Wine Advisor
Argiano, Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Suolo 2016
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Dried cherries, oyster mushrooms, black olives and citrus oil. It’s full-bodied with sleek, ultra fine tannins and a lifted finish. Layers of sour-cherry, bark and umami notes. Burgundian sensibility with purity and intensity. Wait a few years for this to open up. Drink after 2023.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
This special single-vineyard wine comes from a 3.5-hectare site with vines 50- or 60-something years old. The Argiano 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Suolo (with only 5,000 bottles produced) opens to warm earthy notes that evoke the name of the wine: "vineyard of the soil." The fruit comes through in a second wave with dried raspberry, cassis and dried cherry. But that theme of earthiness permeates the entire experience and is evoked in the powdery dryness of the tannins too. These traits are characteristic of cement fermentation, which this wine does complete, but also of the calcareous marl soils of the site. This is an elegant wine that most certainly needs extra bottle time to gain in depth and volume. A special collaboration with tonnellerie Taransaud was started to create the custom 10-hectoliter oval casks used to age this 5,000-bottle production.
Reviewed by: Eric Guido
Dusty black cherry gives way to a mix of cocoa, tobacco, candied ginger and smoke as the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Suolo blossoms in the glass. Its sheer density is something to behold, delivered in velvety waves of opulent red fruits, with hints of tangerine that motivate, setting the entire experience and keeping it fresh and deeply seductive. Fine tannins and minerals mingle through the incredibly long, dramatic finale as the mouth waters for more. Licorice, cacao, plum; it just goes on and on. The 2016 is a rock star.
Reviewed by: Eric Guido
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Suolo from Argiano lifts up with a minty freshness which gives way to peppery herbs and florals. Medicinal cherry, hints of clove and licorice come forward over time. It is dense and textural, leaning toward black fruits, with a complex web of salty minerals and tannins that penetrate the senses. The 2016 Vigna del Suolo shows remarkable length, yet is currently folded in upon itself, creating what feels like a black hole of structure through the finale, which nearly masks an array of residual spices and perfumes. That said, it’s a long-distance runner that is packed full of potential.
About the Producer
Argiano Winery is located on the hills of the Orcia Valley, at an altitude of more than 300 meters. The headquarters of the winery was established between 1581 and 1596 by Baldassare Peruzzi. It has changed hands several times over the centuries, from one noble family to another. At the end of the 19th century, the Gaetani family began to take over the winery. The winery has been managed by Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano since 1992 and is now run by a Brazilian consortium. Oenologist Giacomo Tachis served as a consultant. Argiano Winery's vineyard covers 118.6 acres (about 48 hectares), and the soil in the garden is composed of marl limestone and some clay. Since the vineyards face south, there is plenty of sunlight at noon and good ventilation. The grape varieties grown in the garden are Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The average age of the vines is 12 years and the planting density is 5,000-7,000 plants/ha. All grapes are harvested by hand and transported to the cellar in small boxes, avoiding crushing during transportation. In terms of winemaking, Argiano Winery uses traditional methods to brew the wine in stainless steel vats with controlled temperature. The maceration period of the grapes is 15 days. During fermentation, the temperature is strictly controlled between 28°C and 30°C. After the malolactic fermentation is complete, it goes through several passes to remove the heavy lees, then the wine is transferred to the cellar where it is aged in small French oak barrels and traditional large oak barrels. Finally, the wine is transferred to stainless steel vats for bottling, and it is also passed through the wine before bottling, but it is not filtered. All wines are bottled at the same time each year to ensure the consistency of each bottle.
