La Fortuna Brunello 2021: restrained and closed

The most interesting comparison of La Grande Bellezza sat on the table: two Brunellos from 2021, from La Fortuna and from Pian delle Querci, side by side. Same appellation, same vintage, different house. La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino 2021 turned out to be the restrained one of the two, and that is exactly what makes it compelling.

La Fortuna Brunello 2021 in brief

La Fortuna, owned by the Zannoni family since 1907, has two vineyard blocks. One lies on the northwest side, below the historic centre of Montalcino, at 280 to 350 metres. The other lies in the south, near Castelnuovo dell’Abate. The vines for this Brunello are 20 to 40 years old.

The wine is Sangiovese Grosso, DOCG. Fermentation ran fourteen days at controlled temperature, without selected yeasts, with 25 days of skin contact.

Then forty months in 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak casks. The Consorzio requires at least two years in wood; La Fortuna gives it sixteen months more. Bottled in August 2024, then another six months in bottle before release.

The harvest began on September 25, and that date explains a lot about the style.

Tasting Note

Tasting Note

Appearance

Light ruby with a hint of brick, a shade darker than the other 2021 that day.

Nose

Restrained and spicy. Chili next to strawberry, with tobacco and cacao in the background. The nose holds back.

Palate

Stern and peppery, and still very closed. The red fruit is present, but you have to search for it. Structure that does not quite reveal itself yet.

Finish

Firm and reserved, with potential you feel more than taste.

Quality

A reserved, structure-driven Brunello clearly not ready. Patience is rewarded, but for now it does not give itself.

Two honest caveats. First, that closedness: right now the wine shows shorter than it is, and the fruit stays hidden behind the structure. That is youth, not a flaw, but open it now and you do not taste what is inside. Second, the alcohol: at 15% this Brunello sits on the powerful side. It carries it without obvious heat, but it is a lot, and it calls for food at the table.

Drink or keep? Keep. Best from 2028 according to the house. Give it time to melt that sternness, and the fruit will come forward on its own.

Producer

La Fortuna

Wine

Brunello di Montalcino 2021

Vintage

2021

Region

Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Grape

Sangiovese Grosso (100%)

Ageing

40 months Slavonian oak (25 hl casks)

Harvest

September 25, 25 days skin contact

Alcohol

15%

Sources

• Tenuta La Fortuna (official): tenutalafortuna.it
• Consorzio Vino Brunello di Montalcino: consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it
• La Grande Bellezza (tasting): lagrandebellezza.com

Tasted at La Grande Bellezza 2026 in Amsterdam. No partnership, independent assessment.