Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino

Description

Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino is a Tuscan red wine made from 100% Sangiovese. It is made by Gaja wines in Tuecany at their

Gaja is simply one of the most famous Italian wine producers. The business was founded in 1859 in Langhe, Piedmont by Giovanni Gaja and it is his great grandson, Angelo Gaja, who currently runs the company. They are most famous for classic Piedmont wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco. Indeed, Angelo has often been referred to as the “King of Barbaresco” and has been responsible for developing techniques that have revolutionised winemaking in Italy. Gaja bought their first property in Tuscany called Pieve Santa Restituta in 1994 which was swiftly followed by the second Tuscan property, Ca’Marcanda, located at Castagneto Carducci in Bolgheri, in 1996. Whereas the concentration in Piedmont and at Pieve Santa Restituta is on more traditional wines, the focus at Ca’Marcanda is on international grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot) and “Super-Tuscan” style blends like the Promis and Magari.

Gaja, Pieve Santa Restituta is named after a tiny fourth-century church on a hill towards the south of the Montalcino appellation, which had fallen into disrepair until Gaja stepped in. Over the following decade, he set about restoring the church and returning the estate, first established in this magnificent, wild countryside, to its former glory. The 4,000sqm state-of-the-art winery and cellars are hidden below ground, while what are most visible are 16 hectares of immaculately manicured vineyards.

Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino is a blend of Sangiovese primarily from the estate’s Sugarille and the Rennina vineyards with the addition of some other Sangiovese grapes sourced from the 9 hectare vineyard located in Torrenieri in the north-eastern corner of Montalcino. The Rennina vineyard has lime-rich sandy soils and tends to be the more delicate of the two expressions of Sangiovese. The Sugarille Sangiovese is the parcel closest to the walls of the church. The compact, chalky, stony soils here produces a powerful, compelling wine with more tannic structure and ageing potential. Signature Gaja winery techniques – temperature-controlled vinification, use of barriques etc – produce a deep red Brunello with polished tannins, plum-pudding richness and a long finish. The grapes are vinified separately and are then aged for around 24 months in oak, blended and then left to marry in concrete vats for a further 6 months prior to bottling.

First released in 2005.