Winemaker Notes
The Vigna Loreto, its pebble and tuff frankly enhance the richest, most powerful and seductive side of Sangiovese. In the wine, the strength and the vigor of the grape variety, the pulpiness and sweetness of the fruit and the energy of the dense and ripe tannin are admirably combined and blended. The tannins, together with a crunchy and juicy acidity, give a long persistence and considerable potential of aging.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Vigna Loreto, located on the slope in front of the Mastrojanni winery, is the estate's showpiece vineyard, not only because it is positioned in full view of incoming visitors but also because of its ideal southeast-facing exposures. It is 1.58 hectares in size and has pebbles and tufo. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Loreto (with 8,000 bottles produced) is awash in sunlight and Tuscan luminosity, resulting in a ripe and fruit-forward Brunello that never shies away in terms of richness or intensity. Indeed, the wine delivers a special level of power that transcends the bouquet and the palate, resulting in dark fruit, spice, leather, cured tobacco and rosemary essence. The tannins are firm but integrated and otherwise tucked into the ample flesh of the wine.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Vigna Loreta is a small single vineyard, and the 2016 Brunello Di Montalcino Vigna Loreto has aromas that are forward with menthol, sweet chewing tobacco, and saddle leather. It is full-bodied, with notes of red plum, vanilla, and licorice, firm, youthful tannins, and a broad, long finish. Luxurious and youthful with tension, hold for 3-5 years and enjoy 2024-2036.
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James Suckling
This has a pleasantly dusty nose of dried raspberries, cloves and sandalwood. Refined tannins. Crushed red berries and some tobacco leaf on the palate lend elegance to this full-bodied red. Some burnt and bitter citrus at the end. Drink after 2023.
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Wine Spectator
This suave and velvety red boasts cherry, leather, earth, tobacco and woodsy aromas and flavors. Verging on creamy, the texture showcases the ripe, macerated cherry fruit, ending with a dusting of tannins. Offers fine overall balance and length. Best from 2024 through 2045.
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Wine Enthusiast
Fragrant purple-flower, pipe-tobacco, camphor and new leather aromas take shape on this full-bodied red. Firmly structured, the youthfully austere palate offers dried cherry, licorice and roasted coffee bean alongside assertive, close-grained tannins. You'll also notice warmth of alcohol on the close.
Mastrojanni has been writing history with its wines since 1975, collecting awards from all over the world. Today, thanks to an exceptional terroir and men who have believed in it for decades, Mastrojanni has become one of the most respected Montalcino producers. The Mastrojanni winery lies in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, in the south eastern most corner of Montalcino Municipality, in the Province of Siena. An artistic and architectural heritage, surrounded by the majesty of its natural landscapes and, above all, an area particularly suitable for vine cultivation: the homeland of Brunello. A strong identity, coherence and consistency in quality: these are the values that Mastrojanni has created and cultivated over the years and which enabled the company to stand out among its peers, with its original and high-quality profile. These values are the result of a passionate, proud and respectful interpretation of nature, tradition and history of the territory.
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.