Winemaker Notes
Garnet with tints of ruby in the glass. The bouquet is rich and diverse with aromas of ripe fruit, hints of licorice, leather, earth and Mediterranean scrub. The pleasant smoothness of the palate is contrasted by lively acidity, strong and fine tannins with a strong and very fruity finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is a very, very intense Brunello with explosive spices, cedar, leather, tar and a plethora of dried plums and berries. The full-bodied palate is incredibly dense and bold, swathed in vast, comprehensive tannins and layer upon layer of plums and cherries. There’s marvelous length and decadence to the finish, where the dried-spice character goes on and on. Stunning richness. Drink from 2025.
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Wine Spectator
A monolithic red, with sweetness to the black cherry, black currant and raspberry fruit. Earth and iron notes anchor the bottom end, while a tobacco accent frames the dense tannins. Offers a long finish, showing solid grip. Best from 2023 through 2042.
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Wine Enthusiast
Ripe black-skinned berry, leather and scorched earth aromas lead the nose on this structured wine. The concentrated, chewy palate offers mature black cherry, strawberry jam, star anise and black pepper alongside tightly wound tannins that need time to unwind.
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.