Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Established in 2013 by the Alejandro Bulgheroni Family Vineyards Group, the Podere Brizio estate sits on the South-West facing Montalcino hills, in a unique setting nestled among olive groves. With 11.5 hectares of vineyards in Montalcino's hottest area, the winery focuses on sustainable viticulture philosophies and true expression of terroir within the wines. The hand harvested grapes are traditionally vinified in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts, before ageing for 12 months in large untoasted French oak casks. Nicolas Clerc MS: Precise nose, superb and floral. Elegant and delicate berry fruit, with racy mineral complexity. Balanced, harmonious and long. A class act. Aldo Fiordelli: Extremely well balanced wine with bergamot notes and an almost orange peel tinge. Slightly austere on the tannins, however not without character. Very classic. Susan Hulme MW: Sweet black cherry aromas, almost toffee-like sweetness too. Rich, ripe and complete without being heavy. Lots of savoury tannins and juicy, mouthwatering acidity to keep freshness. Really appealing, yet serious too.
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Wine Spectator
This is delicate, evoking cherry and strawberry flavors, with violet hints and a graphite streak. This hangs together and floats through the lingering finish. Drink now through 2021.
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.