Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of cherries and plums with fresh flowers. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a lightly chewy and crisp finish. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Reveals gorgeous depth, richness and density in its dark red fruit, tobacco and licorice. Sweet floral notes ring out on the long, refined finish. This is a medium-bodied style of Brunello that can be enjoyed now or cellared for those who prefer the more tertiary aromas and flavors that will develop in bottle.
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Wine Enthusiast
Tenute Silvio Nardi offers a subdued and elegant interpretation of Brunello with classic aromas of ripe berry, plums, black cherry, spice and lingering minerality. The feel in the mouth is streamlined and tight and this well-focused wine promises to pair with handmade pasta and gnocchi.
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Wine Spectator
Bright and fruity aromas of strawberries and raspberries follow through to a full body, with firm tannins and a racy, clean finish. Tight still. Give this racy wine time to develop more in the bottle. Best after 2011. 13,800 cases 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.