Winemaker Notes
Ruby red with garnet highlights. Opulent and intense on the nose, with nuacnes of ripe red fruit and intriguing herbal notes. Well-balanced on the palate with a lively acidity. Rounded tannins distinguish the body of this fine wine. A hint of black pepper accompanies the finish. The softest of tannins are a hallmark of the body of this fine wine.
This wine is perfect when paired with cheeses, meat and game; excellent with pasta and cold cuts.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Rose, currant and cherry aromas and flavors are the hallmarks of this pretty red. Wild herb, graphite and tobacco accents add depth, and this cruises to a lingering aftertaste of red fruit and mineral. Delicate, yet tense and structured. Best from 2025 through 2047.
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Decanter
Purchased by Brazilian business mogul Alejandro Bulgheroni in 2012, Podere Brizio was once part of the Pieve di Santa Restituta estate in Tavernelle. Reaching 350 metres on marine sand, the vineyards look out over Maremma to the Tuscan coast. Attractive and appetising aromas of sage, thyme and dusty cherry give way to savoury spice. On the palate, upfront grainy tannins introduce quite a minerally mouthful of crushed stones. It could do with a couple of years in the cellar. A citrussy twist provides a brightening, magnifying element.
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James Suckling
Complex aromas of cherries, mandarins and violets follow through to a full yet lively and agile palate that’s not heavy in any way. Linear finish with bright acidity and fine tannins. Try after 2024.
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.