro Pacenti made two charming Brunellos that transform the usual brooding power into a more youthfully expressive and energetic style. The Siro Pacenti wines are often associated with a more international expression of Brunello, which in the north is further enhanced by the sandy clay soils of their vineyards, such as the single-vineyard Pelagrilli. Giancarlo Pacenti has no fear of experimenting and integrating modern technology throughout the vineyards and winemaking process. Today, only organic and biodynamic practices are used. While Pacenti is also a fan of new oak, it is expertly applied to add accents to the wine without the overwhelming wood sensations that the word barrique brings to mind. A new project here involves planting new vines using the Alberello (bush vine) training system, a practice we will see more and more of in Montalcino. Today, there are only 1.5 hectares planted, selected from Pacenti’s clones; yet another four to five hectares are in the works in the coming years. Pacenti explained that “Alberello allows excellent protection of the grapes even with high irradiation.” This is a huge benefit to producers considering the arid heat of past vintages. The vines are also known to have much longer life cycles. As for 2018, Pacenti spoke of the extra work that was necessary in the vineyards due to the cool and rainy conditions in the spring and rain throughout the rest of the season but didn’t consider the vintage challenging otherwise. However, production was down 60% for the Vecchie Vigne (Siro Pacenti also has vineyards in the south that feed the VV), so there will be no Riserva PS. Instead, the remaining juice went to the Pelagrilli and Rosso di Montalcino, two wines that are seriously worth checking out.