Winemaker Notes
While much is written about the difference between northern and southern Montalcino wines, Cerbaiona lies in an intermediate zone. Consequently, the vineyard yields beautiful fruit which balances the south's ripeness with the freshness and structure of the north. Diego's careful, organic husbandry of his vineyard, his short-pruning for low yields, and his courage to let the wine express Montalcino's evocative character without cosmetics are integral to the greatness of his iconic Brunello.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Interpreting a vintage marked by August heat, the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino pours a bright red hue and leans into a slightly richer, more immediate profile than the 2021. The nose has black raspberries, grenadine, violets, and warm spice. Medium to full-bodied, it has broader shoulders and more flesh, with ripe tannins, balanced acidity, and a generous finish that stays refined.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino comes from a lacy and delicate vintage, offering a tight embroidery of berry fruit flavors and blue flowers that contrasts clearly with the power and density of 2019. The palate is mild and transparent, showing less mid-palate weight but having a soft, silky finish that emphasizes grace over force. Despite the very hot growing season, the wine remains poised and immediately appealing, reflecting Cerbaiona’s restrained approach to Sangiovese.
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Vinous
The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino is spicy to the core, with an intense whiff of balsamic black cherries, dusty sage, allspice and cloves. It is soothingly round and ethereal in feel, with bright red and hints of blue fruit juxtaposed against tantalizing acidity. Nuances of blood orange and tart blackberry linger as it finishes with admirable length and an air of lavender. Blending 60% estate fruit with 40% purchased fruit from the northeast of Montalcino, the 2020 is incredibly approachable yet expertly balanced.
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.