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Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino
Poggio
di Sotto Brunello Il Decennale:
[pohj-jo dee sot-to]
Il Decennale represents, in effect, a viticultural thesis. It marks
the culminating effort of Piero Palmucci’s first phase as
a winemaker, serving as a tangible tribute to the refinement of
his knowledge. A significant element of the latter is his profound
and intimate understanding of the old vines and ancient Sangiovese
clones that he discovered during the initial period of his quest
to conceive and realize a Brunello of impeccable quality and authenticity.
Palmucci utilized these vines to constitute the foundation of vineyards
he established in the late 1980s, complementing their character
with careful and astute site selection in Castelnuovo dell’Abate.
Palmucci has always pursued an academic approach to viticulture
and vinification, assiduously monitoring various manifestations
in both the cellar and vineyard. While he necessarily conducted
his initial vintage of 1991 without much empirical evidence, he
was vigilant in monitoring the wine’s evolution, carefully
assessing its maturation in large new oak barrels. This disciplined
approach was hardly confined to Palmucci’s early efforts.
In 1997, he collaborated with the University of Milan in order to
plant new vineyards (constituting seven hectares), instituting an
intensive study regime dedicated to identifying the appropriate
clones for the site in question, as well as the planting systems
and vine density most conducive to the terroir. (In 1999, a three-hectare
vineyard was added, bringing Poggio di Sotto’s total vineyard
acreage to 12 hectares.) These assiduous efforts in the vineyard
are maximized through rigorous pruning and an intense process of
selection. The former is conducted when the grapes are green in
color and arranged in small bunches. This is followed up by the
latter effort, during which the grape quantity is reduced by 50
to 60 percent, rendering the production of the estate necessarily
minute.
In the case of Il Decennale, the grape selection
was particularly significant, as it involved
grapes that had realized certain elements of
distinction, including an impeccable degree of
balance and profound level of sensory development. This intense process
was followed by Palmucci and consultant enologist Giulio Gambelli’s
vinification regimen, commencing with a lengthy
maceration period (in certain years, it may last
up to 20 days). Thereafter, the wine is aged
in Slavonian oak barrels (of 25 to 35 hectoliter capacity), with new
vessels being purchased on an annual basis. As Palmucci intended Il
Decennale to effectively constitute his Riserva expression in the ’01
vintage, the wine was aged for a five-year period, followed by an
additional year of aging in bottle prior to release. As
Palmucci has sold the entire case production,
Il Decennale entered the realm of the exceedingly rare upon release.
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Wine: Brunello di Montalcino
Producer: Poggio di Sotto
Varietal(s): Sangiovese Grosso
Region: Toscana
Province: Sant'Antimo
Commune: Castelnuovo dell’Abate
Altitude: 200–450 meters above
sea level
Classification: Toscana IGT
First Year: 2001 (sole issue)
Case Production: 1,000
More Landmark Wines:
Biondi-Santi Brunello Riserva
Castello dei Rampolla
Vigna d'Alceo
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