Winemaker Notes
The color is deep and intense ruby red. The bouquet is rich, opening with scents of mint and ripe fruit which lead into spicier notes of coffee at the finish. The entry on the palate reveals perfectly integrated tannins complemented by a good but not excessive alcohol level and a well balanced acidity. The finish is long and persistent.
With a bit of daring, this could be savored as a vino da meditazione, a sipping wine all on its own. Or certainly in accompaniment to end-of-dinner sweets, such as panforte. And, of course, with beef stews, braised meats with potatoes, cheeses that are aged but not too pungent, and large game, such as boar.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Shows a complex nose of blackberry, tanned leather, sandalwood and cedar. Fascinating. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long, long finish. Concentrated yet balanced. Beautiful and complete. Best after 2011.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is a big, super-ripe wine bursting with fruit. This deep, concentrated Brunello is incredibly fresh and vibrant. Although the sweet tannins make the wine very accessible at this stage, readers in search of a more complex drinking experience will want to give this Brunello a few years in bottle. The 2004 Brunello from Castelgiocondo is a lovely effort from the Frescobaldi family and one of the finest vintages to be produced at the property. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2022.
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Wine Enthusiast
Frescobaldi's Castelgiocondo estate was named in the on-going Brunello fraud scandal. Despite the legal troubles, this year's Brunello asserts itself with pride and determination. It seems very different than past vintages because, here, the focus is on feminine aromas of honey, maple syrup, sweet cassis and candied fruit.
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.