Il Palazzone 2019 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 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 - the tighter the rings, the more subtle the oak flavor and the more valued the wood is for fine wines.

On the spectrum of oak forests, American oak lends the most flavor (think bourbon and Rioja), then French, German and finally, Slovenian. But that's not the only reason to use large casks instead of small 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 fire, which allows them to create a cask without imparting flavors of toasted wood. Toasted oak is an option any winemaker considers, but when a winemaker wants to use wood to soften wine tannins and give the wine time to integrate without adding flavor, as is common in Italy, large Slavonian casks are the tool they reach for.

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Notes on the 2019 Vintage

Early tastings of Tuscany's 2019 vintage gave the wine world great promise that a legendary vintage might be in the offing. After almost six years, it is safe to say the vintage is living up to its promise through five-star wines like this one. My advice is to buy all you can afford!

While all of Italy's winemakers are distressed by the cost and challenges brought by climate change, the 2019 vintage was spared from disaster by rain in July. That made the decisive difference, giving the vines the boost they needed to cross the finish line at harvest time. 

Aside from the fortunes of Mother Nature, Tuscan growers are also adapting to a warming planet by changing canopy management and adopting new trellising techniques. 

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 mid-2025. 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 production. They have embraced sustainability at every turn, from rainwater storage to plant-based adhesive tape on their case boxes to lightweight bottles that reduce their carbon footprint. A team to watch!