Buying a Brunello di Montalcino from Bolsignano is like buying a custom-tailored suit for an off-the-rack price—maybe even less, come to think of it. That’s my kind of “boutique” wine, and today’s hand-crafted 2015 is my kind of Montalcino Sangiovese: muscular, woodsy, tangy, and strikingly pure. There’s no excess weight or heavy oak influence, just a resonant chord of black and red cherry fruit and a cascade of mineral/earth notes that make me yearn for a return trip to Tuscany.
In the meantime, I’ve got this pitch-perfect wine to transport me, courtesy of a true artisan farming just a few hectares of vines in star-studded Montalcino: Roberto Rubegni. He is a one-man show who does two things—red Sangiovese wine and extra-virgin olive oil—and does them very well. He just doesn’t do either in large quantities, which makes today’s offer that much more special. In most instances, a wine this rare, from Certified Organic vineyards, costs more, not less, than larger-scale brands. That’s how scarcity works, right? Well, not today. If you love the classic, terroir-driven style of Brunello di Montalcino, this is one of the best buys you will ever see.
Rubegni produces about 4,000 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino per year, and it’s in a style that is worlds away from the engineered, magenta sheen of many “modern” examples. The process begins in a small vineyard that doubles as the Rubegni family’s backyard. Roberto is a passionate student and expert in organic viticulture and it’s no exaggeration to say that this is one of the most painstakingly farmed vineyards in Montalcino. Teeming with butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and rabbits, it is an oasis of biological activity and harmony. Roberto spends most days in denim coveralls, tending the vines, personally monitoring the progress of each wine, and doing everything possible to ensure that his small farm remains a hospitable home for flora, fauna, and impressive Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino.
Today’s ’15 is all about savor and classic structure, aged for 36 months in oak casks of various sizes before bottling. As with all Brunello di Montalcino, this one spent a minimum period aging in bottle before release, but additional bottle age—combined with a generous vintage—has this wine firing on all cylinders right now. This is the total Brunello package, pouring a deep garnet red and jumping from the glass with aromas of red and black cherry, currants, blackberry, black plum, anise, rose petals, underbrush, aromatic herbs, and sandalwood spice. It is a full-bodied style without being ponderous, its concentrated fruit checked by plenty of freshness and fine-grained tannins. With 30-60 minutes in a decanter, this wine is offering lots of thrills and chills right now, but you’ll notice that it is also impeccably balanced—a good sign for further aging. Serve it in Bordeaux stems at 60-65 degrees with a beautiful ribeye steak, some duck confit, or, on the vegetarian side, pasta with wild mushrooms or risotto with white (or black) truffles. The season will be soon upon us when this wine will be what you want in your glass every night. Enjoy!
