Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
What's often forgotten in the general hubbub which surrounds Brunello di Montalcino is that this DOCG circumscribes the area of Tuscany where Sangiovese ripens more amply and more beguilingly than anywhere else - though of course this is a grape variety whose resource is such that differences of ripening spectrum based on site do nothing but add to its nuance and appeal. If you want to get a fix on the sheer, disarming loveliness of that ample ripeness, try this wine: glowing, almost exotic fruits, with a little incense spice creeping into the mix, then glowing, soft-textured flavours which brim with summer's end and autumn's plenty: ripe plums and berries, autumn leaves, some wild mushroom fragrance and the dark spices which hint at Christmas to come.
-
James Suckling
Very floral on the nose with plums, rose petals and freshly sliced porcini mushrooms. The palate is tight and compressed with beautiful ripe fruit, wet earth and cool, stone flavors. A structured and impressive wine. Drink after 2022.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is a terrific wine and one of the new releases from Montalcino that I happily include on a short list of top recommendations. The Argiano 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a very lively bouquet that is already singing despite the young age of this new release. The wine opens to a dark ruby color with garnet highlights. The bouquet shows a large span of wild berry, earth, licorice spice and medicinal herb aromas. This vintage also reveals a pretty floral character with dried rose potpourri and lavender buds. After fermentation, the wine is aged slowly for 30 months in large oak botte (including 10-, 30- and 50-hectoliter capacity), thus restricting oxygen and gently slowing its evolution. However, the 2015 vintage is naturally expressive and exuberant, and that's the main takeaway here. Some 100,000 bottles were filled in May 2019, and the wine hits the market in February 2020.Rating:95+
-
Wine Spectator
Focused cherry and plum flavors mark this rich red, with a hint of orange peel. Flashes of earth, leather and iron lend complexity, while the firm structure adds grip. Exhibits fine balance and length. Given the fruit, this should be approachable soon. Best from 2022 through 2037.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of dark-skinned fruit, tobacco, forest floor and camphor waft out of the glass. The tightly wound, linear palate evokes mature Morello cherry, licorice and an earthy hint of game while dried thyme and a rusty iron note provide backup. Drink 2022–2028. LUX Wines.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.