Region:  Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Varietal:  100% Sangiovese

Tasting notes:  Brunello is a red wine of great power and elegance, the ultimate expression of Sangiovese. In Montalcino it is characterized by its reddish-brown colour and intense aromas and flavours. Starting out with earthy, savory aromas, this red shows fleeting flavors of black currant and raspberry before settling back into notes of earth, iron and juniper. Firm, dusty tannins guard the finish.

Producer:  A lifelong ambassador of Allegrini wines, Marilisa Allegrini was the first Italian woman to appear on the cover of Wine Spectator and was recently named Cavaliere del Lavoro. She is the heroine of a unique story full of passion and foresight, dedication, and respect for the environment. A story that starts with the family business in Valpolicella - Veneto - and her arrival in Tuscany in 2001 to implement the ambitious production diversification project in Montalcino’s unique and multi-faceted terroir. San Polo is a proud representative of this project, with its organic vineyards, its certifications, its avant-garde cellar where sustainable architecture rules, and most importantly, with its forward-thinking philosophy. It is a captivating story, also intertwining the fate of her daughters Carlotta and Caterina, who today, alongside their mother, continue this entrepreneurial project with the values, ethics, and same spirit of innovation and determination that was once founded on the family’s great passion for wine.

Vineyard and Winemaking:  Situated on the southeast side of the hill of Montalcino, at 450 metres (1476 ft) above sea level, the estate’s 22 hectares (54 acres), 16 (40) of which are dedicated to vines, are characterized by a breezy and dry microclimate with strong seasonal and day-night temperature variations. The cellar, a fine example of ecologically sustainable architecture, was designed to minimize energy consumption and environmental impact. Here, the grapes are processed with craftsman-like care to enhance the finesse of the aromas of Sangiovese. The essence of San Polo, in fact, is to trace the wines back to the vineyard where the grapes grew, in order to fully express the concept of terroir. Human intervention is aimed at bringing wine closer to nature, adopting a viticulture that respects the soil, the microclimate, and the biodiversity of the area, so that the biological cycle of the vineyard, the soil, and climate are in perfect harmony.