Brunello di Montalcino

This wonderfully perfumed Rosso has a bright cherry colour typical of Sangiovese. Brambles, red fruits and wild spices fill the nose, while the supple palate brims with crunchy red and plump black fruit, mineral salinity and a seasoning of Tuscan charm. Time in Slavonian oak and concrete vats has given it gleaming, well-polished tannins. Made for us by San Giorgio in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, this comes from some of the finest, fossil-filled vineyards in the whole of Montalcino. Drink now to 2025.
Davy Zyw - Wine Buyer

Deep red cherry in colour and bright with redcurrant, bramble and herbal aromas, this wine perfectly reects the temperate 2013 vintage in Montalcino. Possessing refreshing acidity, mineral depth and nely integrated tannins, from its time spent in oak botti, the palate is sumptuous, elegant and rened. Made for us by the Luciani family, whose vineyards are located on Montalcino’s eastern slopes, this is an example of classical Brunello at its best. Drink now to 2030.
Davy Zyw, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

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.

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.

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.

Il Poggione is one of the stars of Brunello, despite this it is always incredibly reasonably priced. Every year we sell through our allocation quickly and 2010 I think it is a case of blink and you will miss it! Il Poggione is a wine that reflects the more modern end of the styles in Brunello, it always has rich, lush fruit and in 2010 it is perfectly held in check by a cool freshness. Alongside the lovely cherry fruit, there are floral characters and toasted spice a wine with a sensual character.

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.

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

Dark and deep in appearance, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino bears many of the hallmark characteristics of the vintage. Sangiovese produced smaller berries and thicker color extraction in this vintage. This Brunello does indeed show more muscle and brawn, but it does so with an impeccable sense of balance and persistence. I cannot but admire this achievement. The quality of fruit is succulent and rich, and there are many pretty aromas of dark cherry, pressed blackberry, underbrush, cola and licorice to earn your admiration. Its textural fortitude is equally admirable.
Drinking window: 2017-2028

Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate, 28th February 2017