Winemaker Notes
Il Palazzone Brunello is intense ruby red with deep garnet hues. The bouquet is intense and ethereal with aromas ranging from dark fruit and berries to chocolate, coffee, leather, liquorice and balsamic notes. The wines are silky and elegant, potent yet balanced and characterised by sweet tannins. Il Palazzone Brunellos are beautifully balanced with all the promise of their bouquet fulfilled in the mouth and finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I hadn't tasted new releases from Il Palazzone since the 2010 vintage, so this is indeed a happy return. The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino sees fruit blended from three distinct subzones of the appellation, and it is fermented in oak. Starting at the beginning of 2017, Il Palazzone started working with consulting enologist Maurizio Castelli, and we should start seeing his imprint on the wines in a few years' time. This Brunello represents the second vintage made in the estate's spanking new winery. It opens to a dark ruby color and lightweight appearance. The bouquet is bright and complete with red fruit tones, cassis and dried cherry, with light spice, tar and grilled herb peeking in furtively at the back. Il Palazzone did not make a Riserva in 2013. The estate made one in 2010 and the next Riserva was produced in 2015. That means that the best fruit in the 2013 vintage has been directed to this wine, and it shows. No Brunello will be produced in 2014.
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.