Pian delle Querci: Four Generations of Brunello

No added yeast. It sounds like a detail, but at Pian delle Querci it is an article of faith. On the hills of Montalcino this family has made Brunello for four generations, and the philosophy turns on intervening as little as possible. I tasted their Brunello 2021 and Riserva 2020 at La Grande Bellezza in Amsterdam, and both bottles carried the earthy signature of this house.

Pian delle Querci Brunello: small and devoted

The estate spans forty-eight hectares, eight and a half of them vineyard and six reserved for Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. Small, then, and that is a choice. Winemaker Pinti Vittorio builds the philosophy on respect for the whole process, from the vineyard to the cellar, where no yeast is added. Fermentation relies on what the grapes and the cellar bring themselves.

The hill where Pian delle Querci sits reaches an average of 250 metres, with a mixed clay and tufaceous soil rich in stones. That soil is exactly what gives the wines their aptitude for long ageing. Brunello here is not a short-term wine. Alongside the Brunello the house also makes a well-regarded Rosso di Montalcino, but the flagship is and remains the Brunello.

Two vintages, two moods

The Brunello 2021 comes from a vintage rated excellent in Montalcino: warm and dry, with a heat peak in August but cooler nights that preserved the elegance. You taste it. Plenty of ripe red fruit, cheerful raspberries, spicy leather, in short classic Brunello. For now it still feels a touch young. What I missed was the damp earth and mushroom, that earthy layer that could have been more present for my taste. Patience will solve that.

The Riserva 2020 is another story. This wine sat locked in bottle for a long time, and you notice it on the first nose. Give it light and air, and the bouquet opens like a fan. Every register joins in: a power Brunello with tart black cherry, blackberry, cassis and strawberry, and oak notes that lend body. A wild, earthy vibe that shows exactly what this house stands for.

The contrast between the two is instructive. 2021 gave a finer, more approachable Brunello, 2020 a more powerful and earthier one that asks for patience. Put both house styles side by side and you understand why Pian delle Querci aims for longevity rather than instant pleasure.

Sources

• Pian delle Querci (official): piandellequerci.it
• Consorzio Vino Brunello di Montalcino: consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it
• La Grande Bellezza (tasting): lagrandebellezza.com