Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Andrea Costanti is one of the most consistent growers in Montalcino, and it shows in the 2008 Brunello di Montalcino, a wine that impresses for its elegance, finesse and harmony. Sweet dark cherries, tobacco, licorice and savory herbs all flesh out in the glass. Surprisingly pliant and generous for the year, the 2008 is a model of class and pure pedigree. Approachable today, the 2008 should have no problem aging gracefully to age 20 and likely beyond. It is without question one of the few great wines of the year. Spiced notes flesh out on the generous, seductive finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
There's a savory, almost chewy side to this Brunello that is enhanced by aromas of tobacco, spice, dark cola, licorice, blackberry and currant. The wine shows balance and intensity with a soft, plush feel in the mouth that stands in pleasing contrast against to wine's young tannins and acidity.
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.