Brunello di Montalcino

Bright and ripe classic Sangiovese notes on the nose of red and black fruit vying for attention, with a certain meaty nuance in the background. Lots of fine red fruit on the palate, tempered by crisp acidity and fine, ripe tannins, all in balance with a pleasing mouth-feel and satisfyingly complete finish. This is hard to resist now, but will become even more harmonious if cellared for another four to six years.
Chris Pollington, Private Account Manager

A classic, pure Sangiovese nose of fresh blood in a butchers shop. Fabulous of the palate, mature and meaty, rich dark fruit, fine and elegant. Very long and well-defined on the finish. Something very special.
Chris Pollington – Private Account Manager

Tucked away off the Torronieri road the small Cerbaiona estate had been home to Diego & Nora Molinari since 1977, who produced their first vintage in 1980, all 70 bottles of it! Due to advancing old age and ill health, Diego and Nora have reluctantly had to sell the estate recently. This led to an opportunity to purchase some of their back vintage holdings of their rare and highly sought-after Brunello di Montalcino, which we leapt at.
The estate comprises 3 hectares of vines and 12 ha of wood and olive grove; half planted to Brunello, the rest to Sant'Antimo and IGT Toscana (using Cabernet Sauvignon, Malvasia Nera, Merlot & Syrah). Production is limited to 8,000 bottles.

Lying on the north-eastern shoulder of the Montalcino commune the estate enjoys a fine eastern exposition at 390 metres elevation, with good aeration & galestro/alberese clay soils. This imbues the wines with a naturally good acidity. Diego did not use herbicides, pesticides or fungicides on his vines. This hands-off approach is reflected in their tiny winery, which is bolted onto the back of the 16th century property. A wooden press is preferred, followed by gentle vinification in cement & ageing in 20hl Slavonian botte. The Brunello spends 30 months in oak, followed by a year in bottle pre-release.

A successful vintage for the best producers in Montalcino, now fully mature, this will be great if partnered with a Bistecca Fiorentina.

Tucked away off the Torronieri road the small Cerbaiona estate had been home to Diego & Nora Molinari since 1977, who produced their first vintage in 1980, all 70 bottles of it! Due to advancing old age and ill health, Diego and Nora have reluctantly had to sell the estate recently. This led to an opportunity to purchase some of their back vintage holdings of their rare and highly sought-after Brunello di Montalcino, which we leapt at.
The estate comprises 3 hectares of vines and 12 ha of wood and olive grove; half planted to Brunello, the rest to Sant'Antimo and IGT Toscana (using Cabernet Sauvignon, Malvasia Nera, Merlot & Syrah). Production is limited to 8,000 bottles.

Lying on the north-eastern shoulder of the Montalcino commune the estate enjoys a fine eastern exposition at 390 metres elevation, with good aeration & galestro/alberese clay soils. This imbues the wines with a naturally good acidity. Diego did not use herbicides, pesticides or fungicides on his vines. This hands-off approach is reflected in their tiny winery, which is bolted onto the back of the 16th century property. A wooden press is preferred, followed by gentle vinification in cement & ageing in 20hl Slavonian botte. The Brunello spends 30 months in oak, followed by a year in bottle pre-release.

This Brunello di Montalcino was bottled in September 2014, having spent 3.5 years in large slavonian oak botti (the flagship Ugolaia sees chestnut). Filippo recalls the late harvest of 10th October, giving a richer alcohol that balance out the crunchy structure.

The nose is composed, tranquil, harmonious, perfectly poised, with brambly/strawberry/iron fruit, both fruity but also restrained. Fermentation in cement for 25 days, the result is a racy, cassis/redcurrant crunch, with transparent, vivid, delicious cassis freshness, energy, plenty of ‘ping’; a classic Lisini Brunello, with fruit and refined tannins. Tasted in Jan 2015
David Berry Green

The Riserva spends an additional six months in oak, which gives a slightly darker fruit character, more savoury aromas and slightly grainier tannin structure. There is a balsamic note and richness to the core that enables the Riserva to shine and express its individuality.
Drink 2017-2027.

As soon as you pour the wine its remarkable nose immediately fills the air. Sweet cherry and raspberry dominate the lifted, beautifully fragrant nose. These are joined by crushed mint, sweet rose petals and just a very hint of graphite. The palate is wonderfully focussed, reassuringly tight, given the future this has ahead of it. The raspberry fruit is there again on the palate as are the rose notes, there is a fantastic intensity to the palate yet it remains wonderfully focussed. All this is rounded off with a lovely savoury garrigue-esque note. 2020-2040
Matthew Tipping, Fine Wine Sales Manager

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Annata was among my favourite Brunello releases earlier this year, so I had high hopes for the 2010 riserva. It’s always immensely satisfying when those expectations are met and in this case, exceeded. An immediate superiority to the Annata is obvious on the nose, with an extra layer or two of depth, complexity and focus. The notes of ripe red fruit, spices and grilled steak are compelling and implore you to taste it. It is of course still very young, but even at this stage the concentration and impeccable balance are stunning. All of the above notes are echoed on the palate and combine to create a delightful mouth-feel and a finish which goes on for over a minute. This is a very special wine and one that will make very old bones, if you can resist drinking it while it’s still young.
Chris Pollington, Private Account Manager
 

Reassuringly pale garnet colour, there’s an effortless roll of soft, pretty, ethereal, gleaming cassis, ginger and deft tea leaf aromas on the nose, recalling the big skies, generous sun and wild herbs that bless this end of the Montalcino zone. Velvety to the taste, it suggests crushed, Tuscan strawberries; as enveloping as ever, with sensual red fruit, spice and galestro rocky notes. Such charm and facility. Akin to bathing in essential oils.
David Berry Green

I’ve long been a fan of the impressive Brunello from this wonderful cantina and I’m delighted 2009 is no different. The wine is pale and limpid, oozing red cherry, baked earth and a distant pine note – picture Tuscany on a summer day! There is a lightness of touch here than makes the wine almost ethereal. Fresh, structured and very pure. If I could only have one Brunello, this would be it.
Fergus Stewart - Private Account Manager

A hotly-awaited wine, the 2010 is Andrea’s first Riserva since the 2007 vintage. Only 8,000 bottles were made of this profound, deep-garnet beauty from the mythical 2010 vintage. Aged only in large botti, not barriques, the nose is rich with tamarind, kirsch, dark cherry, tobacco and loganberry. It's so finely detailed, yet flows effortlessly, a thread of dark, forest fruit, and white-stone minerality.

Local lad Andrea Mantengoli’s organic fruit, modern approach to winemaking and use of both large Slavonian barrels and small French barriques for ageing, provides a more contemporary expression of Brunello di Montalcino. Indeed so much so that we charged him with making our new own-label Brunello di Montalcino. The seven-hectare property is well located close to neighbours Cerbaiona, on the north-eastern shoulder of Montalcino, blessed with atypically white, tufo, limestone soils.

Richer, more obvious in its fleshy, raspberry charm, this is very inviting, sensual, creamy even. Darker and broader in colour, the palate is generous and sumptuous, with an almost raspberry-ripple richness. The texture is one of crushed velvet, of sweet currants and heady fruit; in a word – lush.

One of Montalcino’s oldest estates, dating back to the time of the Medicis, Lisini is known more recently as one of the founding fathers of the Brunello di Montalcino Consorzio of the 1960s. The Clementi-Lisini family, at the 154-hectare property near Sant’Angelo in Colle (20 hectares are under vine), make a thoroughly traditional range that builds on ancient Eocene sand, clay and iron-rich soils; wines that were first bottled in 1967. Oenologist Filippo Paoletti stands guard over the estate’s pre-eminent position.

One of Montalcino’s oldest estates, dating back to the time of the Medicis, Lisini is known more recently as one of the founding fathers of the Brunello di Montalcino Consorzio in the 1960s. The Clementi-Lisini family, at the 154-hectare property near Sant’Angelo in Colle (with 20 hectares are under vine), make a thoroughly traditional range that builds on ancient Eocene sand, clay and iron-rich soils; wines that were first bottled in 1967. Oenologist Filippo Paoletti stands guard over the estate’s pre-eminent position.

Lisini's Brunelli remain among our most traditional; in youth they are focused, quite serious, with crunchy-cool poise, and an almost Burgundian, herbal, cassis edge in 2011. Yet it opens up more on the palate, after 3.5 years’ oak-ageing after all, with juicy currants, gleaming cranberry-purity, cleansing acidity, red cherries, thick redcurrant-skins.

Not actually a Riserva Brunello, Ugolaia's brilliance stems from the fruit of 40-year-old vines in a single vineyard, which spends an extra six months in a chestnut barrel prior to bottling. Compared to the Riserva, Ugolaia is less obviously sensual but more refined. There's a cleansing raspberry-coulis and mulberry character; it's limpid, crunchy, naturally harmonious and not in anyway forced - the product of an excellent vineyard and gentle handling. This is exquisite; not a heavyweight, it's more refined and delicate in 2009.

One of Montalcino’s oldest estates, dating back to the time of the Medicis, Lisini is known more recently as one of the founding fathers of the Brunello di Montalcino Consorzio of the 1960s. The Clementi-Lisini family, at the 154-hectare property near Sant’Angelo in Colle (20 hectares are under vine), make a thoroughly traditional range that builds on ancient Eocene sand, clay and iron-rich soils; wines that were first bottled in 1967. Oenologist Filippo Paoletti stands guard over the estate’s pre-eminent position.

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is fabulous. Dark cherry, lavender, mint, hard candy and a host of balsamic-inflected notes soar from the glass as this towering, structured Rivera shows off its personality. This is one of the more tannic, backward Riserva of the vintage. As such, demands patience. Just as extraordinary as it was last year, the Riserva once again shows just how magical this vintage was for Andrea Costanti.  Drink: 2022 – 2040
98/100, Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com, Feb 2016

The Costantis are an old Sienese family dating back to the fifteenth century. They appear in the history of Montalcino as being involved in major event which led to the creation of the Republic of Siena in 1555. Fast forward to 1983 when a very young Andrea Costanti took over the family firm and started building the estate into the successful Brunello producer that we know today.

The winemaking style lies somewhere between the arch-traditionalists and the modernists with fermentation in stainless steel with two weeks maceration on the skins, followed by 18 months in 500 litre French oak barrels and 18 months in Slavonian oak botti, before 12 months in bottle before release, with another year in bottle for the riserva.

This Sesti Brunello di Montalcino, bottled in February 2014, was tasted late Jan 2015. Gigi Elisa both pointed out that 2010 was remarkable not just for the quality of the wines but also of the olive oil. Sporting the telltale ‘terra di Argiano’ iron-red ochre colour, their incense-rich, soft, dark quinine, liquorice nutmeg perfumed Brunello is incredibly compact restrained, giving little away still. It has great presence, combining fleshiness with structure, refined, sleek even, cool quinine flavours, sunny, softly-spoken penetrating. ‘Al dente’ with a wonderful raspberry zip, and profound minerality (the result of ancient sedimentary marine life).
David Berry Green

Right from the off this is clearly a serious wine, it has a deep brooding nose with spice, heaps of morello cherry and chocolate notes. The palate is beautifully dense, multi-layered, textured and beautifully done. The morello cherry is there again, this time accompanied by liquorice and smokey notes. The intensity is such that this has a long future ahead of it and long term it is a wine that is sure to enhance the 2010 vintage’s legacy. Drink 2020-2035
Matthew Tipping, Fine Wine Sales Manager

Almost opaque and still very youthful looking, the nose is still dense and underdeveloped, but gives hints of the greatness to come, with its brooding dark cherry fruit.

The only word to describe this Brunello  wine on the palate is massive; full bodied and spicy, packed with black and red cherry fruit, all tightly wound in a magnificent structure, fine tannins, mouth watering acidity and supporting alcohol, all in perfect balance. This is a monumental wine for the Cellar and will be magnificent in 2012-2014 and drink for a decade or two after that. A serious candidate for the best Ugolaia ever.
(Chris Pollington, Fine Wine Department)

Lisini’s Brunello remains doggedly old fashioned. Broodingly opaque, it is square and dense with spicy clove notes and more earth than fruit. There is simply nothing that you can teach this ancient Montalcino family about how to produce fine wine at a reasonable price. A product of the fine 2006 vintage, this wine will repay cellaring.
David Berry Green, August 2011