Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
I remember tasting Costanti’s 2019 Rosso di Montalcino in 2021 and thinking how Brunello-esque it was: the sturdy structure was almost uncharacteristic, yet it certainly boded well for the Brunello. Simply gloriously sculpted, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is indeed statuesque and stately. While it doesn’t give everything up all at once, it is gracious in its presentation. From chestnut forest and sweet earth, to anise and orange extract, the aromas are visceral, and boundless depths of wild red berries suffuse the palate. It vibrates with scintillating acidity and long, tactile tannins which stretch out leisurely. I bet that Rosso has hit its stride now – if you have some, it’s what you'll want to drink while waiting for this captivatingly beautiful Brunello. I can't help but imagine what next year’s Riserva release has in store.
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Vinous
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is impossible to ignore. Clove and a dusting of savory spice complicate a beguiling crushed black cherry and strawberry bouquet. This presents textures of pure silk, ushering in ripe red fruits and inner florals that stain the palate in youthful concentration. The 2019 tapers off dramatically, leaving a bed of grippy tannins to grumble on as licorice and orange hints slowly fade.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino offers plenty of dark fruit and spice, but the wine also shows slightly more austerity that could set it up for a roast pork or ham. There is a drying oak note of smoked cedar or redwood that dovetails into the structural impact of the wine. Yet it also shows very good momentum on the mid-palate, adding more layers or black fruit that soften the tannins.
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Wine Spectator
This red is densely textured and austere, offering cherry and plum fruit and earth notes buried within the muscular frame. Nonetheless, this is ripe and full of energy, with fine length despite the compact finish. Best from 2027 through 2040.
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.