Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of lilac, dark berry and sandalwood follow through to a full body, with fine tannins and an intense and savory finish. Very intense and very long. Succulent. Amazing balance and depth to this red. It's so beautiful to taste now but it will be much better in five to ten years. A triumph.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Beautiful and delicate from the start, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso impresses for its depth and balance. The wine sees one more year of oak cask aging compared to the base Brunello and you can definitely sense the extra spice on the nose. Those delicate balsam notes of root beer, ginger and rosemary oil are still prominently on display. Rich spice, leather and tar are followed by dark fruit, prune, blackberry and cassis. The finish is graceful and silky, but its length remains impressive. This is a terrific effort that promises a steady evolution ahead.
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Wine & Spirits
Harvested from Ciacci Piccolomini’s 29-acre Pianrosso vineyard in Brunello’s southern Castelnuovo dell’Abate zone, and aged three years in Slavonian casks, this 2010 is a gorgeous wine. Its concentrated flavors offer remarkable clarity and precision, showing juicy black cherry infused with notes of clove, thyme and black tea. Firm tannins grip the edges without impeding any of the vibrant flavors, which linger for more than a minute. Immensely enjoyable now, this will offer many years of pleasure.
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Wine Enthusiast
Enticing aromas of blue flower, ripe berry, pressed powder and Mediterranean herb float from the glass. The firm palate shows great intensity, delivering layers of black cherry, dark cooking spice and licorice alongside youthfully austere tannins. It's still young and tightly knit so give it time to unwind and develop complexity. Drink 2020–2030.
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Wine Spectator
Rich, with cherry and strawberry notes, tinged by leather, bitter almond and tobacco flavors. Firm and angular, presenting a long, iron- and tea-accented finish. Turns more supple with air, but remains solidly built for the long haul. Best from 2019 through 2033.
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.