A triumph from Montalcino’s blessed vintage
It is seriously elegant - intense, but not extracted, in a refined and savoury style of Brunello. Cherry and strawberry flavours burst on your lips, but the silky mid-palate is all about thyme, oregano and black tea. Then comes the pithy, bitter almond and Seville orange finish, and a strong sense of the depth that will express itself through aging.
San Restituta is a highly desirable corner of Montalcino, known for its fine terroir and expressive wines. The complex, fossil-rich soils lend themselves to the making of serious wines, as do the sea breezes on this side of Montalcino. Just ask the neighbours – the family-owned Máté estate is situated between those of Gianfranco Soldera and Angelo Gaja, two titans of the Italian wine scene whose wines can command prices of hundreds of pounds per bottle.
Ferenc Máté has never been a man to do things by half. When he first set up Máté, he employed the best consultants in the region to help lay out vineyards and choose clones. The vines are planted in the sort of high density that forces them to compete with each other, and so give their best. Three annual green prunings concentrate flavour and perfume in the grapes. Cellar work is ‘new traditionalist’. Combine all this with Montalcino’s 2016 blessed vintage, and the stage is set for a very fine bottle of Brunello. /NT
'Healthy mid ruby. Rich cherry nose with hints of gingerbread but much more complex than this sounds. Concentrated marasca cherry with energetic acidity and persistent powdery tannins. Has lots of everything. Energetic, electric and fruit-driven finish with an elegant palate weight. Tactile fireworks.' 17.5 points, Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com, March 2021
