Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne DOCG 2020
(Tuscany, Italy) - [JS 98] [WA 95] [VM 94] [WE 94] [WS 94] [DM 93]

About the Winery:
Siro Pacenti started his eponymous estate in 1970 with the purchase of a five-hectare vineyard in the Canalicchio district just to the north of Montalcino. Named Pelagrilli, this vineyard also gives its name to their flagship wine. Since then the estate has grown to 60 hectares, but less than a third of that is given over to vineyards. The rest is olive groves and cereal fields, as has been the tradition here for literally thousands of years.  Less than 50,000 total bottles are produced in a given year, an absolutely tiny quantity by Montalcino standards, almost all (95%) is exported. 

Siro’s son Giancarlo Pacenti took the reins in 1988 and quickly established the estate as one of the leading names in the region.  Trained in Bordeaux, he fuses the best of modern cellar technology with progressive farming techniques, including biodynamic practices. The aim here is to arrive at the purest possible expression of the land.

Giancarlo insists on new oak for reasons of cleanliness: he emphatically does not want vanilla or clove flavors in his wines. The wood for his barrels is seasoned at least twenty years and barrels are given a very light toast. The Brunelli are bottled after 2 years in barrel to preserve freshness and avoid excessive oak influence (the Rosso spends 1 year in barrel).

About this Wine:
As its name suggests, Vecchie Vigne arises from the historic sections of the Pelagrilli and Piancornello vineyards. It is sourced from vines aged 40-60 years in both the Pelagrilli vineyard and the Piancornello vineyard in Montalcino's southeast. Berries are selected in multiple passes, before and after destemming, through an optical sorter. The wine is aged in custom-made French barriques for 24 months followed by two months in concrete and a final 22 months matured in the bottle. Vecchie Vigne is precise, pronounced, dense, and balanced, this is convincing old-vine Sangiovese.

Ratings & Reviews

98 Points - James Suckling:
"Aromas of black cherries, bark, black truffle, ink and lead pencil follow through to a full body with perfectly integrated tannins that are caressing yet impressive and add intensity and focus to the wine. The silky tannins caress every inch of your palate. Savory finish. Drink or hold." (May 2025)

95 Points - Wine Advocate:
"Made with fruit from the estate's oldest vines and aged in French barrique, the Siro Pacenti 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne has a spicy note with cardamom or cinnamon over a bold bouquet that is darkly enriched with all kinds of black and purple fruits. You get a hint of eucalyptus or rosemary that underlines a medicinal side to this wine. To the palate, this vintage is slightly more accessible for sure, but the house style prizes concentration and bold tannic structure that will give you runway for aging. There is a hint of dustiness or chalkiness on the tannins. This is a 16,000-bottle release." - Monica Larner (Nov 2024)

94 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne is tightly wound and inward, with an intense mix of savory herbs, cedar shavings, ground cloves and blood orange forming its bouquet. Velvety smooth and deep, yet surprisingly vibrant, it casts masses of spiced-cherry and wild berry fruits across the palate, complicated by a hint of sour citrus. The structure emerges through the finish, impossibly long and tannic, yet still fresh, leaving a tart blackberry tinge and violet inner florals. This mixes balance and power in a wildly attractive way. (Drink between 2026-2034)" – Eric Guido (Nov 2024)

94 Points - Wine Enthusiast: 
"The nose opens with earthy, spiced aromas of cinnamon, cloves, dirt and herbs, then adds sweet berries for balance. Blackberries lead off the palate alongside more earth and spices, but a current of citrus and salt gradually swells and warms the tongue. Tannins are firm and structured." – Danielle Callegari (Dec 2025)

94 Points – Wine Spectator:
"A dark, distinctive version that veers toward black currant and blackberry fruit, showing fine concentration and structure. Iron, earth, eucalyptus and Mediterranean scrub notes augment the fruit, delivering an anomaly for the vintage. Almost feels more like '19 than '20. Best from 2028 through 2045. 1,167 cases made, 340 cases imported." – Bruce Sanderson (Jun 2025)

93 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"The estate’s ‘selection’ bottling is based on vine age. Uber-clean, polished and modern, it brings together the oldest plantings (over 35 years old) from plots in the northeast of Montalcino with those in the southwest. The nose flaunts its barrique ageing (60% new) with vanilla and cigar smoke atop black cherry compote and dried plum. Notes of mocha and scorched dark soil come through on the palate. An impressive level of dark berry fruit concentration speaks to low yields and serves to absorb waves of grainy wood and grape tannins. As intense as this is, the sum is cohesive and bolstered by vivid acidity. (Drink between 2026-2034)" - Michaela Morris (Nov 2024)