Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Attractive black-cherry and plum aromas here with some gently earthy and tarry nuances, as well as spicy oak influence that is very well integrated. The palate has plenty of depth and drive and a core of fresh and bright red cherries that hold the finish. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is a well-priced Brunello from a vintage that offers ample finesse and elegance. The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino reveals wild berry and red currant aromas with licorice, cola and cured leather. This is a medium weight effort that shows fine structure and good staying power. You can drink this wine over the next 10 years.
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Wine Spectator
Offering a mix of cherry, floral, light earth and tobacco flavors, this red is elegant and harmonious. Leans more to the fruity side, with fine length. Drink now through 2029.
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Wine Enthusiast
Dark-skinned berry, underbrush and tobacco aromas lead the way on this straightforward but savory red. The medium-bodied palate offers juicy red cherry, cranberry and a hint of white pepper alongside lithe tannins and bright acidity.
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.