Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Giacomo Neri has produced a very approachable wine in this warm vintage. The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is plump and juicy with loads of dark fruit and mild spice at the back. It doesn't have the depth or complexity of the gorgeous 2010 vintage, but the wine does a very good job presenting the main traits you look for in Brunello. The fruit is lively and the acidity gives the wine a sense of buoyancy and brightness. The tannins are very well integrated. It doesn't reach Brunello greatness, but it is a good Brunello.
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Wine Spectator
Elegant and detailed, offering floral, strawberry, cherry and spice aromas and flavors. On the lean side at the end, finishing with lively acidity. Best from 2017 through 2027.
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.