Winemaker Notes
The fresh side of a warm year. This elegant Rosso di Montalcino with a bright ruby red color exhibits an intensely fragrant bouquet, characterized by notes of black cherries, pomegranate and blackcurrant, intertwined by aromatic sensations of Mediterranean scrub and sweet spices. On the palate in reveals its impressive structure with textured and soothing tannins, accompanied by the typical Biondi-Santi freshness. The finish is characterized by persistent, sweet fruity notes.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
This is the first vintage under the stewardship by of winemaker, Federico Radi. The 2017 Rosso di Montalcino is floral, fresh, and citrusy, with aromatics of Mirabel plum and poppy red fruit. It is springy and refreshing on the palate with ripe raspberry, tea leaf, and blood orange. The warmth of the vintage comes through with a lightly confected fruit quality that lingers on the palate. This is a fantastic Rosso, and a sign of great things to come. Drink 2021-2030.
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Wine Enthusiast
Intensely fragrant, this has enticing scents of rose, violet and woodland berries that gain complexity thanks to a whiff of camphor. It’s savory and polished, offering juicy red cherry, pomegranate and star anise before a white pepper finish. Surprisingly tangy acidity for the hot vintage and smooth tannins keep it balanced. Drink through 2025.
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James Suckling
Beautiful, sweet and ripe fruit on the nose with hints of wild flowers. It’s full-bodied with soft, round tannins that caress the palate. Long, flavorful finish. Gorgeous finish. A hint of chocolate nicely complements the fruit here. Delicious now, but can improve with age. Drink or hold.
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.