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

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.

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

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
 

This wine spends four years ageing in oak (three and a half years in Slavonian oak and half a year in chestnut). The vines are planted on volcanic soil, with a southern exposition, which gives a more exuberant style of Brunello, with a weightier body. The tannins are very firm, but there is a ripeness to them which is apparent on the finish.
Drink 2017-2027.

Made to impress, the nose is filled with notes of ripe fruit and cloves from the new barriques. The wine has nice, fleshy, red and black fruits on the palate with nuances of allspice and cinnamon, leading on to a firm, distinctive finish.
Drink 2017-2015.

With rich, black fruit on the nose, this has a powerful attack. The fruit on the palate is dark and brooding with plenty of weight and density to swathe the full and structured tannins. Again, hallmark Gaja style, this is one for the cellar.
Drink 2019-2029.