Winemaker Notes
Bright ruby red in color, this wine opens with intense and well defined aromas of crunchy cherry and fresh sage, followed by elegant nuances of light tobacco and white chocolate. On the palate, it is vibrant and energetic, with a well present but finely textured tannin that gradually reveals itself, offering a long, dynamic and highly enjoyable finish. It captures the essence of the 2021 vintage, with its hallmark freshness, balance, aromatic precision and excellent ageing potential.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Pouring a youthful ruby red hue, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino is floral and elegant on the nose, with preserved cranberries, crushed roses, orange peel, strawberries, herbes de Provence, and dried earth. The palate is medium-bodied and focused, with fine tannins, refreshing acidity, and a mouthwatering finish that stays lifted and clean. Aged two years in a Slavonian oak cask followed by 18 months in concrete, it’s delightful already yet should improve over the next decade. Drink 2026-2040.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Val di Suga 2021 Brunello di Montalcino shows a bright, lively expression of fruit with a snappy, almost crunchy texture that feels immediately engaging. Sour cherry and tart plum drive the palate, balanced by clean, earthy mineral notes that bring clarity and poise, and the wine’s energy is impressive for something already five years removed from the vintage. Drawn from 41 hectares of vines with a mix of sandstone, galestro and clay soils, the wine is aged for 24 months in large Slavonian oak casks, a traditional approach that preserves freshness even in this ample production of approximately 100,000 bottles.
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Decanter
Representing the vintage’s elegant facet, Val di Suga’s ‘classic’ Brunello assembles the estate’s varied sites in the north, southeast and southwest of the region. As bright in its ruby hue as it is in its pretty fragrances, this cascades with cherry blossom, rose and citrus zest. Offering freshness and crunch with appropriate fruit depth, the midweight palate is centred around mandarin and fleshy nectarine. Acidity is positively bouncy, and fine, powdery tannins back it all up. Delightfully drinkable and accessibly priced.
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Vinous
The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino lifts up with a slightly dusty bouquet, mixing leather tones with violet candies and dried strawberries. It is fruit-focused, with a subtle inner sweetness and soft textures, all elevated by a nuanced lavender note that lingers toward the finish. The 2021 turns toward structure through the finish, long and staining, as edgy tannins hammer down its residual wild berry fruit.
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James Suckling
Bright, fruity style with lush red cherries, crushed violets and cola notes. Medium-bodied, it shows firm, chalky tannins, moderate to refreshing acidity and a tight finish. Try from 2027.
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.