Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Shows fine depth, from the plum, black cherry, earth and iron flavors -- plus a hint of licorice -- to its richness and beautifully integrated structure. An essence of ripe, sweet fruit prevails throughout, while the dusty tannins and vivid acidity lend lift on the long aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2045.
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Decanter
The dry, hot summer resulted in an early and rather compressed harvest at La Fiorita. This is one of the few estates that decided to forgo its selection bottling (‘NO’) deeming there wasn’t a significant enough difference between the lots to merit it. That isn’t to say that this classic cuvée isn’t delightful though. Sunny in nature, it bursts with sweet herbs: basil, tarragon and thyme sit atop ripe persimmon. Gracious and forthcoming, the palate is round and plump, with well fastened yet suave tannins that lend balanced support, along with the luscious acidity. Cinnamon and nutmeg provide a pleasant conclusion.
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James Suckling
Orange peel and berry aromas with some cedar follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a tangy finish. A little hard at the end now, but will soften nicely in a year or two.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The La Fiorita 2020 Brunello di Montalcino (in the bottle with the black label) reveals tart cherry flavors and crisp fruit that give this wine a tight and linear first impression. It does fan out over the palate with mid-weight texture and matching acidic freshness. This wine is primed for a risotto with wild porcini mushrooms.
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Wine Enthusiast
The umami, peppery nose pops with aromas of cigar wrapper, black pepper, wild herbs, crushed stones and black plum. Blackberries enhance the black plum element on the palate, while undertones of earth and more herbs provide balance. Tannins are dense and solid.
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.