Winemaker Notes
100% Sangiovese Grosso grown in the northern part of Montalcino, where calcareous clay soils dominate. Classic notes of ripe sour cherry, savory herbs, earth, and spice, this wine perfectly encapsulates the essence of Montalcino in the glass.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of hibiscus, orange peel, sour cherries, licorice and bark. I like the energy and vivacity here, with crunchy citrus and floral undertones matching the medium body and tight-knit tannin frame. Fresh finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Podere Scopetone 2018 Brunello di Montalcino has a soft and gentle character that is well suited to the more immediate or near-term profile of the vintage. There is sour cherry and plum at the start, and the wine maintains that rather tart and fresh personality throughout. Only in the palate are those flavors fleshed out by heavier notes of tobacco, cola and grilled herb. At the end, the wine reverts back to those bitter fruit flavors.
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Decanter
At lofty elevations near the town of Montalcino, Scopetone totals five hectares. From the now 40-year-old vines, owners Loredana Tanganelli and Antonio Brandi carve out 7,000 bottles of Brunello annually. with forest underbrush, walnut and wet earth, this 2018 makes way for more lifted tones of pressed cherry blossom. Midweight and lightly structured, it flows effortlessly though is still tight through the core. Not an obvious wine, but it has length and balance.
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.