Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Quite closed at the very first sniff, opening to reveal youthful aromas of small red fruits, intoxicating fresh violets, almost vinous character and some earthy tones. The palate is firm with medium body and velvety tannins that are a little hard on the finish now, yet balanced by refreshing acidity. Opens nicely at the end. Intense and polished style to this, yet it needs a little time for better integration.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Showing a medium red/garnet hue, the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino is deep and expressive on the nose, with baked cherries, light nutty tones, leather, and menthol. The palate is medium-bodied and supple, with ripe tannins, balanced acidity, and an elegant, approachable profile that never turns heavy. It finishes with a mouthwatering, salty edge and orange citrus nuance that keeps it lifted.
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Vinous
The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino seduces from the first tilt of the glass as a gorgeous blend of hauntingly dark florals, exotic spices and stone dust complicate dried black cherry notes. It has textures of pure silk that are elegant and seamless in feel, with ripe wild berry fruits and mineral tones that swirl beneath an air of violet inner florals. Youthfully structured yet incredibly long, the 2020 finishes with fine-grained tannins, a primary concentration and hints of tart blackberry and clove.
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Wine Spectator
A mix of savory and fruity, offering eucalyptus, cherry, strawberry, vanilla and mineral flavors. The oak is deftly integrated, and this red delivers tension, balance and length. Best from 2027 through 2040. 2,100 cases made, 900 cases imported.
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.