Winemaker Notes
San Giorgio Ugolforte presents a dark core of red and black berry fruit layered with earth, leather, smoke, and herbs. Complex and elegant, the wine is full on the palate and firm in tannin structure. Refreshing acidity frames a graceful finish. Classic Brunello di Montalcino.
Traditionally paired with game and hardy, autumnal fare, Brunello di Montalcino is one of the world's great red wines. Enjoy with a celebratory meal or contemplate alone as a true "Vino da Meditazione".
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A citrusy edge to the cherries, cinnamon and sweet violets on the nose. Fresh, full-bodied palate with complex, spicy flavors, velvety and ripe tannins and good fruit concentration. Dark and complex aftertaste. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The San Giorgio 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Ugolforte (with 60,000 bottles produced), shows an intentionally accessible personality with dark concentration and sweet blackberry fruit designed for near- to medium-term enjoyment. Aged in large Slavonian oak casks with time in cement, the wine delivers texture and open-knit tannins that give it a cheerful and food-friendly profile. Made by the same team behind Poggio di Sotto, one of Montalcino’s benchmarks for cellar-worthy wines, this bottling favors immediacy without sacrificing balance. The fruit comes from 28 hectares of estate vineyards, reinforcing consistency across the range.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The cellar process for the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino Ugolforte is the same as Poggio di Sotto, but the clonal selection is different. A jeweled ruby color, the nose is very pretty, with pure notes of ripe raspberry liqueur, pressed flowers, sweet herbs, and incense. Medium-bodied, it's elegant and juicy on the palate, retaining wonderful freshness, with ripe tannins and a supple texture. The palate is approachable, with good length, and it should have a wide window for enjoyment over the coming 10-15 years.
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Vinous
An early look at the 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Ugolforte presents a youthfully coy yet darkly alluring effort. Grilled herbs, crushed rocks, dried blackberries, cherries and clove form its beguiling bouquet. Despite its intensity on the nose, this is lifted and cool-toned within, with a saturation of tart primary fruits that drench the senses in youthful concentration. Structured and potent, the 2020 finishes with dramatic length, leaving a tart cranberry resonance and edgy tannins that tug at the palate.
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Wine Spectator
There's a contrast between the open texture and firm tannins in this red, setting the stage for its strawberry, cherry, earth, graphite and eucalyptus flavors. The finish is compact, with a chewy feel. Best from 2027 through 2040. 7,000 cases made, 200 cases imported.
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.