In 1987, Gianni Brunelli returned in Montalcino and succeeded in crowning the dream of his family, buying back the old property of his father, “Le Chiuse di Sotto”. In the memory of his father, a small plot of the vines planted by him in 1947 is still conserved. “Le Chiuse di Sotto” is located in the homonymous location northeast of Montalcino. The farm consists of a single body of 5 hectares, of which 2 are cultivated with Sangiovese while the remaining two and a half hectares are cultivated with olive groves, from which we produce our extra virgin olive oil. In the mid 90’s Gianni and Laura, bought Podernovone. Located on the south-eastern slopes of Montalcino, it consists of a 4.5-hectare property planted with Sangiovese and some Merlot since 1997, the former for Brunello and Rosso, the latter for the Amor Costante. Podernovone is made up of four vineyards, Olmo, Oliva, Quercia and Gelso.All technical and administrative aspects of the winery are managed by Laura Brunelli and her team of family and staff.
From healthy, well ripened, balanced grapes, harvested in the right moment and carefully vinified, it is only natural to get good wines with balanced structure and generous aromas. It’s the meticulous work in the vineyard which offers absolute quality. Each working phase must be technically analysed and appropriately adapted to the needs of our vines, climate and microclimate. These are our values as vignerons which we apply to our work every day.
In 2015, and after great thought and work, Laura finalised and inaugurated the new winery at Podernovone. Located at the south-eastern slopes of Montalcino and surrounded by four and a half hectares of vines, it is designed to be minimal and practical, supporting a low energy impact and natural process, trying to minimise its carbon footprint with solar energy and the use of gravity. The building is made with stone and the traditional Etruscan method of “Cocciopesto” allowing it to breathe. A secret corridor is designed to surround the building providing thermic isolation and keeping a stable temperature throughout the four seasons. Podernovone is fully sustainable combining technology and tradition.
All grapes, which will arrive in the winery come from our own vineyards and have the highest quality. Manually collected, following a careful on site selection and a final visual inspection on the sorting table. The yields will be very low, so the quality is guaranteed. Vinification takes place separately for each plot in stainless steel tanks. There are no specific protocols, but it will always depend on the needs of each vintage. The only rules we swear to is cleanliness and to maintain a stable temperature at 26-27°C. Extraction is prolonged but delicate, making sure we gain overt aromas, rich colour and the most elegant tannins. After the malolactic fermentation, the wines from each plot will age separately in our oak cask cellar in vessels of Slavonian oak, from 5 to 30hl. The slow and prolonged ageing in the oak cask cellar allows the wine to clarify naturally without the need of external intervention, thus requiring only a very light filtration before bottling.
Split cedar and pine give way to dusty rose and dried black cherries as the darkly alluring 2021 Rosso di Montalcino blossoms in the glass. Its plush textures and ripe dark red fruits flaunt their southern Montalcino terroir as brisk acidity and mineral tones maintain a lovely balance. The 2021 finishes lightly structured yet still energetic, enlivened by a lingering spiced citrus note. Short-term cellaring is recommended.
