Brunello di Montalcino Bettina Cuvée Franci, Tassi di Franci Franca, 2016
Brunello di Montalcino Bettina Cuvée Franci, Tassi di Franci Franca, 2016
- 75cl
- 14.5%
- Red Still
- Sangiovese
- Kosher
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2040
About Brunello di Montalcino Bettina Cuvée Franci, Tassi di Franci Franca, 2016
The Franci family, raised in Montalcino for many generations, started its business making honey by the patriarch of the family Guido Franci. The Franci Franca winery, run by his son Fabio Tassi, is strongly bonded with Montalcino’s territory since its origin. Its wine clearly expresses its tie to the land with elegance and uniqueness.
The Bettina Cuvée was made in honour of Betty Sitt, philantropist and leader in the Sephardic community of Brooklyn and the Jewish community at large.
Currently showing beautiful integration between fruit and oak, with the 2016's natural generosity in full display. Over the next 3-5 years, the primary fruit will continue to meld with earthy secondary characters, developing classic Brunello notes of leather, tobacco, and dried herbs. The wine should reach its optimal drinking plateau around 2030-2035, when the tannins will be fully resolved whilst retaining the structure for further ageing. Decline won't begin until the late 2030s, making this a wine for both current enjoyment and patient cellaring.
What the critics say:
"A ripe, opulent wine with plum, cherry and citrus character with some toasted oak and spice. It’s full-bodied with layers of tannins and exotic fruit. Generous, but not overdone. Velvety and very seductive. Drink after 2024."
"This is one of three new wines presented by Fabio Tassi this year. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Betinna Cuvée Franci shows fullness and generous fruit with ripe cherry, plum, sweet spice and forest floor. This wine is aged in 20-hectoliter botte for 30 months, and this gives it ample time to soften and integrate. This special cuvée shows a pretty sense of purity and depth with a punchy, lively bouquet that peels back slowly and elegantly."
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep garnet with a vibrant ruby core and subtle brick highlights at the rim.
NoseRipe plum and cherry leap from the glass, followed by sweet spice and toasted oak. Beneath the fruit lies forest floor earthiness with hints of leather and dried herbs. The bouquet unfolds slowly, revealing layers of complexity with each swirl.
PalateFull-bodied and generous, with velvety tannins that coat the mouth. The ripe fruit carries through seamlessly, supported by well-integrated oak and exotic spice elements. Despite its richness, the wine maintains elegant structure and never feels overdone.
FinishLong and seductive with lingering cherry fruit and a gentle spice fade.
Overall impressionA modern Brunello that balances power with refinement, showing both immediate appeal and serious ageing potential.
Food Pairings
In Montalcino, this would grace tables alongside the region's famous bistecca alla fiorentina, grilled over chestnut wood and served simply with local olive oil and sea salt. Aged Pecorino di Pienza, the local sheep's cheese, makes an elegant match, whilst roasted lamb with rosemary and garlic creates perfect harmony with the wine's herbal undertones and structured tannins.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at 17-18°C in large Burgundy bowls to allow the complex aromatics to develop fully. Decant for 60-90 minutes to soften the tannins and integrate the flavours, though the wine is approachable without decanting. Given its current drinking window, gentle aeration will reveal the wine's full potential whilst preserving its youthful vigour.
The Franci Franca vineyards sit within the prestigious Brunello di Montalcino zone, where Sangiovese thrives on the region's characteristic galestro and alberese soils. The elevation and exposure provide the crucial diurnal temperature variation that preserves acidity whilst allowing full phenolic ripeness. These ancient soils, combined with Montalcino's warm days and cool nights, create the perfect conditions for Sangiovese to develop both power and elegance.
Brunello di Montalcino represents Italian wine nobility, requiring 100% Sangiovese and a minimum five years of ageing before release. The DOCG zone surrounds the hilltop town of Montalcino in southern Tuscany, where the warmer climate produces more powerful, age-worthy wines than Chianti Classico to the north. Only the finest vineyards within the commune can bear the Brunello name, making it one of Italy's most prestigious and regulated appellations.
The 2016 growing season in Tuscany delivered exactly what winemakers dream about: a long, dry summer that allowed grapes to ripen slowly and steadily without the usual late-season rainfall dramas. We saw relatively mild temperatures throughout the harvest period, which stretched into October for many producers, giving them the luxury of picking each parcel at perfect ripeness. The result was healthy fruit with excellent concentration but without the jammy overripeness that can plague hotter vintages.
What emerged from the cellars shows Tuscany at its most balanced and food-friendly. The Sangiovese has that brilliant combination of bright cherry fruit and earthy backbone that makes Chianti so irresistible at table, while the international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Super Tuscans show remarkable freshness alongside their power. These wines are drinking beautifully now—we find them more immediately approachable than some of the more structured vintages—but the best examples have the structure to age gracefully for another decade or more.
FAQs
What does this Brunello taste like?
Rich and velvety with ripe plum and cherry fruit, forest floor earthiness, and sweet spice from careful oak ageing. It's generous but elegant, showing the modern style of Brunello at its best.
When should I drink this wine?
Ready to drink now after decanting, but will reward patience until the late 2030s. The 2016 vintage's natural generosity makes it approachable young whilst having the structure to age gracefully.
What food pairs well with this Brunello?
Classic Tuscan fare like grilled bistecca, wild boar ragu, or roasted lamb with herbs. The wine's earthiness also complements aged cheeses, particularly local Pecorino di Pienza.
Should I decant this wine?
Yes, decant for 60-90 minutes to allow the tannins to soften and the complex aromatics to fully develop. Serve at 17-18°C in large bowls for optimal enjoyment.
Is this wine worth cellaring?
Absolutely. This 2016 will continue developing complexity until 2035 and beyond, with the fruit gradually integrating with earthy secondary characters whilst maintaining its elegant structure.
What makes this Brunello special?
It's a tribute bottling from a family with deep Montalcino roots, showing the perfect balance between traditional winemaking and modern fruit expression. The careful oak ageing and vineyard selection create something both distinctive and classically Brunello.
OUR GROWERS
Tassi
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