Winemaker Notes
Campogiovanni’s vineyards are sited onthe South quadrant of the Montalcino hill, where weather conditions and a particular combination of soils favour optimal ripening of the Sangiovese grosso grape. Campogiovanni Brunello is absolutely classic in style, ageing three years in Slavonian oak casks and in 500-litre tonneaux, then another 12 months in the bottle. It is recognised for its finesse and for its longevity.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Perfect aromas to this red with licorice, stone, peach pit, plum, leather and iron. Full body, fine, silky tannins that support a deep, rich fruit concentration showing black fruit, Tuscan dust and oyster shell. Needs four or five years to soften but an amazing finish.
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Wine Spectator
Black cherry, black currant, cedar and tobacco flavors highlight this firm, dense red. This has the fruit, structure and harmony to develop, with a juicy finish and a lingering wild herb and mineral aftertaste. Best from 2018 through 2033. 7,083 cases made.
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Decanter
Very rich and intense nose with vanilla and caramel notes, and bold black fruit aromas. Dense and structured with masses of very firm tannins; cellar this to let the oak integrate further. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030
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.