2013 La Serena Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy (750ml)   

A classic and traditional style of Brunello, 100% Sangiovese from the La Serena estate harvested during the first two weeks of October.

The wine undergoes fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel before moving into cask. The wine then ages for three years in a combination of 20, 30, 40 and 70 hectoliter French oak casks, and is refined for a minimum of four months in bottle before release. Certified organic on the label since the 2013 vintage. The Estate The La Serena estate has belonged to the Mantengoli family since the 1930s, but they did not start making wine until 1988, when brothers Andrea & Marcello entered the family business. What began as a one-hectare farm has since grown into nine hectares, with about six of those under vine, dedicated exclusively to Sangiovese for Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino. Andrea has always worked the vineyards in an organic way, but since the 2013 vintage his wines are now officially certified as “Made With Organic Grapes” on the label. The estate is directly east of Montalcino in an area that has always produced highly acclaimed Brunello. Andrea’s neightbors include Cerbaiona, Casanova di Neri and even Biondi Santi’s Il Greppo estate. The estate is at 400 meters above sea level, and the soil here is similar to the Pertimali/Montosoli Cru areas, but is slightly less compact, providing wines with structure but perhaps more approach-ability in their youth than their neighbors.