Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Le Raunate displays a jeweled ruby/red color and delivers a deeper profile on the nose, with aromas of sour black cherries, leather, mossy earth, and fresh tobacco. It fills the palate with broader shoulders, ripe tannins, zesty acidity, and lots of length and persistence on the finish. It has a slightly rustic feel throughout, with good complexity and balance.
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Vinous
A rich blend of plum sauce and grilled herbs is complemented by hints of licorice and spiced blood orange as the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Della Raunate blossoms in the glass. This is silky, verging on velvety, with a dense wave of ripe red and black fruits that flow across a stream of brisk acidity. Its minerality comes forward on the finish, mingling with edgy tannins, yet the palate remains wonderfully refreshed through it all. This is a beautiful interpretation of Tavernelle terroir. Well done.
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Wine Spectator
This is pure and supple in texture, offering cherry, strawberry, rose and chalky mineral flavors. On the elegant side, yet with the density and tannins one expects from this part of Montalcino. Shows fine balance and length overall. Best from 2026 through 2042. 500 cases made, 300 cases imported.
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James Suckling
Lots of dark fruit, such as black cherries and blue plums, as well as purple flowers, followed by a touch of cedar and coffee bean. Medium body with balanced, creamy acidity and firm tannins on the palate. Yet, it’s tight now. Better after 2027.
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.