Winemaker Notes
Collosorbo's 65-acre hillside vineyard benefits from its proximity to the moderating influences of the Mount Amiata and the Orcia River, which ushers in cool air from the Mediterranean Sea, scarcely 25 miles to the west. Comprised of 100 percent Sangiovese from the estate's finest vineyards, the 2010 vintage offers liqueur-like aromas of smoky dark fruits, wildflowers and a whiff of leather. The plump, juicy palate features notes of blue and black plum, assorted berries, mixed peppercorns, mocha and lightly smoked game. While surprisingly lush and sensuous, it has a solid underlying structure that makes it an ideal food wine.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Warm, toasty aromas of leather, savory herb, hay, fennel, menthol, forest floor and dark berry come together in the glass. The vibrant palate offers layers of red cherry, crushed raspberry, cinnamon and grilled herb. It’s well balanced, with tightly knit but polished tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2020–2030.
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Wine Spectator
Coffee and chocolate aromas signal this exotic and fragrant red. The cherry and plum notes are almost afterthoughts, while spice, leather and tobacco flavors come to the fore, with vivid acidity through the lingering finish. Best from 2019 through 2035.
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.