Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Ripe plum, cherry, licorice and leather aromas and flavors mark this rich, juicy red. Harmonious and expressive, with a fine finish of leather and balsamic. Still needs a few years to absorb its dense tannins. Best from 2014 through 2030.
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Wine Enthusiast
Holds back just a bit initially, but then evolves slowly and steadily. Delivers a very firm, polished and linear feel in the mouth. Dusty aromas of crushed stone and crushed white pepper are backed by cola, cassis and red currant. An elegant and sophisticated Brunello.
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Wine & Spirits
This 1,300-acre estate in the southwest of the DOCG zone includes 220 acres of vines, with 2.5 acres selected for this riserva. The 2006 shows some browning at the edge of the glass, but that maturity has only intensified the beauty of the wine’s aroma, a dark, spicy scent that seems to blend grilled hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, tomatoes and the charry grizzle of a steak. Traditional in style, this has enough fruit to fill out the brisk, mineral-inflected tannins. It’s mouthwatering and delicious.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Gualto comes across as compact and linear, with little of the expressiveness I expect from this important vintage. There is some dark fruit, but little in the way of real excitement. I am not sure this wine ever had the stuffing to support 36 months in cask. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021.
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James Suckling
Subtle aromas of sandalwood, cloves and dried fruits. Full body, with a solid core of fruit, bright acidity and a clean finish.
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.