Winemaker Notes
Bright ruby red. The nose is fresh, fruity, cherry and red fruit, with a tannic note in the finish. The palate is dry, supple, quite tannic, well-balanced, medium body, with good persistence.
Pairs well with pasta and rice dishes, pies, vegetable dishes, red and white meat dishes.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A firm and fresh red with orange-peel, berry and light earth aromas and flavors. Light body. Crisp finish. A little austere, yet refreshing and delicious.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Rosso di Montalcino reveals fresh fruit flavors of dark cherry, sour plum and cassis. This easy-drinking Sangiovese shows a bit more color saturation and fruit weight compared to its peers; and it's no wonder, because these vines are located in a little basin of land that traps in the sunshine and the summer heat but that also cools down considerably at sunset. If you are looking for an easy Tuscany red with the natural freshness to pair with a pizza dinner, look no further. Production is 25,866 bottles and 400 magnums.
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.