Dried flowers mix with crushed rocks, grilled herbs and spiced orange peels as the darkly alluring 2021 Brunello di Montalcino smolders up from the glass. The wine is polished in feel, silken and serene with a harmonious mix of tantalizing acidity, minerals and ripe red and black fruits. While tannic, the tannins are round and refined, leaving a classically dry sensation as hints of licorice and cedary spice fade.

96-98 Jeb Dunnuck
Two barrel samples of the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino were tasted – the first from more elegant sandstone soils and the second from the more robustly profiled site with clay soils. The first boasts pretty citrus notes of orange and a refined feel throughout. It's very pretty and also floral and floats on the palate. The second, from the clay soil, is deeper and has more robust tannins, with a darker feel and hints of tea on the finish. I'm looking forward to the blend when it comes together, and I think this is going to be a very good vintage for the estate. (AF)

Winery
The land that is Le Chiuse has ancient origins, going back centuries as a source of wine, wheat and olive oil. The estate came into the possession of the Biondi Santi family at the end of the 18th century as a dowry of Maria Tamanti when she married Clemente Santi. Their daughter Caterina married Jacopo Biondi and their son Ferruccio, the great grandfather of Simonetta Valiani, respected his mother’s wishes and added her surname Santi to the family name. Ferruccio Biondi Santi, after having fought alongside Garibaldi, continued the work of his grandfather Clemente by selecting and enhancing vines until he obtained a particular clone of Sangiovese Grosso that became the source of the original Brunello di Montalcino.

Ferruccio’s son Tancredi bequeathed Le Chiuse and two other properties to his daughter Fiorella, urging her never to sell the estate because it was there that the grapes for the famous Brunello Riserva originated. From then on Fiorella leased the farms to her brother Franco, owner of the renowned Il Greppo estate, who cultivated the vineyards and vinified the grapes until 1990. When Fiorella died in 1986, her daughter Simonetta Valiani, who inherited her grandfather Tancredi’s love for the land and passion for wine, began to produce her own Brunello from Le Chiuse. With great dedication, she worked with her husband Nicolò Magnelli and son Lorenzo in restoring the estate buildings and chapel, constructing an underground cellar and planting new vineyards.

Terroir
The estate comprises 18 hectares of woods, vineyards and olive groves. Brunello vineyards lie on the north-northeastern slope of the Montalcino hill at about 330 meters a.s.l.; olive groves, woodland and a younger vineyard are located on the southeastern slope at about 500 meters a.s.l. There are five vineyards, all planted in Sangiovese Grosso, created by a massal selection from the estate of Il Greppo, with an average age of 15 years. The vineyards, covering a total of eight hectares, are trained mainly in spurred cordon with an average plant density of 4,500 vines per hectare. The soil is of oceanic origin, so rich in marine fossils with streaks of clay and a notable presence of marl and tufa. These conditions favor wines that exalt aromas and flavors, with ample body and fluent equilibrium of alcohol content.

100% Sangiovese Grosso
Vineyard: Grapes come from three vineyards with northern exposure, aged 23, 30 and 35 years, covering a total of 7 hectares.
Harvesting: Grapes are harvested by hand usually on the earlier side to maintain freshness and acidity.
Winemaking: The traditional method was applied in thermo-controlled tanks, where the wine fermented and macerated for 22 days at a maximum temperature of 29°C. During the entire period the wine is pumped over and the cap punched down following delestage racking techniques that favor full body and intense color but also optimum freshness and fruitiness.
Maturation: After several rackings in January, the wine went into large neutral Slavonian oak barrels with an average capacity of 20 hectoliters where it remained for 36 months. It was then reassembled in large concrete tanks and bottled in June 2024.