Winemaker Notes
Intense, vivid ruby–red color with aromas of red and black berries, maraschino cherry and eucalyptus. The aromas repeat on the palate with added hints of licorice and tobacco. Tannins are firm and tightly woven and the juicy fruit is refreshed by a lively acidity that leads to a long, persistent finish.
Matches with roast or braised meat, game and mature cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The medium red 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva is elegant with aromas of dusty earth, dried red berries, tea leaf, and dried orange. Medium-bodied, it has a very pretty and weightless feel, with a lot of finesse, fine tannins, and a clean feel throughout. A lovely Riserva with a graceful feel, it has a lot to offer over the coming 10-15 years.
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James Suckling
This riserva opens with subtle orange peel, spices, dried herbs and sour cherries. The medium- to full- bodied palate has a polished, sinewy tannin structure, compact fruit and vivid freshness. Tense in the finish with feathery tannins. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Fattoria dei Barbi excels at making cellar-worthy Brunellos. Released one year after the village expression, their 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is actually more open-knit compared to the other releases from 2020. It is ultimately easier to drink in the near or medium term thanks to velvety tannins, ripe cherry fruit and sweet tobacco.
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Wine Spectator
A bright, detailed and graceful red, boasting strawberry, cherry, floral and earth flavors. There are dense tannins for support, and this shows fine balance and a persistent aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2042.
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Vinous
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is dark and rich in the glass, featuring notes of cherry and plum sauce, wild herbs, hints of smoke and camphor. This is silky smooth, nearly weighty in feel, mixing tart blackberries and wild strawberries over a core of saline minerals. It leaves an earthy resonance along with steely mineral tones and edgy tannins under an air of violet inner florals.
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.