Winemaker Notes
Red color of medium intensity, with purple reflections in appearance. Harmonious aromas, with a sophisticated note of prune and blackberry and a strong wood aroma. The palate results in a rich and balanced wine, distinguished by its aftertaste with a note of mixed berries and a delicate nuance of wood.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A complex nose of dried mushrooms, crushed shells and bark. Hints of dried rosemary and thyme give this mouth-watering savoriness. Juicy dark berries and mushrooms on the palate. It's full-bodied with firm tannins. Chewy.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Brunello has baked aromas of fig, tar and turned earth. The palate is savory with tea leaf, cherry pit, and pine resin. It is full-bodied and rich with ripe tannin and warming spice. Col di Lamo is an organic estate.
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Decanter
Col di Lamo was established by Giovanna Neri when she parted ways with her brother Giacomo Neri of Casanova di Neri in the mid-1990s. From two small vineyards in Montalcino’s northeastern zone of Torrenieri she fashions this satisfyingly chewy, slightly rustic yet flavourful Brunello. It’s packed with dark fruit and offset by wildflower, forest floor, cinnamon and clove. Clayey tannins grip the palate and zesty, citrussy acidity brings it to its close.
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.