Podere Le Ripi: Brunello 2019

Podere Le Ripi is our latest find from the spectacular 2019 vintage in Brunello di Montalcino. This small biodynamic estate makes expressive, vibrant wines that the Wine Advocate‘s Monica Larner has called “some of the most original wines in the appellation”. The estate’s single vineyard wine Cielo d’Ulisse excelled in 2019, achieving 98 points from Kerin O’Keefe. At just £230 in bond per six, this is a great buy.

Podere le Ripi was established in 2000 by Francesco Illy of the eponymous coffee company. Run organically from the very beginning, the estate has been biodynamic since 2010. The focus is on creating a sustainable ecosystem: only some of the land is planted with vines, with the rest given over to woodland and wildlife. The wines are made in a custom-made, gravity-fed winery by winemaker Sebastian Nasello, who tailors his approach each year to the particularities of the vintage.

Cielo d’Ulisse comes from a plot acquired by the estate in 2012 in the western part of Montalcino. The cool microclimate here gives fragrant, racy wines.  The grapes are vinified in wooden fermentors then matured in large old oak barrels, before a final maturation period in concrete tanks. Production is less than 1,400 cases.

Like other estates in Montalcino, Podere Le Ripi benefitted from a particular set of climatic conditions in 2019. The year was notable among recent vintages for being warm but – crucially – not too hot. Well-timed rain over summer also helped to refresh the vines, resulting in intensely fragrant, concentrated wines that are superbly balanced.

The vintage has met with widespread critical acclaim. “I’ve never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage”, says leading Brunello expert Kerin O’Keefe.  Eric Guido of Vinous rates 2019 similarly highly, calling it “a vintage of radiance and appeal… the vintage we’ve all been waiting for”.

This is a superb wine from one of the best vintages in Brunello for some time. It is a worthy addition to any collection.

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