Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva 2015, the Sensis Riserva, is the top bottling of Cava d'Onice in Montalcino, Tuscany, made from 100% Sangiovese. Only 2,000 bottles are made a year from the finest bunches, each numbered by hand. It macerates on the skins for 40 days, then ages in small Slavonian oak for at least 3 years. Balanced and solid, with well-knit tannins and a long finish, it pairs with Florentine steak or Parmigiano Reggiano. Decant and serve at 16 to 18°C. Delivered across Ontario.

The producer

Cava d'Onice is a Montalcino estate, with oenologist Antonio Mori and agronomist Massimo Achilli on its team.

The vineyards

Montalcino, at 350 m above sea level on 2 hectares facing north and south-east. The soil is a medium mix rich in clay and calcium, with 4,000 vines per hectare on spurred cordon, an average vine age of 18 years and a yield of 34 hl/ha. Picked by hand in the fourth week of September.

How it's made

Fermented below 30°C in small French oak vats with punch-downs for 14 days, with 40 days on the skins in all. Matured in small Slavonian oak barrels, with at least 3 years in wood and 12 months in bottle in a temperature-controlled cellar, 5 years in total under the rules.

How it tastes

Intense, brilliant ruby. Ripe plum and blueberry lead the nose, followed by mineral and balsamic notes. The palate is very balanced, with a solid body, tannins well woven into the wine and a notably long finish.

How to serve it

The estate suggests a Florentine steak, and long-aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Castelmagno also work. Decant and serve at 16 to 18°C.