Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva carries those distinguished characteristics of pressed violets, scorched earth and dark licorice that are characteristic of Fattoria dei Barbi. The wine comes across with power and determination but ultimately shows balance and a good sense of persistency. I made of note of the firmness of the tannin at this young stage in the wine’s life. Barbi’s Riservas are celebrated for their capacity for long aging and this wine is no exception. Drink: 2017-2027.
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James Suckling
An outstanding 2008 Riserva with plum, nut and chocolate character. Medium body, fine tannins and a juicy finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
A core of sweet, ripe cherry and raspberry fruit is encased in briar and tobacco accents and gripping tannins. Supple and balanced for the most part, this needs time to integrate. Mouthwatering finish. Best from 2016 through 2030.
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Wine Enthusiast
This delivers a classic Sangiovese nose of wild cherry, leather, violet, iris, flint and spice. The dense palate reveals fleshy black cherry uplifted by menthol, eucalyptus, black pepper and sage. It's still young but should develop more complexity over the next few years. Drink 2016–2023.
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.