Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red color. Aromas of ripe forest fruits, blackberry conserve and notes of tobacco and leather. Broad, soft, and persistent on the palate, with a spirit-steeped fruit finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
In a traditional style, showing beefy tannins and savory earth notes, with a core of leather and cherry flavors. Shows some sweetness midpalate and picks up energy on the long finish. Hangs together, ending in an uplifting, resonant manner. Best from 2021 through 2036.
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James Suckling
A ripe and layered Brunello with plum and berry character plus hints of chocolate and walnuts. Medium to full body and round and velvety tannins. Flavorful finish. Why wait on this?
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Wine Enthusiast
Forest floor, truffle, new leather, ripe berry and a balsamic note are some of the aromas you'll find in this delicious red. The fresh, chewy palate doles out fleshy black cherry, chopped mint and white pepper notes, while big, round tannins provide structure. It's already enjoyable but will offer years of fine drinking. Enjoy 2018–2024.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
San Felice offers a firm and steady wine. Boasting classic lines and good intensity, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Campogiovanni is almost ready to drink now, but should also hold for years to come. It has a timeless personality. It also shows the versatility, acidity and structure to pair with cheesy lasagna or grilled meats. The wine is aged in large oak casks for 36 months and that slow aging process has contributed intensity and finesse. San Felice makes 70,000 bottles of its Brunello Campogiovanni, so this wine should prove relatively easy to find.
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.