Brunello Di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne DOCG 2018

Producer history

Siro Pacenti founded the family's original Pelagrilli estate in 1970 in Montalcino's Canalicchio district, with the first Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino bottled in 1988, the year management passed to Siro's son Giancarlo. Giancarlo, trained in Bordeaux, drove major investment in winery equipment and cellar practices, and in 1990 expanded the estate with the Piancornello vineyard in southeastern Montalcino, which includes vines planted by his maternal grandfather in the 1960s — old plantings that feed into the Vecchie Vigne bottling. The estate is recognized as a pioneer of barrique aging and single-vineyard/selection bottlings for Brunello.

Signature pairings

• Peposo alla fornacina (Tuscan peppered beef stew) — This slow-braised, black-pepper-heavy Tuscan stew matches the wine's spice, tobacco, and firm tannic structure, with its long braise standing up to a wine built for cellaring.
• Porcini mushroom risotto — The wine's own grilled-porcini and earthy notes make this a natural echo pairing, with the risotto's creaminess softening the wine's assertive tannins.
• Aged Tuscan pecorino with dark honey and walnuts — A classic regional cheese course; the cheese's salinity and nutty richness complement the wine's licorice and dried-fruit notes while tempering its tannic grip.