Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is a continuous contrast between the warm and fresh part of the vintage: the freshness of the mouth is contrasted by the opulence and sweeter fullness of the nose. Elegant and silky tannins that give depth and vibration to the wine. The acidity, perfectly integrated in an absolutely average alcohol content, gives the vintage the prospect of a good refinement in the bottle.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of underbrush, blue flowers and ripe black-skinned fruit mingle with new leather. The concentrated, full-bodied palate doles out ripe plum, fleshy black cherry, star anise and tobacco set against velvety, enveloping tannins. A great performance for the scorching vintage, you won't have to wait long before enjoying this, but it will also offer years of fine drinking. Drink 2023–2029.
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James Suckling
This shows beautiful balance and drinkability, with firm and slightly chewy tannins, yet the fruit is pure and flavorful. Some bark and crushed-stone undertones. Very drinkable now, but better in 2023.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
As you drive downhill from the hamlet of Montalcino on its north side, you pass the Canalicchio di Sopra winery, which is located in a shallow, sun-lit basin of vines. This estate is meticulous and studied in its winemaking philosophy, and the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is an expression of that concentration. This warm-climate Brunello reveals awesome purity and intensity with wild cherry, almond and lilac spread over a tonic, mid-weight finish. This wine awards plenty of elegance in a vintage that was not easy and not prone to such nuance.
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Wine Spectator
This red bursts with sweet, ripe cherry and plum fruit, with tobacco, leather and mineral elements adding depth as it builds to a lingering conclusion. Shows fine balance, a vibrant structure and excellent length. Spicy aftertaste. Best from 2024.
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.