Renieri is an organic estate winery in Località Renieri in the south-east of the Montalcino region, Tuscany, Italy. Its main wines are Rosso di Montalcino DOC and Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. 

Owner: Bacci Wines, a wine group.

Staff: Technical manager: Franco Benvenuti. Organics: Stefano Marinari.

Estate vineyards: The estate comprises 128 hectares. The vineyard is next to the winery, on slopes that face Monte Amiata. Following the grubbing-up of the old vineyards, new vines were planted in 1998, at a density of 6,000 vines per hectare. There are 30 hectares. The main grape is Sangiovese for both Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (6 hectares) and Rosso di Montalcino (8 hectares). The remainder comprises French grapes (eg. Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Petit Verdot). The soils are largely volcanic, with strata of schistous limestone and rock. Classic to the area are soils made up of the reddish terra rossa, clays, and calcareous tufa. Altitude is 350-420 metres, exposed in an arc from southeast to southwest. I was told (Anteprima 2015) that Renieri’s vines were near the ‘Cerretalto’ vineyard belonging to Casanova di Neri.

Organic certification: 2017 Full organic status was due for the 2017 vintage.

Winery, winemaking: The modern winemaking cellar in Montalcino, covering some 1,000 square metres, is built almost entirely underground. 100% hand picked (Anteprima 2015). Grapes are conveyed by gravity via the roof, inside the cellar and into new stainless steel tanks for the initial fermentation at 29º-31ºC. A controlled temperature is absolutely essential for the protection of the yeasts present on the grape skins at the time of harvest. The tanks are equipped with automatic pumpover systems that can be programmed in cycles that will ensure maximum extraction of compounds from the skins. Macerations at Renieri average 3 to 4 weeks. All wines undergo malolactic fermentation in oak barrels, where the still-dirty wine drops its sediment and begins the long maturation process.

Red wines

IGT Toscana Rosso, Invetro: 2009 50% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. 3 months in barrique.

IGT Toscana Rosso Toscana Rosso, Ri di Renieri: 2004 Merlot, Petit Verdot and both Cabernets. 15 months in barrique.

IGT Toscana Rosso Toscana Rosso, Regina di Renieri: 2006 100% Syrah. 18 months in barrique.

IGT Toscana Rosso Toscana Rosso, Mega: 2008 70% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. 24 months in barrique. £30-59.99. Ripe, roasted nose which is starting to evolve, good palate with dense, ripely structured game and and black cherry flavours (Silver, DWWA  2013).

Rosso di Montalcino DOC: 2003 30,000 bottles. Extracted fruit juice (Anteprima 2005). | 2008 18 months in barrique. | 2010 Bottled. | 2011 70,000 bottles. | 2012 70,000 bottles. Simple, some green flavours, bit dry, flat, mid-weight, bog standard (Anteprima 2014). | 2013 80,000 bottles. Thick tannin, a bit sour cherry, OK commercial, some blur (Anteprima 2015). | 2014 Bright mid-crimson, bit grubby (old wooden vats), shame as plenty of fruit, bit over-extracted (Anteprima 2016). | 2017 50,000 bottles.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG: 2004 24 months in barrique and 24 months in 30hl botti. | 2006 Bottled. | 2007 Bottled. | 2008 Closed, a bit of acetone and alcohol, dry, volatile, dense but short (DWWA 2013). | 2009 30,000 bottles. Smoke, dry end, bit of bake, simple (Anteprima 2014). | 2010 40,000 bottles. Bit of blur and funk too (Anteprima 2015). | 2011 A bit simple and boiled (Anteprima 2016). | 2015 60,000 bottles.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva: 2006 24 months in 500-litre tonneaux and 24 months in 30hl casks. | 2009 6,000 bottles. Sour cherry nose, bit adjusted (Anteprima 2015). | 2010 A bit tired (Anteprima 2016).

Contact

Renieri,

Loc. Renieri, Strada Consorziale Pian dell’Asso

I-53024 – Montalcino (Siena)

Tel+39 0577.359330 | www.renierimontalcino.com