he production of a “Reserve”, as we have been taught by Franco Biondi Santi, is part of the tradition of Brunello di Montalcino, more than the cru or single-vineyard wines.

Given that Brunello is an extremely important wine, when I decide to make a Reserve I always have to be sure that what I have is outstanding, absolutely fabulous: the best Brunello in an exceptional year, one of those that occur about three times in each decade.

A Reserve must also be seen as a Brunello with a very long cellar-life, a wine capable of ageing for decades. Consequently, a young Brunello Reserve is always much more tannic and characterised by greater acidity, requiring a certain number of years of bottle-ageing.

Harvest: First week of October 2000
Fermentation: 2 weeks of maceration in stainless steel vats
Refining: 48 months. 18 months in tonneaux, 18 months in Slavonian oak wooden barrels and 12 months in bottle.