Palazzone 2017 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

The Wine

100% Sangiovese from estate vineyards first harvested in 1990. Hand-harvested and hand-sorted, resulting in yields far below the maximum allowed by the DOCG (3-4 tons per acre). Palazonne also exceeds the DOCG standards for aging - allowing their Brunello to linger for 2.5 to 3.5 years in large (7-9 feet tall) Slavonian oak casks. 

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A side note on Slavonian oak - the Slavonian forest grows without regard to national boundaries, crossing Austria and Slovenia. It is a very cool forest, which means the trees don't grow as much in a year as do trees in warmer climates. And THIS means the soft wood between the rings of each tree trunk are smaller, and it's this softwood that contributes oak flavor to a wine.

On the spectrum of oak forests, American oak lends the most flavor (think bourbon and Rioja), then French, German and Slovenian. But that's not the only reason to use large casks instead of smal barrels - recalling high school geometry tells us the larger the vessel, the less liquid is in contact with the surface of said vessel, as a percentage of the volume. Less contact, less flavor influence.

And one last reason winemakers choose Slavonian casks - their staves are bent into shape using steam instead of heat, which allows them to create a cask without imparting flavors of toasted wood. Toasted oak is an option any winemaker considers, but when a wine is sufficiently interesting and complex on its own, a winemaker can choose to minimize or eliminate the option altogether.

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The 2017 vintage in Montalcino was a difficult one, but in the end it produced wines that can be enjoyed in the near term, an anomaly for the region. The spring brought frost that set back the normal development of the grapes, which was followed by high heat and drought. Still, some producers managed to keep their vines healthy enough to produce good wine, though it is marked by ripe fruit that may appeal to a California palate more than to an old-world palate. Fortnately, growers are also adapting to an increasingly warm planet, at least for now, by changing canopy management and adopting new trellising techniques. And when it comes to a matter of survival, irrigation is becoming more common to prevent vine deterioration. 

Though this wine is pricey, it is far, far below what one normally spends to acquire a Brunello from such a producer in such a stellar vintage. If you follow our recommendation to bring in as much as you can afford, we know you'll be glad you did ten years from now.

Tasting Notes: I find many Brunelli to be like an NFL lineman - big and burly, especially in their youth. And while this wine is more Baryshnikov than Butkus, it is still coming into its own as I write this in late 2024. My notes from our original purchase a year ago indicate "best after 2025", and with the year now upon us, it seems a wise time to feature this wine.

The wine shows complex and enticing aromas of cherries and plums, violets, mocha, cedar and sweet pie spices. As the wine ages expect greater aromatic volume from the currently feint notes of rose petal and dried red berries and citrus peel. There is no question the best is yet to come as this wine comes into its prime over the coming years. Drink now through 2035.

Less than 1,500 cases produced.

The Producer

The winery is owned by Americans Peter and Kirsten Kern, who hired consulting winemaker Maurizio Castelli to oversee produciton. They have embraced sustainability at every turn, from rainwater storage plant-based adhesive tape on their case boxes to lightweight bottles that reduce their carbon footprint.