Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Vigna del Lago — 2016
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Vineyard Profile
- Grape Source: 100% Sangiovese Grosso only from the "Vigna del Lago" vineyard
- Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
- Size: 23 ha (56.83 acres)
- Vine Age: 15 years
- Soil: Alternation between clay and strips of fine galestro
- Elevation: 270 meters (886 feet) above sea level
- Orientation: North - East to South - West
- Density: 5,050 vines/acre (7,143 vines/hectare)
- Training: Spurred cordon
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Vintage Report
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The 2016 vintage started out with a large amount of precipitation from January through February, which helped to build water reserves. March was cooler than normal, with budbreak starting around the middle of the month, leading into a temperate yet dry April. However, water reserves from the winter months maintained homogenous growth throughout.
The end of April into May was rainy followed by June, which continued to be wet yet more in line with an average year. Luckily, temperatures were cooler than usual, which slowed growth of the vines. Combined with good ventilation (for both northern and southern slopes), this mix kept the production of rot at bay. Ultimately, these conditions were the key to balancing the warm and dry summer months. Warm but never hot, 2016 is often described as having very even temperatures and no dramatic swings, other than the strong diurnal shifts between day and night, which helped in the healthy maturation of fruit. The autumn months and into harvest continued this theme, with temperate and dry conditions.
- Harvest Date(s): October 14, 2016
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Vinification
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Fermentation is traditional, like it used to be done in Montalcino (with temperatures reaching 30°C (86°F) for several days, towards the end). 100% Malolactic fermentation.
- Aging: 24 months in 50 hectoliter Slavonian oak casks, 6 months in concrete tanks, followed by 18 months in bottle
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Sangiovese Grosso
- Alcohol: 14.0%
- TA: 5.08 g/L
- p H: 3.42
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Tasting Notes
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VIGNA DEL LAGO in the north side of Montalcino expresses the essence of the lighter and more feminine style of Brunello di Montalcino from continental weather and predominantly clay soils. The 2016 vintage shows pale ruby color with fresh orange and “chinotto amaro” notes complexed by hints of dry flowers. The palate is slender and nervy with silky tannins and long-lasting finish.
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Images
Reviews
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Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Vigna del Lago — 2016 – Wine Spectator – 93 Points
This starts out with pronounced iron and graphite aromas and flavors, wrapped around a beam of black cherry and black currant fruit. Earth, tobacco and wild herb accents get swept up in the dense, dusty tannins on the finish.
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Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Vigna del Lago — 2016 – Wine Enthusiast – 93 Points
Aromas of black-skinned berry, charred earth and new leather lift out of the glass. The concentrated medium-bodied palate offers dried black cherry, tobacco, star anise and orange zest alongside austere fine-grained tannins and firm acidity.
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Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Vigna del Lago — 2016 – Jeb Dunnuck – 97 Points
It reveals fresh and floral aromatics, with bright red fruit, rose petal, dried thyme, and dusty earth. The palate is crisp and refreshing, with ripe raspberry, candied strawberry, and tea leaf. Its structure is medium-bodied and driven by its energetic acidity, with fine grained tannin. This is the most restrained and high toned of the lineup now, but it will be long-lived and is great for those who enjoy a brighter, more lifted style with tension.
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Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Vigna del Lago — 2016 – Vinous – 90 Points
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Lago blends ripe black cherries with woodland herbs and cedar spice box. It’s silky in texture, coasting dense red and hints of black fruits across a medium-bodied frame. This is youthfully poised and inward, yet with nuanced tannins.