Pian Dell'Orino, Piandorino, Tuscany, Italy, 2022 (Baby Brunello from Biondi Santi Neighbor)

Overview The Wine
Pian dell’Orino is one of the shining stars in Brunello di Montalcino. The estate is located right next door to the most famous name in Brunello history, Biondi Santi. This area has a long history of being particularly suited for growing grapes for high quality wines.

Caroline and Jan run Pian dell’Orino with all of the passion for excellence and purity that one would expect from a great estate dedicated to ecological responsibility and sustainable agriculture. Their love for Tuscany and passion for viticulture particularly binds them to the land, vines and the resulting wines. The wines come from four different vineyards that have a total area of 15 acres.

The wines of Pian dell’Orino, be they the outstanding Rosso di Montalcino that can be enjoyed immediately upon release, or the classic and hauntingly beautiful, age worthy Brunello di Montalcino, are amongst the finest examples of their respective appellations to be found in Montalcino.

The Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese Grosso. Before harvest, the grapes are individually checked on the vines and cluster thinning is done. During harvest, the grapes are checked once more on a large table before being destalked and placed in the fermentation bins. Then the grapes are left to macerate for a certain period, according to the vintage. Spontaneous fermentation starts and the temperature is automatically controlled so that it does not exceed 34C. The must macerates for three to five weeks, depending on the vintage, in order to obtain greater concentration and structure in the young wine. The wine is then transferred to wooden oak barrels of 25 hectolitres (6,600 US gallons), where the malolactic fermentation takes effect. After 2 - 3 years of maturing in the barrels, when the wine becomes stabilized and appears brilliant, it is bottled without using a filter. The wine is left to mature in the bottle for at least one year before labelling and release.

Winemakers
Caroline Pobitzer and Jan H Erbach

Grape / Blend 
100% Sangiovese

Origin
Tuscany, Italy 

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The grapes of Piandorino are those of the youngest vineyards, the experimental vineyard and the areas with cooler exposures

It has a more direct and self-confident character, a more immediate and lively approach, in some ways simple, but no less exciting.
Like stopping to listen to a class of young artists at the conservatory, getting involved in their spontaneous understanding and at the same time intuiting their brilliant potential, finding yourself following the rhythm with one foot.

93 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Piandorino boasts notes of mixed red and darker berries, as well as crushed violets and fresh earth. The palate is medium-framed, with a sunny feel through the mid-palate, and it closes to notes of ripe orange and a mouthwatering accent of salty earth. It's still one of the best values in the whole region and is going to drink well over the coming 10 years.

90 Points - Wine Advocate
From a hot vintage that saw hot weather and a couple of intense rain showers, the Pian dell'Orino 2022 Piandorino (with 1,596 bottles made) offers punchy and macerated aromas of cherry skin and light spice. The wine shows primary intensity with raspberry tart with sweet gelatin. During fermentation, the cap is managed with a combination of hand pump-overs and délestage in open-top casks, allowing air. Macerations last from seven to eight days to up to three weeks, depending on the quality of grapes. This IGT wine matures in botte, although a clay amphorae was introduced and used partially in the yet-to-be released 2022 Rosso di Montalcino.