Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Unbelievable. Can you believe the texture and depth in this wine? Very precise, full bodied with fabulous length that goes on with a hint of minerals. I am left speech less after this wine. Fabulous.
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Wine Spectator
Mind-blowing aromas of crushed berries, meat, blackberry and violet. Full-bodied, with layers of incredibly velvety tannins and a long, long finish. This is so complex and long, and the mouthfeel is spellbinding. Develops wonderfully in the glass, becoming more and more rich with air. One of the greatest Brunellos I have ever tasted. Best after 2012. 2,000 cases made.
#13 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2007
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is another remarkable wine. It is a ripe, ample Brunello with tons of fruit. Compared to the broad-shouldered 1999, the 2001 possesses a touch greater detail and more finesse in its tannins. This is a beautifully delineated, chiseled wine of the highest level. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023.
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.