Winemaker Notes
Ruby-red with a garnet rim, this wine's bouquet displays ample aromas of violet, wild berries, tobacco, chocolate, and vanilla. On the palate, Altesino Brunello is rich, full-bodied, and velvety.
With velvety tannins, balanced acidity, and supple body, this Brunello is the wine of choice for rich dishes such as osso bucco, pot roasts, barbecues, and beef stew.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A lively Brunello with aromas of plums, ripe cherries, cedar and teak that follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a crisp finish. Crunchy and linear. Lovely energy at the end. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino pours a bright red hue and opens with citrus-tinged aromatics of tangerine, red cherries, dried herbs, and pressed flowers. Medium-bodied, it has a focused, linear feel on the palate, with well-defined tannins, brisk acidity, and a salty, mouthwatering finish. Drink this vibrant, classic effort over the coming 15 years. Drink 2026-2041.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Altesino 2021 Brunello di Montalcino was a little shy when I tasted it, but knowing the track record of this estate, I have no doubt that the wine will flesh out with bottle age. Give it a year or two more. The bouquet offers blackcurrant and wild berry with a dark mineral note and grilled herb. Pressed violet also rises to the top of the wine, which is firmly structured and very lively in terms of mouthfeel. This popular release of 110,000 bottles ages in Slavonian oak casks only.
Rating: 94+ -
Wine Spectator
The flavors of black cherry, blackberry and black currant are pure, with accents of violet, wild herbs and earth. This is smooth, picking up chalky tannins as the flavors build to the lengthy conclusion. Best from 2028 through 2045.
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Decanter
For the estate Brunello, Altesino draws on components from 50ha spread out over seven distinct pockets of Montalcino. Aged in large Slavonian oak casks, it proposes scents of cinnamon, forest brush and walnut. Packed with both dark wild berries and red cherry compote, this remains savoury rather than sweet. It is tightly knit in structure with just enough concentration and brawn. Tannins are well defined and provide a dry, chalky bite on the finish.
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Vinous
The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino mixes violet and lavender tones before settling on stemmed wild strawberries. It is remarkably fresh and fruit-forward, with a core of tantalizing acidity elevating depths of ripe red and blue fruits. This finishes with staining length and edgy tannins, leaving a raspberry concentration and nuances of autumnal spice.
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.