2018 Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta ‘Sugarille’ Brunello di Montalcino1.5L OWC

Winemakers Notes: According to archives found at Pieve Santa Restituta, the Sugarille growing site was already devoted to the cultivation of grapes for wine by the mid-16th century (1541). The name Sugarille (SOO-gah-REEL-leh) is derived from the Latin suber (sughero in Italian), meaning cork oak, possibly because cork trees were found there. Here, in the estate’s top growing site, white rocky soils (poor in nutrients and rich in calcareous clay), excellent drainage, south-western exposure, and ventilation arriving from the Tyrrhenian sea to the west create the ideal conditions for a long-lived, structured expression of Sangiovese Grosso.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Wine Independent - "This 2018 Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille has a youthful, vibrant ruby color and aromas of ripe, but tart cherry with floral notes of violet. A vibrant, bright acidity really wakes up the palate giving a lovely, fresh, tangy finish. Bright, bitter-cherry flavors are accompanied by a Burgundy-like weight and texture with a very fine texture to the tannins. This is a beautifully lithe and lively wine full of nervosity and energy. The Sugarille vineyard is between 350-380 meters above sea level, on galestro soil and facing south/south-west."


Vinous - "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. The Gaja family has really outdone themselves in this idiosyncratic vintage."