Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Spectacular aromas of dark fruits such as cherries with undertones of peaches and orange peel and some floral character, too. Full body, layered and rich. Lightly chewy tannins. Incredibly long and flavorful. Makes you want to drink it now but it will age beautifully.
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Wine Spectator
A rich version, with plum, cherry and saline, minerally flavors. Tobacco, grass and underbrush accents add depth as this finishes firm and crisp. Best from 2022 through 2035. 3,200 cases made.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino reveals dark color intensity with bold aromas of black cherry and plum that taste grounded and integrated within the thick texture of the wine. That core of dark fruit is surrounded by spicy trimmings of pipe tobacco. This is a centered and balanced effort that delivers the power and the firm structure of the vintage. The wine should drink well over the next ten years. Some 35,000 bottles were made.
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.