Sugarille — 2018
-
Introduction
-
Sugarille is the name given to the parish estate, as a result of the inventory drawn up in 1547 by canon Giovanni Sampieri. Sugarille is the name both of the vineyard and the wine.
-
-
Vineyard Profile
-
A single vineyard facing south and covering a surface of 4.5 hectares mainly consisting o clay and limestone, with the presence of galestro (a rocky, schistous clay soil).
- Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino D.O.P
- First Year of Production: 1990 (the first vintage produced by Gaja was 1995)
-
-
Vintage Report
-
The winter was mild and dry, characterized by an absence of snow and rainfall followed by a very rainy spring and summer. Persistent rainfall occurred from May until the first half of August, a critical moment in the growing season. Careful and prompt treatments were applied to the vines to prevent downy and powdery mildew. Despite the dry and warm 2017 vintage and thanks to the use of appropriate agronomical techniques (soil management, leaf removal on the North and South exposed rows), we were able to achieve excellent vegetative growth of the Sangiovese vines, resulting in a lower quantity of healthy bunches and grapes. The average daily temperature during the summer of 2018 was around 35 °C. A few hailstorms slightly hurt some of our vineyards between late August and the beginning of September. For this reason, the grapes characterized by high acidity and lower potential alcohol were picked earlier.
Luckily, from the last week of September the northerly wind, Tramontana constantly blew and completely dried the grapes. The fall was characterized by average daily temperatures of 25 °C, and high thermal exchanges between day and night allowed the grapes to reach the perfect ripening conditions. The harvest started on September 10 and finished around the first week of October.
Considering the continued warm and dry temperatures that Montalcino has witnessed in the last years, 2018 is a vintage characterized by freshness and finesse with bright fruit, medium body, and excellent acidity.
-
-
Vinification
-
Fermentation and maceration for around three weeks followed by 24 months of aging in oak and another six months in concrete vats.
-
-
Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Sangiovese
-
Tasting Notes
-
Even deeper hues of concentrated ruby-red color than the Rennina 2018. The nose begins with sweet notes of cotton candy, pomegranate, and hints of tea rose all culminating in a savory mouthfeel, a classic style of this vineyard. The tannins are rich and silky.
-
Images
Reviews
-
Sugarille — 2018 – Vinous – 95 Points
"The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille keeps me coming back to the glass again and again to take in its spicy yet also wonderfully lifted bouquet, as shavings of cedar and pine evolve to reveal mentholated herbs, flinty stone and dried black cherries. This is deeply textural, soothing with its combination of ripe red fruits and juicy acidity, as sweet spices and mint nuances resonate toward the close. The Sugarille doesn’t miss a beat, tapering off with impeccable balance and regal structure, while allowing remnants of ripe wild berries and plum to linger on and on."
-
Sugarille — 2018 – Decanter – 95 Points
“Dark cherry and black plum are spiked with bitter herbs, tobacco and wet stone. Sturdy tannins form a solid framework and tantalising acidity soars. Sweet oak nuances melt into the liquorice root finish. A great contender for the cellar.”
-
Sugarille — 2018 – Wine Advocate – 95+ Points
“Showing extra richness and textural weight, this is structured, rich and intense. This wine represents fruit from a single site that is characterized by schistous galestro soils. These conditions give Sugarille its heavier center of gravity and its distinguished power and heft. Dark fruit, balsam herb and pencil shavings shape a beautiful and precise bouquet.”
-
Sugarille — 2018 – Jeb Dunnuck – 96+ Points
“Layered with aromas of black licorice, wild raspberry, smoky cedar, and sweet Mediterranean herbs. Gorgeous concentration and length in its fresh cherry fruit, salty earth, ripe and present tannins, iron-rich earth, and warming spice. As it opens, it reveals layers of leather, fresh pine, and orange peel, and it is exceptionally balanced between its elegance, weightless feel, and noble tension.”