About the Wine

Siro Pacenti has always had an eye towards the future, embracing modern developments and technology, while maintaining the rich traditions of Brunello production. He started this eponymous estate in 1970 with the purchase of a five-hectare vineyard in the Canalicchio district just to the north of Montalcino. Siro’s son Giancarlo Pacenti took the reins in 1988 and quickly established the estate as one of the leading names in the region. Trained in Bordeaux, he fuses the best of modern cellar technology with progressive farming techniques, including biodynamic practices. The aim here is to arrive at the purest possible expression of the land. Please discard any preconceptions you might have surrounding the word “modern”; these are some of the most elegant, agile, linear wines from this region you will ever taste.  

The Pelagrilli vineyard is their original holding, just to the north of the town of Montalcino, consisting of sandy clay. The vines are fertilized with compost made on-site and pollinated by the estate's very own hive of bees. Giancarlo insists on new oak for reasons of cleanliness: he emphatically does notwant vanilla or clove flavors in his wines. The wood for his barrels is seasoned at least twenty years and barrels are given a very light toast. The Brunello's are bottled after 2 years in barrel to preserve freshness and avoid excessive oak influence.

Aging: 24 months in French oak.

Tasting Notes: 100% Sangiovese. Brick red in color with aromas of plum and cedar on the nose. The palate is full, with dense tannins and layered flavors of black licorice, fennel, and tobacco.

Vintage Report from Antonio Galloni:

"If I had to think of one way to universally describe the majority of wines from the 2016 vintage, I would offer that they are like a well-muscled black stallion in its prime. They are dark yet radiant, expressive, nearly explosive at times, yet pure, poised and structured. These are wines that capture your imagination; and no matter how youthfully tense they are today, you simply can’t help but revisit a glass over and over again; because in many cases, the aromatics alone are intoxicating. I frankly cannot remember the last time I tasted young wines from Montalcino that possessed such symmetry from start to finish. The best part is that this success was widely spread throughout the region; and while there was a mix of the bad, the good and the otherworldly, finding a solidly performing bottle of 2016 Brunello di Montalcino won’t be difficult for any consumer." 

Reviews

Such wonderful opulence and beauty. The nose shows dried flowers and minerals with blackberries and black cherries. Purity is the word. Full-bodied with incredible depth and structure and polished, silky tannins that envelop your palate. The length is really impressive. Try after 2025. ~97 James Suckling

The 2016 Vecchie Vigne Brunello is introspective and complex on the nose, with tobacco, baked earth, dried black plum, cedar, and lavender. The palate is concentrated and brooding, with cola, balsamic black fruit, and tea leaf, and the wine is full-bodied, with chiseled structure, powerful tannin, and balanced acidity. Spending two years in French oak of 225 liters, the oak influence is present but has finesse and is well-integrated for the style. This wine warrants time in the cellar and will be fantastic drinking for those who gravitate to a more polished, modern style. 2025-2040. ~96 Jeb Dunnuck

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne from Siro Pacenti is dark and youthfully folded in upon itself. This pulls you closer to the glass, as it slowly reveals a nuanced display of olive-tinged blackberry and plum, with hints of mocha, balsamic spice and tanned leather. It’s deeply textural, with velvety waves of ripe black fruits laced with tactile minerals, propelled by vibrant acids which carry its medium-bodied weight with ease. Youthfully dense, poised and geared for the long term, the 2016 Vecchie Vigne will require a good amount of cellaring to show all of its charms. Hints of licorice and violet florals echo throughout the long and structured finale. ~95 Vinous Media

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