Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Boasting a dark and rich color, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is a youthful and bright expression that still has a ways to go in terms of its evolution. The wine shows loads of primary fruit at the moment with dark fruit, cherry and black currant at the front line. The Brunello offers smoothness and softness on the palate but you also get a bright and tangy touch of that Sangiovese acidity that reminds you of the appellation's most valuable assets.
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James Suckling
Aromas of mushrooms, rose petals and strawberries follow through to a full body and soft and juicy tannins that have an big presence. Needs time in the bottle to come together. Try in 2020.
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Wine Enthusiast
This opens with underbrush, sun-baked earth, spiced plum and espresso aromas. On the taut, full-bodied palate, licorice, clove and grilled herb notes accent a core of black cherry and crushed raspberry fruit. Tightly knit, fine-grained tannins suggest ageing potential. Drink 2020–2028.
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.