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Altesino Winery Guide

Cellar Tours Insight — Since 2003, Cellar Tours has planned private wine journeys through the world’s leading wine regions, pairing tailor-made itineraries with VIP winery visits, fine dining, and expert regional guidance.

Winery Overview

The prestigious Brunello di Montalcino maker Altesino is located in the elegant 14th-century Palazzo Altesi on a beautiful estate stretching over 80 hectares. While Altesino is a property blessed with tradition and history, the management has embraced an innovative and brave business approach, looking toward the future. They spearheaded the introduction of the Cru – a single high-quality vineyard- in the Montalcino region (Montosoli) in 1975; they promoted the concept of “futures” (“vente en primeur,” as it is known in France) of Brunello di Montalcino (Brunello Alltesino 1985), they were one of the first Italian wineries to introduce French barriques to the cellar for aging (1979). They made one of the first Grappa di Brunello (1977).

Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini has owned this iconic winery since 2002, and Altesino produces outstanding wines with the help of renowned enologists Pietro Rivella and Paolo Caciorgna. Their Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wine styles are collectors’ favorites, and their Super Tuscan wines, Alte d’ Altesi and Palazzo d’Altesi, are top-class. The wines are highly rated, with 95 points for Brunello di Montosoli in Wine Spectator, as an example. Apart from the historic wine cellars (actually inside the Palazzo), the estate is also home to a “Vinsantaia,” where the drying of the grapes and aging takes place for their famed vin santo wine in “caratelli” barrels. Altesino’s five “Cru” vineyards include Castelnuovo dell’Abate, Macina, Pianezzine, and Montosoli, a cru vineyard particularly famous for the exquisite wines made from the grapes handpicked here.

 

Brunello di Montalcino Wine Tour

Brunello di Montalcino Wine Tour

Luxury Montalcino wine tour from Florence/Siena: Private driver, Top wineries, gourmet lunch, and Abbazia di Sant’Antimo visit. Book now!

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Further Reading

Author

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James Lawrence

With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has been writing for a wide variety of publications for over 12 years, including Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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