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Wine Tasting Adventure

2018 Conti Costanti, Brunello di Montalcino - Liberty

£69.49 GBP
£69.49 GBP

The Costanti family has owned this 10-hectare estate in Montalcino for over 200 years. Andrea Costanti inherited it from his uncle in the mid-1980s and has worked hard to make Conti Costanti one of the best producers in the region.

The Conti Costanti style is characterised by striking elegance and intensity, combining Montalcino's characteristic power with a fragrancy derived from high-elevation vineyards in the northern part of the zone. These vineyards are planted over 400 metres above sea level on galestro soil, which is typical of the area. This friable rock soil, also found in Chianti Classico, is particularly suited to producing top-quality Sangiovese.

The Rosso di Montalcino is elegant yet intense, offering a wonderful introduction to the Costanti style. The Brunello di Montalcino has wonderful elegance and balance with good concentration and silky tannins. The Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a fantastically complex example with great structure complemented by balancing acidity, a signature of the estate. The ‘Ardingo’ is a 100% Merlot sourced from a four-hectare vineyard in Monte Calbello. Planted in 1990 at an elevation of 300-350 metres, the soils here are mainly composed of clay. The resulting wine is defined by elegant cherry and red berries aromas, complemented by excellent structure and velvety tannins.

Costanti's 12 hectare estate is situated just outside the town of Montalcino. Their Sangiovese vines, grown on galestro soil, range from 6 to 25 years old. Vineyards are located at an altitude of 310-440 meters above sea level and are east/south-east facing.

2018 was a challenging vintage. Heavy rains in the spring caused some problems with flowering and fruit set and more rain in the summer created humid conditions in the Montalcino vineyards and the canopies needed to be carefully managed to reduce the risk of disease. Harvest took place in the last week of September and the grapes that were harvested were of great quality, with concentrated fruit flavours balanced by a vibrant acidity.

The Sangiovese grapes were fermented on the skins in stainless-steel tanks for two weeks at controlled temperatures. After fermentation, the wine was aged in oak for a total of 36 months, 12 of which were in 5 hectolitre Allier medium-toasted tonneaux, and the remaining 24 months in 30 hectolitre Slavonian barrels. The wine was then bottled and rested in the cellar for a further 12 months prior to release.

Bright ruby red in colour, this wine has typical perfumes of morello cherry, cinnamon and spice. On the palate, it has wonderful elegance and balance together with excellent concentration and silky tannins softened by cask and bottle ageing. Spiced red berry fruit characters are supported by an attractive savoury character, with a hint of liquorice on the long finish.