2020 Le Chiuse Brunello di Montalcino

Its Origins

After many years of trying, we have managed to obtain a small allocation of this wine for the first time. Being made only made in small quantities and distributed very little outside of Italy, Le Chiuse has garnered a cult following over the past decades. Located on the northern slopes of Montalcino’s hill, this small gem of an estate has a storied lineage. Owned by the Biondi Santi family since the late 18th century, Le Chiuse’s oldest grapes were used to make the legendary Biondi Santi Riservas. When Tancredi Biondi Santi passed away in 1970, his youngest daughter, Fiorella, inherited the farm, which she leased to her brother, Franco, until her death in 1986. Franco Biondi-Santi believed Le Chiuse’s vineyards were the finest in the appellation, which is why he continued to make the famed Biondi-Santi Riservas with Le Chiuse’s grapes until 1990, when the estate was taken over by his niece, Simonetta Valiani. She runs the estate today with her husband, Nicolò Magnelli, and their son, Lorenzo. Le Chiuse is very small, only 7ha. Their organic vineyards are in the heart of the historical growing zone, situated north of the hilltop town in an area known for long-lived wines that boast complexity, intensity and elegance. Vineyards sit 984 feet above sea level, where altitude and north/northwest exposures ensure ideal grape ripening and fresh acidity. Soils are of marine origin and contain flaky schist known as galestro, clay and marl that yield rich yet graceful wines with fragrance and depth. The estate has been certified organic since 2005, one of the first in the denomination. Most of its Sangiovese vines are the BBS11 clone chosen at the Biondi Santi Greppo estate and in Le Chiuse’s vineyards in the 1970s. Lorenzo is in charge of winemaking. To produce classic, terroir-driven Brunello, he ferments in stainless steel and concrete with indigenous yeasts. Aging takes place in roughly 660-gallon casks made of 90% Slavonian oak and 10% Allier.