Siro Pacenti Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2023
(Tuscany, Italy) - [JS 92]

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:
Siro Pacenti Rosso di Montalcino is produced with great care from vines aged 15-25 years. Following a rigorous selection by optical sorter, the fruit is destemmed and sorted again before a brief cold maceration. Vinification in steel and concrete lasts about 4 weeks and is followed by 12 months in new French barrique before bottling. A wine of purity and depth rarely encountered in the Rosso category, Siro Pacenti Rosso di Montalcino averages 15,000 bottles per year, or roughly 20% of the winery’s total production.

Ratings & Reviews

92 Points - James Suckling:
"This graceful and perfumed wine shows aromas of toast, licorice, vanilla, pomegranates, violets and cinnamon. Its restrained character is improved by fruit concentration and weight, a full body, crisp acidity and well-handled, velvety tannins. Drinkable now, but best from spring 2025." (Dec 2024)