Talenti–Pian di Conte is an estate winery near the medieval village of Sant’Angelo in Colle in the south-west of the Montalcino region of Tuscany.

The Talenti winery was founded in 1980 by Pierluigi Talenti, after Talenti’s former employers the Il Poggione winery rewarded him for his service, allowing him to buy the property that is now the estate, a podere (farmstead) in Località Pian di Conte and thus called Pian di Conte. Its ancient main building comprises an ancient round tower overlooking the Orcia river valley. Pierluigi Talenti fell in love with this area in the 1950s, a period in which he decided to move from the mountains of Romagna to Montalcino.

In 1999 Pierluigi Talenti died. His nephew Riccardo Talenti took over the business when he was barely 20, just after his grandfather died. As a little boy Riccardo would play hide and seek behind the barrels and crush grapes with his feet. Riccardo then studied agriculture and specialised in oenology. His father was a doctor. Red wines are made under the Rosso di Montalcino DOC and Brunello di Montalcino DOCG.

Staff: Carlo Ferrini consults.

Vineyards: At Anteprima 2015 I was told there were 40 hectares of land of which 21ha of vines, 17ha of which Sangiovese, from a clone developed by Pierluigi Talenti at Il Poggione for vines at altitude. The remaining 4ha are Canaiolo which, along with Colorino which is rare in Montalcino (although both are popular in Chianti); plus Cabernet, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Syrah (the estate has collaborated with the nearby Castello Banfi estate). Up to 7,000 vines per ha.

Winery: Impressive underground barrel cellar; steel vats. See the Rosso 2012 for more details.

Wine style: Tim Atkin MW (2013) describes the Talenti style as ‘something of a modern traditionalist, using French oak [tonneaux] as well as more typical Slavonian casks,’ [1,500- to 2,500-litre botti]‘.

Production: 100,000 bottles a year, 85% of which are exported.

Red wines

Talenti Rosso, IGT Toscana: From 4ha of Colorino, Canaiolo, Sangiovese, Syrah. 3 months in large oak.

Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Talenti: 2003 Soft tannins (hot season), well honed tannins, wild red fruit mixed with methoxypyrazines which is surprising for Sangiovese (Anteprima 2005). | 2003 First bottle slightly corked. Second: soft red berry, blackcurrant and a fair bit of oak (Il Lecchio restaurant, 13 June 2005 with Noemi, Jasper, Ellie and Sarah Sesti and Hans). | 2010 Bottled. | 2011 30,000 bottles. Pale garnet, interesting nose, pallid but intense, very floral, exotic, but not overripe (Anteprima 2013). At the consorzio with Ian d’Agata Tuesday 28th May 2013: Intense darkish crimson core. Youthful nose, bit shy, mint and vanilla pod, cranberry and raspberry, needs coaxing. Ripe, clean tannins, polished oak, well extracted, but could have eased off a bit to make the juicy fruit even more obviously expressive; but well constructed, no rough edges, deep and crisp, approachable (Montalcino consorzio, 2014). | 2012 30,000 bottles. Nice sweet fruit, youthful, still a bit primary–a result of destemmed but uncrushed grapes going to conical steel tanks via a peristaltic pump. The marc is moved by pistons in the tank, with rack-and-return (Anteprima 2014). | 2013 6m in tonneaux and 15-25hl Slavonian oak. 30,000 bottles. Nice sour cherry, grippy tannin, nice length and texture, well constructed (Anteprima 2015). | 2018 25,000 bottles.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Talenti:

2000 Very distinctive animal style, rich plum, some old wood, evolved but also plenty in the tank (Anteprima 2005). | 2006 Bottled.| 2007 30 months in oak, (60% French oak tonneaux, 40% Slavonian oak casks). | 2008 26,000 bottles. Like the Rosso 2011 but more bite to the tannin, decent depth, firm, very youthful at Anteprima Sunday 24th Feb 2013). | 2009 14.5%. 22,000 bottles. Sweet/savoury, bit hot, not bad, but would like a bit more freshness (Anteprima 2014). | 2009 14.5%. L13 183. Cedar garnet. Credible nose with weight and authority but not denseness. Nice classic style with plenty of texture on the palate with new oak I think supporting well-weighted and well-picked and well extracted fruit (Montalcino Consorzio, 2014). | 2010 30,000 bottles. Crisp, cherry-like mid-palate: well handled wood and fruit tannins, balanced and with depth (Anteprima 2015). | 2014 One of the fuller bodied 2014 Brunellos with plenty of fruit, a decent layer of supporting tannin and the semblance of the capacity to age over the next 8 or so year (Anteprima 2019). |  2015 33,000 bottles.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva Vigna del Paretaio: 2003 Bottled. | 2004 Bottled.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva Vigna Pian di Conte: This seems to be made in part form the 2ha Vigna del Paretaio which was planted in part using Sangiovese clones (budwood) selected by Pierluigi Talenti. | 2006 36 months 500-litre French oak tonneaux and Slavonian oak casks.

Other products: Olive oil from 4ha of Corregiolo olives. 400 trees per ha. In-house olive press with a grindstone. Grappa di Brunello.

Contact

Talenti

Loc. Pian di Conte, 222

Fraz Sant’Angelo in Colle

53024 Montalcino (SI), Italy

Tel+39 0577.844064/844156 | Website www.talentimontalcino.it