Winemaker Notes
Intense and bright ruby red color. Ample and persistent bouquet with elegant hints of fruit, ethereal notes of marasca cherry in alcohol, suggestions of dried tobacco and complex hints of sweet spices. Velvety, opulent and long tannins, well supported by a crunchy acidity that leaves no doubt about the ability of a long aging. Juicy, savory and very mineral finish, characterized by an interminable gustatory energy, which stimulates salivation and recalls important meat-based foods, with which the partnership of this Riserva can reach perfection. A wine with a strong personality.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This expressive red delivers aromas and flavors of cherry, currant, mushroom, eucalyptus, iron, sanguine and smoky autumn woods. Firm, with a line of drying tannins, this stays persistent, just leaning to the tannic side in the balance. Shows terrific potential. Best from 2026 through 2042.
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Decanter
Gemini references twin brothers, Andrea and Marcello Mantengoli who took over La Serena from their father, Ennio. Crafted from a parcel planted in 1993 surrounding the estate, the 2018 shows garnet tints and tertiary nuances; this is mature, but not spent. A bouquet of tobacco, cocoa, dried tarragon and fennel holds promise. Generously fruited, particularly for the vintage, the palate becomes progressively earthier, bringing in leather and game nuances. Heat mounts on the back end, as does a touch of dryness to the tannins.
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.