Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby-red color with violet glints. Explodes on the nose with fresh fruit reminiscent of cherries in spirit, red currants, blackberries and myrtle. On the palate, an unmistakable subtle entry with very long, silky tannins. A sapid, mineral finish that only this area can give Sangiovese.
Organically grown
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Wow. This is really complex on the nose with black cherries, mushrooms, dried flowers and cedar. Some crushed stone and dry earth or tile. This is full-bodied and very layered with wonderful depth of fruit and creamy tannins. It’s focused and serene. Better than 2015. From organically grown grapes. Try in 2024 and onwards.
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Decanter
Helichrysum comes from the southeast, in the area of Podernovi where high altitudes counter the warmth. The vines are pruned closely to give low-yields of grapes with thick skins and less juice. More powerfully structured than the estate Brunello, this is mouthfilling and expansive. Baked asphalt and iron lend intrigue to youthfully exuberant plum and wild strawberry. The tannins seem to grab at every part of the mouth with a sandy, grainy texture, and the persistent finish features clove and allspice. Tons of energy here.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of berry, new leather, rose and licorice waft out of the glass on this firmly structured wine. On the assertive palate, drying, close-grained tannin's weave through dried cherry, star anise, toasted nut and roasted coffee bean. Made with organically farmed grapes, it also undergoes spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts. It’s still young and bracing so give it time to fully develop. Drink 2026–2036.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made with certified organic fruit, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Helichrysum opens to full-bodied richness and concentration. It reveals a dark and velvety side to Sangiovese, and it shows the latitude of the grape, thanks to its fresh acidity and tannic structure. This special selection (with 6,000 bottles made) will benefit from more years in the cellar, but among these new Brunello releases from 2016, this wine should also perform nicely in a near or medium-term drinking scenario, maybe at your favorite Italian restaurant with ravioli in wild boar sauce.
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.