Winemaker Notes
Deep ruby red color with aromas of ripe red fruit and spices. Elegant and structured, with soft and pleasant tannins and a long, persistent finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Plenty of bark, earth, spice and dark-cherry character with a hint of toasted oak. A solid, medium-bodied palate with focused, integrated tannins and a flavorful finish. Drink in a couple of years.
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Vinous
Balsamic-tinged black cherries and plums combine with minty herbs and hints of undergrowth as the 2020 Brunello di Montalcino makes itself known in the glass. It possesses a balanced inner sweetness, deep mineral aromas and silken textures that create a seductive impression. It finishes with tremendous length and potency, leaving nuances of licorice and spiced citrus. Edgy tannins resonate yet don't get in the way of the 2020s' giving personality.
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Wine Enthusiast
Bursting with cherry, raspberry, plum, iron, eucalyptus and baking spices, this red is juicy, open and balanced. Its structure is well-integrated, while the finish persists, echoing fruit and savory elements. Drink now through 2039.
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Decanter
Despite initial scepticism regarding single-vineyard bottlings, Lorenzo Sassetti has come out with a second Brunello selection (the first, Il Molino, was launched with the 2015 vintage.) The 1.1-hectare Pertimali parcel is the estate’s highest at 350 metres above sea level, and the vines are only eight years old. Clean and lifted, with essence of rose, orange blossom and pepper, this is elegantly weighted and pretty, and charms with its soft, juicy core and distinct mineral edge. The tannins are grainy in texture and cling steadfastly around the edges. An affable and friendly package, it will be interesting to see this gain profundity as the vines age.
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.