Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With only 2,700 bottles made, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a rare and precious wine. This Riserva does not have the fruity exuberance that you get in the 2013 Annata wine. Instead, it is etched and sophisticated with pronounced aromas of dried cherry, tar, leather, crushed mineral and campfire ash. It offers volume, lasting richness and power. Not all of the Riservas from this vintage reach this level of balance and integrity. This is a standout wine among its peers.
-
Wine Spectator
A beam of cherry flavor sets the pace for this succulent red that’s firmly structured and taut, with graphite, tobacco and bark notes adding interest. The dense profile remains long and balanced on the finish. Best from 2020 through 2038.
-
James Suckling
A very serious wine with great concentration and really fine tannins, which beautifully support the huge body. I love the black cherry and floral notes, and they echo on the long and deep finish. Drink or hold.
-
Decanter
In the southern reaches of Montalcino, Claudio Monaci produces small quantities of Brunello from organically certified grapes. The steep, south-facing vineyards are planted on sandy, stony soils of volcanic origin. A forward and polished wine with well-integrated oak, it exhibits red plum and black cherry flavours with hints of tarragon, vanilla and clove. For such a warm vintage and site, the acidity is commendable, and while ripe tannins coat the palate, this is already charmingly approachable.
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.