Altesino works from the eastern slope of Montalcino, on the Montosoli hill — one of the appellation's most recognised single-vineyard sites. Its Brunello di Montalcino, a pure Sangiovese, carries the Femente Score of 100 out of 100, the top of the platform's scale.
Leather and cherry lead the tasting profile, with tobacco, oak, and vanilla forming the mid-palate, then a layered earthiness — red fruit, raspberry, strawberry — softening the back. Sangiovese's mineral grip from Montosoli's terroir holds the wine together. Drinkers reach for this bottling when they want Brunello at a slightly gentler structural register than the most concentrated Montalcino houses produce.
Altesino
Wine Advocate awarded one 2016 bottling a perfect 100 points and another a 98. Earlier landmarks include 1990 (Wine Advocate 98) and the legendary 1997 (Wine Spectator 98). Wine Advocate's 2017 picked up a 97, and the 2019 has appeared twice at 97 across critic publications. Altesino's Brunello Riserva, aged longer in wood, sits one step above the standard release in structure if not in scoring.
Pair it with beef, lamb, game, or poultry — protein-led plates the Femente food matrix flags for this wine. Brunello of this class rewards patience: a few hours in the decanter, or a few years in the cellar, will only widen the aromatic frame.
