Podernovi
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Podernovi, San Polo’s new single vineyard Brunello, makes its debut with the extraordinary 2015 vintage. Crafted with Sangiovese grapes grown in the vineyard synonymous with the wine, it is among the most beautiful and archetypal of Montalcino. Podernovi is an elegant and poignant Brunello.
Climate trend
The 2019 vintage turned out to be a patchy and inconsistent year from beginning to end, starting with early growth and ending with a late harvest. Due to an unusual winter that was harsh at the beginning and mild towards the end, budding was quite early, while the initial vegetative growth was slow due to the soil’s scarce water reserves. In the month of May, abundant rainfall and below-average temperatures slowed down growth, cancelling out the initial vegetative advance, and thereby accumulating a delay of about 2 weeks compared with the average season. The beginning of June coincided with the beginning of summer, with clear weather and high temperatures continuing each day until August which was marked by cooler temperatures and some rain that was useful for replenishing the land’s water reserves. This uneven trend continued until the harvest, which turned out to be one of the latest in recent years.
Vintage rating
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Grape varieties
Sangiovese 100%
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Vineyard
Podernovi – 3 hectares
Harvest
Grapes are hand harvested in small 17 kg crates during the first October weeks
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Size
750 / 1.5 lt / 3 lt
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Vinification
Soft crushing of the grapes after careful selection of the berries
Ageing
30 months in lightly toasted 4000 L casks. This is followed by at least 6 months of bottle ageing before its market release.
Fermentation
In 2500 L tapered Slavonian oak vats
Malolactic fermentation
In 4000 L wooden casks
Awards
Winescritics
A luminous symphony is told in the most brilliant and captivating Podernovi ever. Notes of lavender and karkadè blend well with nuances of green tea leaves, currants, raspberries and cassis. Lots of rose petals meet the citrus character of mandarin in the background and lift the array. Medium body, perfectly ripe tannins of incredible fine grain and a graceful, direct, savoury, at times cutting finish. What taste, what energy. Better since 2026.
Wine Advocate
With the forest green label, the organic San Polo 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Podernovi has a lifted bouquet with a hint of peppermint or menthol that gives buoyancy. There is some dried fruit, like pitted prune, but you also get fresher notes of blackberry and black cherry. Fruit comes from a three-hectare site with schistic galestro and mineral-rich clay soils. Dried rose and chalky tannins appear on the close. Production is 5,000 bottles.
Vinous
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Podernovi blossoms in the glass with a rich blend of plum sauce and clove lifted by sweet violet and lavender tones. This is pure elegance on the palate, silken and polished. Vibrant acidity and orange excite its tart wild berry fruits. Saline minerals combine with dusty tannins through the long finale. The 2019 tapers off with remarkable balance and youthful poise, leaving the slighted tinge of blackberry to fade. In a word, harmonious.” – Eric Guido
Jancis Robinson
Mid ruby. A little evolved on the nose with peppery, dark-cherry and gingerbread notes with the sharpness of mostarda and with real vitality. Succulent, long and with gritty tannins. A delight and ready now. (WS)
James Suckling
Sweet berries on the nose with some stem, floral and spice undertones. Medium-bodied with firm, silky tannins and a bright and juicy finish. From organically grown grapes. Needs at least three years to come together. Try after 2026