Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Plenty of dried fruit with figs and mushroom undertones. Full body, silky tannins and a ripe fruit, lemon rind and spice aftertaste. Condenses down to a refined and beautiful finish. Vivid acidity. Drink in 2021.
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Decanter
Complex floral, macerated wild berry, spice, chocolate, red cherry, tea leaf and strawberry nose. Elegant in the mouth with fine-grained tannins and a very persistent finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is the fourth release from Carlo Ferrini's relatively new project in Brunelloville. Monitoring the evolution of this tiny estate has been particularly exciting. This celebrated winemaker is known for bigger and bolder expressions of Sangiovese. The Giodo 2013 Brunello di Montalcino, however, reflects a more reflective and inward-looking approach. Compared to other Brunellos in its class, this wine manages a very steady and calmly forthcoming collection of aromatic attributes. Instead of individual aromas, the wine brings forth a spinning whirl wheel of integrated tones that all blend into one. The bouquet is broader, wider and more all-encompassing than you usually get with the slightly nervous and skittish Sangiovese grape. The mouthfeel offers a similar level of wholeness and oneness.
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Vinous
Wilted violets come together with wet stones, blackberries and a dusting of cocoa as the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino slowly awakens in the glass. Cool-toned and sleek, this shows the best attributes of the vintage, with fresh acidity and mineral-inflected red berry fruits accentuated by a flourish of rosy inner florals and licorice tones. Its tannins are crunchy yet sweet, all contrasted by a tart tinge of sour blackberry and hints of dark chocolate.
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.