Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Enticing from the first aromas of fresh cherry, violet and spice, this supple red is balanced and expressive. Matches an elegant frame with a firm backbone of tannins and lively acidity. Very persistent on the long, detailed aftertaste. Best from 2020 through 2036.
-
James Suckling
So much crushed dark fruit such as raspberries and blueberries. Hints of sandalwood, too. Full-bodied, chewy and powerful with ripe tannins and a flavorful finish. Just a hint of lemon rind. Drink in 2018.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Dark and deep in appearance, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino bears many of the hallmark characteristics of the vintage. Sangiovese produced smaller berries and thicker color extraction in this vintage. This Brunello does indeed show more muscle and brawn, but it does so with an impeccable sense of balance and persistence. I cannot but admire this achievement. The quality of fruit is succulent and rich, and there are many pretty aromas of dark cherry, pressed blackberry, underbrush, cola and licorice to earn your admiration. Its textural fortitude is equally admirable.
Rating: 93+
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.