Pietroso’s Brunello is a composite portrait of Montalcino, drawn from estate parcels across Pietroso, Colombaiolo, and Fornello, where 40-year-old vines sit between 960 and 1,500 feet in classic galestro, sand, and fractured limestone soils. Fermented with native yeasts and aged for three years in large Slavonian botti, the 2021 is a study in tension, with power held in check by precision, structure softened by lift. The nose is immediately alive: peppery and saline, with flashes of blood orange, barely ripe blackberry, and a cool, stony edge. On the palate, it builds with intention, layering tart black fruit and citrus over a core of damp earth and subtle mocha. The tannins rise up firmly but gracefully, carried by electric acidity that keeps everything in motion. There’s a striking balance here, finishing long, and quietly persistent. Highly mineral throughout, it exhibits generosity and definitely assures us that indeed, the word ‘fresh’ can be applied to young Brunello. Already compelling, but built to evolve effortlessly over the next decade and beyond.
In the early 1970s, Domenico Berni had a dream: to craft a soulful Sangiovese just a stone’s throw from the center of Montalcino. 'Delfo' had quite a nose for terroir, deciding after much deliberation to purchase barely an acre of land not far from Montalcino’s city walls. Local history books mention that as far back as the 1300s, this rocky slope was favored for vines, and was called “contrada el petroso,” or simply, the place of many stones. With barely an acre of land, Berni made miracles happen. His wines (crafted for personal consumption, not for sale) were so flavorful and refined that his family encouraged him to turn his hobby into a true calling, and make wine for the wider world. Three generations and a few more acres later, the descendants of “Delfo” – nephew Gianni Pignattai, his wife Cecilia, son Andrea and daughter Gloria – are continuing their granduncle’s passion. While so much of Montalcino has become consumed by large estates and flashy conglomerates, it is a breath of fresh air to find a true family winery with deep roots in the region and an honest belief in the potential of Sangiovese from its native soils.