GAJA Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino 2017 75 cl.
Angelo Gaja – Montalcino Italy
The grapes for Brunello from Pieve Santa Restituta come partly from the Deserti field (purchased in 2005 with vines that were then 15 years old) near Torrenieri, north-east of the village of Montalcino, and partly from the Sugarille and Rennina vineyards, which lie south-west of the village. The Deserti vineyard faces north-west and south-west, on a subsoil of sand, clay and tuff, with some wind and large temperature fluctuations between day and night. It produces wines with good crispness, bite and aroma, which provides a good counterbalance to the more fleshy and violent wines from the southern vineyards. The grapes from the different parcels are fermented separately. After the malolactic fermentation, the wines are put together and mature for 24 months in wooden barrels and then for 6 months in cement tanks.
Brunello di Montalcino from Pieve Santa Restituta is simply excellent. In the fragrance, it is already nicely open in its youth, with very classic nuances of wild roses, cherries, mild spices and a lovely and well-integrated character of wood. In the taste, you sense dry nuances and a good tannin at first, but with a little oxygenation in the glass, sweeter fruit nuances of cherry, blackberry, English licorice and a rather complex character of forest floor, which almost gives the wine a Piedmontese touch. The aftertaste is long and harmonious and reveals a good storage potential.
Pieve di Santa Restituta is a property with a long history. The name ‘Pieve’ (Italian for village church) comes from the beautiful church in the middle of the property, which is dedicated to the saint, Santa Restituta, who was martyred in Carthage. At the end of the 4th century, some of his followers built a church, which was renovated in the Romanesque style in the 12th century. From the same period (1132), we also find the first writings that tell about viticulture on the property, as in it tells about the wines of the place, which are presented to the bishop of Arezzo.
In 1972, a businessman from Brescia, Roberto Bellini, fell for the charm of the place and bought the property with its vineyards. A major restoration work was initiated on the buildings and in the fields, and there was also expansion on the building side.
In 1994, Roberto Bellini entered into a partnership with Angelo Gaja, who at this time wanted to expand his wine activities in Piedmont with wine production in Tuscany, and the property was subsequently renamed ‘Pieve di Santa Restituta’. Since then, Gaja took over the full ownership of the property, which today amounts to 25 ha. planted exclusively with Sangiovese grapes. The grapes are used to produce the place’s two top Brunellos ‘Sugarille’ and ‘Rennina’, and since 2005 also a ‘regular’ Brunello di Montalcino.
