Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of wet earth, meat and dried fruits. Some nuts and spices. Complex. Full body, with super fine tannins and fabulous intensity and richness. Dried cherry and candied citrus fruit. Fabulous finish. You want to drink this now. But shows superb finesse and intensity. Why wait?
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Wine Spectator
Saturated with cherry, raspberry, spice and tobacco aromas and flavors, this strikes a balanced between the supple texture, succulent acidity and refined yet gripping tannins. Really sings on the lingering finish. Best from 2019 through 2035.
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Wine Enthusiast
Intense berry, violet, menthol and white-spice aromas lead the nose, with a whiff of new leather The vibrant palate delivers crunchy red cherry, fleshy raspberry, baking spice and savory herb alongside assertive but refined tannins and fresh acidity
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.