2015 Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino

Silvio Nardi is one of the leading producers in Brunello and is among the most respected names in Montalcino. Today the estate is run by Emilia Nardi, a distinguished leader in Brunello and one of the most respected women in the wine world. Nardi's wines are terroir-specific showcasing wines of depth that are profound expressions of the land they come from. Emilia employs consulting Enologist Eric Boissenot, to assist in producing one of the finest Brunello's in all of Montalcino. Not enough can be said about the 2015 vintage, one of the best ever, couple that with a producer of Nardi's caliber and you have one of the finest Italian wines on the market!

When Silvio Nardi purchased the Casale del Bosco estate in 1950, Montalcino was a little, rural village, the powerful Consorzio del Vino Brunello wasn’t yet an idea, and Nardi was the first "foreigner" to invest in Montalcino (he was from Umbria). Today, Montalcino is a renowned wine community with many international investors, and the 36 vineyard plots of Tenute Silvio Nardi extend east and west of the town on three separate estates. Since 1990, Silvio Nardi’s youngest daughter, Emilia Nardi, has focused on vineyard development and produced wines of depth that are profound expressions of the land they come from.

Silvio Nardi focused on his vineyards, taking advantage of wine growing and winemaking technology, and pursuing his belief in the importance of specific terroir. The result was that in the 1980s, Casale del Bosco and its Brunello were among Montalcino's best. A new generation’s leadership began in 1991 when Silvio’s daughter Emilia Nardi took over winery management and spearhead new projects of clonal research and phenological ripeness. Like her father, Emilia is focused on highlighting terroir in the wines. 

In 1966, Brunello di Montalcino was among the first eight Italian wine-producing zones to be designated a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC). In 1967, Nardi was among the first members of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello, a voluntary association of producers who were determined to sustain and improve the quality of the wines of their zone as they gained prestige. In 1980, Brunello di Montalcino became the first Italian wine to receive Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status. The producers' awareness of the importance of astute viticultural practices and improved fermentation and maturation techniques led to a revolution in the 80s, with the development of more sophisticated viticultural and winemaking concepts. Brunello began to express its full potential.

Vintage Report from James Suckling:

"The 2015 vintage is a historical year for Brunello and nobody should miss it. The wines show impressive precision of vivid fruit, fine tannins, and freshness in acidity despite their ripeness and richness which makes them some of the most exciting in years. The growing season in 2015 was impressive. The winter and spring had plenty of rain to make up for the intense sun and heat during the summer. There was some rain in September before the harvest to freshen the vineyards. And as noted before, good vineyard management compensated for the hot weather during the growing season, and sorting out dried grapes at harvest was extremely important for making exceptional wines."

Aging: 12 months in new and used French oak barriques before 18 months in large Slavonian oak barrels