San Polino, Brunello Di Montalcino Helichrysum, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy, 2019

Producer Profile

There is a small 'nirvana' northwest of Montalcino, where Luigi Fabbro and Katia Nussbaum founded San Polino nearly 30 years ago.

Using Luigi's scientific experience of mapping the Amazon rainforest they decided to try their hands at "creating wines as complete reflections of the biodiversity of their terroir" Katia explains. This tiny estate of only 4 hectares now produces luscious and balanced wines farmed bio-dynamically by this energetic couple who, it is clear, pour all their heart and energies into these sublime wines. Praised by critics and peers they have been described as having "an incredible clarity and pureness of fruit that is unequalled in the region".

Viticulture

The "Helichrysum" vineyards lie at 450m altitude to the south-east of Montalcino, on south facing slopes. The soil is very varied, rocky with marl, and granite type rocks, both volcanic and sedimentary, clay, sandy-loam, red ferrous and white chalky lime. These soils have never been touched by chemicals and have healthy microbial and fungal life. Practicing organic, biodynamic and permacultural methods in the vineyards, they fertilise using estate made and managed green composts and spray the vineyards with microbes farmed from composts and forest floor material. Work in the vineyard is done by hand.

Winemaking

Harvest usually happens in the first 10 days of October, 3 days of maceration and spontaneous fermentation in tronic oak barrels on indigenous yeasts, followed by 45 days post-fermentation maceration. The skins are then pressed, and the wines from the press kept separate from the free-run (vino fiore). The wines are left for a month in their barrels for the malolactic fermentation, spontaneous, and then racked into french barrique, together with the fine lees, to do a 5 month process of roulage, adding to the spice and a creamy mouthfeel, the wine is then racked into 25hl barrels to age for 3 years before bottling.

Oak Ageing

Time: 42 Months
Type: French and Slavonian 225l Barriques and 38 hl vats
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: 10

Tasting Note

Dark ruby to garnet with terracotta on the rim, the nose is fruity and full, with notes of blackcurrent, violet, a small hint of rose petal, forest floor, spicy. The mouth is dry, full-bodied, corpulent, thick and juicy, with structured ripe tannins and balanced acidity, long, persistant finish.

Food Matching

Roast or grilled vegetables and mushrooms, grilled meats, strong cheese.

Awards

Jancis Robinson 18 Points
Very dark, almost impenetrable ruby. Brooding dark fruit on the nose that is still very closed and only hinting at sour cherry. With aeration increasingly complex with exotic spice and cherry notes. Bags of sweet-sour cherry and raspberry fruit with gripping tannins giving it tension. Lots of juice and fruit intensity without being heavy. Quite the stunner, but not ready yet. 18 Points, WS, 2024.
James Suckling 97 Points
Lots of bark, forest flowers, black cherries, blackberries and baking spices in the nose. Full-bodied with layers of gorgeous tannins that coat the mouth and give an enticing silky texture that is irresistible. Juicy finish. From organically grown grapes. So beautifully already, but even better in two or three years and beyond. 97 Points, JS, 2024.
Decanter 96 Points
With unimpeded views towards Monte Amiata in Montalcino’s southeast, the Helichrysum vineyards are characterised by arid, stony soil, winds from the Sahara, and significant temperature differences between day and night. While the 2019 possesses the vintage’s – and this site’s – signature fragrance, it disperses it with measured precision. The subtle progression leads from camomile, liquorice and fennel to cocoa and tobacco. The palate is taut, compact and concentrated yet never heavy. A dark red cherry backdrop is laced with exotic spice, while tactile tannins encircle the core with a terracotta-like cling. Tuck this away for a few years. 96 Points, 2024.