Montalcino: sea sand to the south-west, galestro on the hill
Across the Montalcino hill two kilometres south of the town, from Tavernelle on the warm Maremma side, over the crest, to the Greppo and La Croce. Tap a layer to read it.
Swipe the plate sideways to see the whole section.
Schematic. Montalcino's geology is a mosaic; the drawing keeps three broad units. The galestro and alberese are drawn as one Ligurian unit; the Pliocene sands as a mantle on the flanks. Tavernelle (Podere Brizio) and the Greppo both sit on the line; Poggio La Croce is placed just east of the Greppo, as the importer describes, at about 400–450 m. Montalcino town lies 2 km north. Check against the Regione Toscana 1:10,000 geological map.
3 layers, youngest at the top
Single vineyards we pour from. Tap one on the plate.
Why two Brunellos from one hill taste so different
- The south-west face looks over the Maremma toward the sea: warmer, earlier, rounder wine.
- Sand drains and warms; galestro holds a deeper reserve of water and gives finer, firmer tannin.
- Height matters: Brizio sits at 330–350 m, the Greppo and La Croce at about 400–500 m.
- Monte Amiata to the south-east shelters the hill from storms and shapes its winds.
Did you knowIn 2016, low southern Montalcino sites were picked three to four weeks before sites in the north of the zone.
Pas Mal wines on this ground
Podere Brizio, Tavernelle (south-west)
- Brunello di MontalcinoPodere Brizio
- Rosso di MontalcinoPodere Brizio
Poggio La Croce, beside the Greppo
- Brunello di MontalcinoPoggio La Croce
- Rosso di MontalcinoPoggio La Croce
Sources: Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, Biondi-Santi Tenuta Greppo; Donatella Cinelli Colombini on Montalcino sub-zones; Costantini & Meinert, GSA 2003, on Montalcino soils; Marc de Grazia on Poggio La Croce; SommSelect and Wine.com on Podere Brizio; AWS Terrain Tiles.