Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red color. Fruity bouquet with red berry notes. Very well structured, yet soft, long-lasting flavor with smooth, velvety tannins.
Pair with pasta with meat sauce, roasted, grilled meats and medium strength cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Bright, lively and elegant, with a sleek mouthfeel, perky acidity, and notes of Morello cherry, oregano, balsamic, and red tea. Wild strawberry and spiced rose petal appear on the finish.
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James Suckling
Spiced and earthy with ripe red and dark fruit and hints of walnuts and cocoa. Medium- to full-bodied and dry with firm tannins. Polished, velvety aftertaste.
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Vinous
A dark, deep red, the 2022 Rosso di Montalcino smolders up with a blend of grilled herbs, dusty earth, incense and rose. It's cool-toned and lifted in feel, with soft textures and ripe violet-laced red berry fruits. This finishes staining and long with a youthfully chewy sensation and framing tannins. Sweet lavender and cocoa notes gradually taper off.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A deep red/magenta color, the 2022 Rosso Di Montalcino sees a portion of barrique for its aging and is ripe with aromas of black cherries, violets, and sweet herbs. Medium to full-bodied, it’s plush on the palate, with ripe tannins and a clean, iron-rich, mineral finish. Warming and generous, it’s a lovely Rosso that could give insight to what readers into what to expect for the style, which is not always the case in this region at the moment. Drink 2024-2030.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and well-structured, this red displays notes of cherry, plum and earth, plus a hint of eucalyptus. Dense yet fresh, with fine overall balance. Lingering finish. Drink now through 2029. 9,000 cases imported.
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.