Baricci

Montosoli, Montalcino, Toscana

You can’t spell Baricci Brunello without Nello Baricci. Nello’s one of Montalcino’s few true sons, a pillar of Brunello long before the massive influx of johnny-come-latelys that showed up for the Klondike rush when the tiny founding membership of the Brunello consortium had firmly established the sterling reputation this terroir today enjoys.

Nello was born in Montalcino in 1921 and spent his entire life dedicated to its inimitable expressions of Sangiovese. It was in 1955, during deep economic depression with the end of the mezzadria sharecropping system, when rural workers were in mass flight to the cities for any work they could find, that he spent his paltry life savings to buy his vineyard. 

He knew, as so many others before him, that this vineyard was one of Italy’s very best, widely considered the ‘grand cru of Montalcino’: the Eastern slope of the Montosoli hill. With Sangiovese cultivation on this slope dating back to the Middle Ages and in the decades since phylloxera when Sangiovese Grosso became the dominant variety of Montalcino (as opposed to Moscadello for sweet wines), the Montosoli hill grew famous for the production of the highest quality, competition-winning reds. Its exceptional combination of galestro limestone soils with its south-eastern aspect, Goldilocks elevation, and pitch-perfect micro-climate. When the five hectares at the very heart of that famous slope came available, Nello overcame his anxieties and secured a mortgage on what was to become the ‘grand cru of Brunello’. 

When the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino was born in 1967, Nello Baricci was already considered a Master of Sangiovese. He put the first signature and received the badge #1. Moreover he registered the 1st hectare of Brunello at the Chamber of Commerce in Siena, a real pioneer in the history of Montalcino. The first bottle of Rosso di Montalcino was produced in 1968 and the first Brunello in 1971. Today Baricci is the only producer to have all his vineyards (5 Ha) in the Montosoli “Grand Cru”, plus the cellar. Nello Baricci officially made his first Brunello di Montalcino in 1971 from his vineyard in Montosoli. “Baricci couldn’t exist without Montosoli and Montosoli couldn’t exist without Baricci,” our friend (and Nello’s grandson) Francesco passionately exclaims.

The estate is now managed by Nello’s grandsons, Federico and Francesco. In Montosoli, the Pliocene marine soil gives the Sangiovese vines great richness in mineral substances, plus its rocky structure (quartz, marnes, schist, fossils) guarantees good drainage in the rainy seasons, which is a fundamental prerequisite for high-quality grape ripeness. The microclimate is the other great component making this area so exceptional. The Montosoli Cru is located in the Northern area of Montalcino. The higher altitude works as a barrier from the heat and the warm winds coming from the south. Moreover, the adjacent cooler and humid Valdarbia area to the North, contributes to lowering the average temperature and to increasing the humidity. This cooler climate makes the ripening process slower than in other areas of Montalcino. Here, usually the harvest is delayed of 15 days compared to the warmer Southern sites. These characteristics give the wines perfectly ripe tannins, great acidity, and a very balanced sugar concentration, which translates into a Rosso full of freshness and fruitiness, and into a Brunello full of elegance, complexity, and smoothness.

Made from very old vines (40+ years) planted in 1978, this is made of 100% Sangiovese in the elite Montosoli Cru, one of Montalcino's finest. The elevation is at 280 - 300 meters, and the trellising is spur-cordon and Guyot. The soils are classic Galestro terrain, a mixture of quartz, schist, and sand, stone, generally loose. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats (21 days at 28 - 30°C), and the grapes and juice are macerated on the skins for 21 days with frequent pumping over. Aged 36 months in Slavonian oak barrels of 40 Hectoliters, plus 6 months in the bottle before the release. Please note this is made with very low sulfites. Ideal with roasted red meats, noble game, and aged cheeses. Best served at a temperature of about 18/20 °C, opening it 3 hours before drinking.

🏆 Kerin O’Keefe gave the 2021 Montosoli a perfect 100 points, calling it “outrageously gorgeous.”

“Truffle, violet, ripe wild berry and dark spice aromas mingle with a whiff of new leather on the outrageously gorgeous Baricci 2021 Brunello Montosoli. From one of the pioneering estates and always one of the best wines in the denomination, the 2021 is exceptional, delivering layers of flavors including succulent Morello cherry, licorice, blood orange, black raspberry and ground clove accompanied by a backbone of refined, tightly woven tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it lifted and balanced. Drink 2030–2041.” -100/100, Kerin O’Keefe