Winemaker Notes
The colour is ruby red tending towards garnet, with typical red berry fruit opening out on the nose and in the mouth, mineral overtones, delicate spices, supported by generous acidity, restrained tannin and a long finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Intense aromas of blackberries, mushrooms, forest floor and wet earth. Full body and round,chewy tannins. Powerful palate. Persistent finish. Very structured.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
La Magia's 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a dark garnet appearance with faint sepia hues. It showcases a classic Brunello color and austerity of aromas: Dried cherry, cassis, rum cake, balsam herb and dried lilac add complexity and depth. This pretty wine changes aromatic personality with each swirl of the glass, revealing dark primary fruit and smoky spice with each circular movement. There are subtle hints of candied cherry or cherry cough drop, with faint medicinal herb, that point to the heat and warmth of this growing season in sunny Tuscany. Enjoy those aromas alongside a platter of pecorino wedges.
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Decanter
While owner/winemaker Fabian Schwarz sometimes declassifies fruit to make a Rosso di Montalcino, in 2015 he felt the quality was high enough to craft Brunello exclusively. Initially closed, scents of red cherry laced with savory balsamic nuances eventually emerge. The palate is densely packed with lovely round, bright fruit securely corseted by muscular tannins. Ageing is in 500-litre tonneaux, 30% new. All the elements are in place, they just need time to knit together. Drinking Window 2021 - 2033
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.