Year of the Dog

96 Points – JAMES SUCKLING

Zodiac Dog Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2011 is one of the finest expressions of the Montalcino Terroir, integrated by an elegant yet complex texture and firmness.

Appelation: Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG

Grape: Sangiovese 100%

Elevation: 450 metres a.s.l.

Exposure: South-west

Soil profile: Rich in clay shale and marl (Galestro)

Training system: Guyot

Vine density: 4.500 plants / ha

Vine yield: 40 q/ha

Harvest: Second half of October

Vinification: The fermentation was spontaneous with the use of indigenous yeasts. Alcohol fermentation lasted 18 days with a temperature of 28°, followed by a long maceration on the skins.

Ageing: 36 months in French oak, the wood comes from selected forests that are more than 300 years old, followed by 6 months in concrete tanks.

Alcohol: 14,5%

Production: 488 numbered bottles, 1,5l format

Label: painted by the artist Li Fuyuan

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Li Fuyuan

Born in Kunming, Yunnan, Li Fu Yuan entered the Beijing Art Academy in 1957 to study painting under Wu Guanzhong, widely recognized as a founder of modern Chinese painting. After graduating from the Academy in 1963, Li continued to teach in Beijing for several decades, exhibiting his works in the UK, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.

Showing a special sensitivity for form and colour, he creates a whole animal kingdom including tigers, leopards, buffaloes, rams, fish and birds, which seems to express his joy in life and nature. His works act as a reminder of the intricacy and beauty of the natural world, encouraging people to protect all living things, especially wild animals threatened by extinction.

The launch of the prestigious Zodiac Year of the Dog was celebrated by our team, with an elegant dinner-event in Singapore, last November 2017. The event was held in the sanctuary of exclusive wine storage, The Singapore Wine Vault, and it was followed by a series of celebratory gastronomic dinners in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Osaka, and Hong Kong.

Sales have been very strong, and at the launch event we sold more than half of the available bottles. Ten percent of the sales have been donated to a few selected charity organizations located in each of the hosting Asian countries.