Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Wow! This is amazing, a very sexy decadence to this. I am having a hard time believing it is wine. Tons of richness and excitement in this. Wow, again!
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Wine Spectator
Black hued, with intense aromas of crushed berries and licorice with hints of oak. Full-bodied, with loads of fruit, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Superb. One of the best Brunellos I have had in a long time.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino was one of the most talked about wines of Montalcino when it was first released a few years ago. The black color the wine had in its youth has begun to recede, yet this remains a rich, almost Amarone-like expression of Sangiovese that achieves an incredible level of density and sheer concentration. According to Abbruzzese the early spring hail reduced yields dramatically, which accounts for the wine’s super-ripe style. I am not sure if yields alone can produce a wine that is this extreme, my guess is that decisions taken in the cellar had an influence as well. Nevertheless, the simple fact remains that this wine is a freak. There is no other wine in the estate’s history – before or after - that even remotely resembles the style of the 2001. This is an outstanding wine, but one that needs to be considered on its own terms. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021
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Wine Enthusiast
Inkjet black and super concentrated, the wine actually delivers fresh fruit and squeezed berry youthfulness. By the looks of it, you’d expect a massive, oaked, tannic beast, but instead are treated to a wine full of creamy coffee and velvety tobacco leaf flavors.
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.