Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red color with garnet reflections, clean and bright. The nose expresses the typical aromas of violet and small red fruits. There are hints of underbrush, aromatic wood, vanilla, and jam, followed by subtle notes of intense and persistent coffee. It is a warm wine in the mouth, with a dense and full-bodied texture. The finish is long, with well-defined tannins. Brunello di San Polo, thanks to the characteristics of the land from which it comes, withstands long aging and improves with time in the bottle.
The elegance and harmonious body of the wine allow combinations with very structured dishes such as red meats, feathered and furred game, possibly accompanied by mushrooms and truffles. Excellent with cheeses such as aged tome, Parmigiano Reggiano and Tuscan pecorino.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich, layered red with blackberry and chocolate, as well as cured-meat and wet-earth undertones. It’s full-bodied with depth, intensity and focus. Lovely, velvety tannins and a long, creamy-textured mouth feel. Generous finish with tension. Better than 2015. Try after 2024.
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The Somm Journal
The estate grapes for this wine grow at over 1,400 feet above sea level on soils rich in calcium and clay. Aged 30 months in oak casks of varying size followed by six months in bottle before release, it displays a brilliant presence, being full bodied with enough acid structure to maintain freshness and provide an array of food-pairing options. Notes of mulling spices, rose-kissed cherry, and cinnamon red tea are well received on the palate. A luxurious glide of liquid imparts cocoa; cranberry; boysenberry preserves; and floral, woodsy tones.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of underbrush, rose petal, new leather and wild mint shape the nose. The savory, elegantly structured palate shows ripe red cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and cinnamon framed in tightly knit, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it radiant.
Editors' Choice -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The San Polo 2016 Brunello di Montalcino brings forth dark fruit, cherry, spice, integrated oak tones and balsam herb. This is a round and lightly textured Sangiovese with a long and polished finish. In fact, the mouthfeel delivers more in terms of length and persistence than it does density or richness. It offers a silky, almost glossy disposition that is colored by dried raspberry, wild cherry and blue flower. This wine represents a selection of the best fruit from across various parcels farmed by this estate.
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Wine & Spirits
Notes of warm spice and licorice enrich this wine’s flavors of red berry and dark plum. The wine takes on hints of smoke and grilled game with air, lending a savory edge that complements the lush fruit tones.
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Wine Spectator
Starting out with earthy, savory aromas, this red shows fleeting flavors of black currant and raspberry before settling back into notes of earth, iron and juniper. Firm, dusty tannins guard the finish. Best from 2025 through 2045.
In an effort to employ environmentally sound and sustainable agriculture, natural compost and nitrogen-rich plants have replaced the chemical treatments in the San Polo vineyards. Picturesque olive groves and a magnificent farmhouse enrich the property with genuine Tuscan charm, while the modern, underground winery and cellar provide the best environment and technology for state-of-the-art winemaking. San Polo is a beautiful estate located in the southeastern part of Montalcino at 1,300 feet above sea level overlooking the Sant’Antimo Valley and Mount Amiata. It comprises 52 acres, 40 of which are dedicated to vines. Twenty acres are currently producing Brunello di Montalcino, while the rest are dedicated to Rosso di Montalcino and IGT wines. The vineyards at San Polo were planted between 1990 and 2000 and the first wines were produced in 1997. All vineyards have been planted at high density and are sustainably farmed. Winemaking at San Polo takes a comprehensive approach of quality and sustainability. In place of chemical fertilizers, nitrogen rich cover crops are used to improve the soil. Additionally, careful bud selection and canopy management aim to reduce the incidence of molds and mildews in the vineyards. The wine cellar follows the principles of integration with the natural landscape by harnessing renewable resources to power the winery. Winemaker, Luca d'Attoma, meticulously manages the estate grown fruit and strives to keep energy consumption to a minimum during the winemaking process. The ultimate goal at San Polo is to maximize the expression of the unique hilltop terrior of Montalcino, while preserving it for future generations.
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.