Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Vivid deep red. Aromas and flavors of coffee and cocoa complicate dark berry and red cherry. A strong but smooth tannic spine and harmonious, ripe acidity provide plenty of support and cut in the middle and the long, candied-violet-accented finish. Bigger, richer and deeper than the 2013 Brunello from Il Palazzo, but elegant nevertheless. Well done.
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James Suckling
Maybe this isn't the most subtle Brunello, but it has a big chocolate and earth nose. A bold and broad palate with a velvety finish. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Palazzo 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva shows an inky dark appearance with rich black fruit tones of plum, prune and dried blackberry. This is a warm-vintage Riserva that offers muscle power and brawn across the board, and that opulence transfers to the palate where the wine shows density and texture.
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.