mikethewineguy.blogspot.com
Beautiful dark ruby color. Focused, elegant aromas of dark cherry with leather/tobacco notes. Smooth and supple texture, with elegant, concentrated dried cherry and cassis flavors. Smooth, lingering finish. What was really impressive about this was first, the texture, which was perfectly round and supple but never oaky, fat, or flabby. And secondly, the structure, in which both acids and tannins were present but hardly noticeable, simply supporting the even outpouring of flavor from beginning to end. Not an over-the-top or opulent Brunello, which is exactly what I liked about it. This is what balance and elegance are all about.

wine.com
Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino is a wine of noble origins and impressive original thinking. Made from 100% select Brunello clones, Rosso di Montalcino is considered Brunello`s younger sibling. Rosso di Montalcino is aged less than its elder counterpart - 12 months in wood (half in French oak barrique and half in Slavonian oak casks) followed by at least 6 months in the bottle before release. It is deep ruby-red in color with a dry, round, velvety taste and generous body - characteristics similar to those desired in a great Brunello. The color is a very deep and intense red with violet hints; the bouquet is of red fruits, raspberries and cherries, but also with sweet hints of cream. On the palate, it has good structure and well developed tannins, soft yet powerful at the same time. A very well balanced and harmonious wine.

Customer reviews:

• When visiting the Banfi estate in Montalcino I had every intention of buying about 4 cases of Brunello. Instead I wound up with 1 case of Brunello and 4 cases of Rosso. It was that wonderful without the cost of a Brunello. On my must buy list.

everywine.co.uk
In 1978 John and Harry Mariani, successful American importers, joined forces with Italy's leading enologist, Ezio Rivella; their objective was to produce top-quality wine on a scale never before attempted in Italy. Castello Banfi is a rarity among Italian wine estates, not just because of its size, its composition of single vineyards, or its state-of-the-art winery, but because it was started from scratch a little over 25 years ago. At that time the Mariani Brothers were looking for an estate where the climate and soil had to be ideal for the cultivation of many of the world's noble grape varieties, and it had to be within a region of Italy that already had a tradition of quality winemaking. The 4,500 acres that the Mariani Brothers first found were near Montalcino, and eligible for the status DOCG of Brunello di Montalcino, one of the most prestigious of all Italian wines and it met the other criteria as well. By good luck the adjacent estate, of 2600 acres, became available shortly afterwards and in 1984 the 11th century castle was the final purchase, and the estate was renamed Castello Banfi. Today Castello Banfi is producing a wide range of wines including Brunello di Montalcino that was Italy's first wine to be accorded D.O.C.G. status, a testament to its aristocracy, balance and fabulous proclivity for ageing. Under the direction of Banfi's master winemakers, the Brunello grapes are transformed into a remarkable world-class wine, perhaps the most respected red of Italy. Aged for a total of up to four years, including a minimum of two years in oak barrels, Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino is a wine of robust character. It possesses a rich garnet colour, and a depth, complexity and opulence that is softened by an elegant, lingering aftertaste. Chunky red with aromas of berry, mint, cherry and wet earth. Full-bodied and velvety, it boasts lots of fruit and a long, minty finish . Score : 91.

Brunello di Montalcino was Italy's first wine to be accorded D.O.C.G. status, a testament to its aristocracy, balance and fabulous proclivity for aging. Under the direction of master winemakers, Banfi's Sangiovese grapes are transformed into a remarkable world-class wine, perhaps the most respected red of Italy. Aged for a total of up to four years, including a minimum of two years in oak barrels, Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino is a wine of robust character. It possesses a rich garnet color, and a depth, complexity and opulence that is softened by an elegant, lingering aftertaste. Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino's regal qualities are best exhibited with game, red meats, roasts, hearty stews and rich powerful cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano.

Reviews:

• Wine Spectator 94 points 5/2004
  "This shows an incredible concentration of fruit, with loads of berries and spices on the nose. Full-bodied, with soft and silky tannins and lots of smoky character and a long finish."
• 90 points Stephen Tanzer 10/2004
  Brilliant ruby red hue. Black cherry, oak, sage and thyme aromas. Medium-full with excellent depth of fruit, this is a beautifully balanced Brunello with nice depth of ripe fruit, perfectly balanced tannins, nicely integrated oak and lively acidity. Nicely made in a modern, but restrained style.

tastings.com
Brilliant ruby red hue. Black cherry, oak, sage and thyme aromas. Medium-full with excellent depth of fruit, this is a beautifully balanced Brunello with nice depth of ripe fruit, perfectly balanced tannins, nicely integrated oak and lively acidity. Nicely made in a modern, but restrained style. (6+ years from 2004-04-01)

virtualtastings.com

• Brunello was the first region to be classified in Italy as a DOCG and this bottle tells you why. This wine was intense and still very very young - I should have waited another few years. But what the hell - a friend of mine had this at dinner the other night with a gent from Florida, who's first comment after tasting this was, "now I know what good wine should taste like!" So on that note, I decided to open mine one and only bottle of it this past weekend with friends. This baby poured as a super deep dark reddish-black inky wine - clearly still very young. We decanted it to let it air out for awhile, but even that did not help. While swishing the wine around in the decanter, we could smell the aroma a few feet away - rich and dark and opulent. The tasting was equally intense, with dark cherry and plum and dark chocolate being the theme in this wine. Little acidity led you to a smooth delicate mouth, with rich flavors and yet still dry on the finish. While sipping this wine, we also noted some smoky essence and licorice. As the wine opened up in the carafe, it became even smoother while maintaining the intense dark fruit flavors. Just simply an awesome wine.
• A complex wine with a distinctive flavor, Brunello di Montalcino has always been a favorite of mine. After the first sip touches your tongue, the first thing you'll notice is this wine's velvety-smooth flavor. Surprisingly, this complex wine will change taste two or three times and you'll experience the pleasure of noticing the taste differences on different parts of your tongue. You'll want to savor this wine, and if there are two of you be prepared to open a second bottle. After one bottle, you'll realize that Brunello di Montalcino is why Italians invented wine.

wine.com
40% Sangiovese; 20%Merlot; 20% Ciliegiolo; 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

COL D'ORCIA is the internationally celebrated producer of one of Italy's most revered red wines, Brunello di Montalcino. Situated on the outskirts of the medieval hilltop village of Montalcino in Tuscany's Siena province, the estate has a rich winemaking history that dates back to the 1700s. In the hands of the Cinzano family since 1973, Col d'Orcia is owned today by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano, with day-to-day operations directed by Edoardo Virano.

www.coldorcia.it

• Grapes: Sangiovese (40%), Ciliegiolo (20%), Merlot (20%) and Cabernet (20%). This new formula of assemblage awards the increase of the noble grapes of Bordeaux (Merlot and Cabernet) produced in the new vineyards of Tenuta Col D'Orcia. The result is an even more convincing fruit and a vastly superior structure which turn this wine into a real non-aged Supertuscan.
• Vinification:
  Maceration on the skins for 8-10 days at carefully controlled temperatures of fermentation below 26C in order to preserve the intense and characteristic depth of the fruit. The malolactic fermentation follows immediately the alcoholic one and the early bottling aims at capturing all the freshness of this wine.
• Colour: Very intense ruby red, with vivid purple reflections.
• Bouquet: Ample, multilayered, with a really unusual fruit component generously inviting to tasting.
• Taste: The noble fullness of the body strikes the palate by fruit lashes in a soft and enveloping context. Long and intriguing aftertaste.
• Alcohol content: 13.6% vol
• Total acidity level: 5.5 g/l
• Serving temperature: 16C

blog.klwines.com

16,333 cases produced, **2.
On the southern slope of Montalcino in the Orcia River valley Col D'Orcia makes a wine with more traditional flavors, no toasty vanilla from barriques, just sweet pure Sangiovese. Col D'Orcia is a large landowner and they utilize their unique vineyard exposure, vineyards that stretch up the hillside a few hundred meters, giving their wines distinct benefits and allowing them to use the best parcels for Brunello.

www.forkandbottle.com

Good acids. Fresh. Clean. Good fruit. Good!

www.winereviewonline.com

"A great Brunello needs time," opined Count Alberto Marone Cinzano, proprietor of the Col d'Orcia (meaning the hill, or col, overlooking the Orcia river) estate.

www.marikane.com

Made from the Sangiovese Grosso grape, this Tuscan beauty is deep garnet - almost opaque - and has long, slender legs. Flavors of earthy red and black fruits, violets, herbs and mushrooms jump from the glass. The oak is nicely balanced with blackberries, sage, and rosemary, and it has a rich, warm mouthfeel and some delectable acidity that carries through to the finish of pretty red fruit and fine smooth tannins. A delightful pizza or pasta wine.

evolutivetasting.com

PHILOSOPHY (As given to me by Vittorio Frescobaldi, President):
Our style is to let the land speak. We have been farmers for many generations, and we have always paid close attention to every aspect, every favourable factor, when we plant new vineyards. In selecting vineyard sites, we closely evaluate the suitability of each type of soil, which vary in composition and in microclimate, from estate to estate, and even within each and every estate. We have tremendous respect for each production zone's individual history. We want to faithfully mirror that heritage in our wines. Our goal is to achieve the highest level of quality by respecting to the full the fruit that produces them, the grapes that express the personality of each plot of land. We strive to bring to the consumer that distinctiveness and also that trustworthiness.

For us, the achievement of the absolute highest quality is a constant and daily challenge, and recent years have seen successes in this direction. Nevertheless, we have no intention of resting upon our laurels; we are convinced that many of our wines will reach even higher levels of quality.

LAMBERTO FRESCOBALDI says:
We are scared of producing dull wines. Our wines must have soul. This does not always please everybody, not even my family, but each estate must express itself and we must approach it by asking its permission to enter with our hats in our hands.

www.klwines.com

The bouquet presents a mosaic of aromatic impressions, of crisp, clean-edged fruit above all, in particular dried plum and ripe dark cherry, with nicely evolved notes of tobacco leaf. In the mouth it displays a solid, magisterial structure supported evenly by crisp tannins that are well integrated with the alcohol. The finish offers appealing flavors and ends with a flourish.

www.finewinehouse.com

Rosso di Montalcino is aged in wood for 12 to 15 months. This wine is the proof that Sangiovese in Montalcino can produce quality wines to be drunk immediately even though there is a marked improvement by waiting a couple of years.

blog.klwines.com

2,083 cases produced, **2+
This is a full-bodied, powerful wine with dense fruit and big shoulders. It has lots of soft flesh making the entry onto the palate very easy and approachable. The mid palate has lots of plumy fruit with soft tannins underneath but a luscious mouth feel. There is a lot of richness in this Brunello and a remarkably delicate finish for such a thick wine.

klwines.com

Brunello di Montalcino
Made from 100% Sangiovese grapes from a specific clone called "Brunello" in the town of Montalcino. Situated in the southwestern part of Tuscany the town of Montalcino sits on a ridge about 400 feet above the Eastern plain. This ridge divides the region into three diverse growing areas. The northeastern part produces wines with brighter fruit, more cherry and high tone notes and somewhat leaner body. The southeastern portion often referred to, as the "Golden Triangle" is the home of Biondi Santi, the family who invented Brunello and championed its production for half a century before anyone else. This region produces wines with rich body, deep ripe cherry to plum fruit with lots of earth and spice. The third portion is the southwesterly facing slope which is the warmest (hence the ripest grapes), consistently producing wines with more breadth and richness. At the turn of this century, there were more than 150 growers who produce the 233,000 cases annually from the 2863 acres inscribed to Brunello.

Reviews:

• The Wine Spectator 91, July 27, 2007
  "A solid red, with plum, berry and light cedar character. Full-bodied, with solid tannins and a long finish. All there. Best after 2007. 2,165 cases made"
• The Wine Enthusiast, Score: 89. April 01, 2006.
  Toast, cedar wood, sweet berries and mint with a smooth mouthfeel dominated by cherry-vanilla. Long and lush with chewy tannins and a nice finish, this is an easy to appreciate wine.
• (Greg St.Clair, K&L's Italian buyer) 2,083 cases produced.
  2+ Stars! This is a full-bodied, powerful wine with dense fruit and big shoulders. It has lots of soft flesh making the entry onto the palate very easy and approachable. The mid palate has lots of plumy fruit with soft tannins underneath but a luscious mouth feel. A lot of richness and a delicate finish for such a thick wine.

italianwinereview.blogspot.com

Benvenuto Brunello 2001!

This year's Benvenuto Brunello, held in Montalcino's Fortezza, featured the 2001 Brunello, the 2004 Rosso di Montalcino, a few 2000 Brunello Riserva, Moscadello, and a variety of Sant'Antimo DOC wines, both red and white and from several vintages. As has been the case in recent presentations, there were a few more wineries than there were last year -- we're up to 151 -- and since I didn't feel I could do justice to all of the wines in the time allotted, I devoted a bit more than a day to tasting Brunello d'Annata, the 2001, a mixture of producers I was already familiar with and producers I knew nothing about, and then tasted some Rosso di Montalcino too, to get a feel for what the 2004 vintage might have in store. The 2001 vintage is, simply put, very good; it's head and shoulders above the 2000 vintage, displaying great depth and elegance, with rich, ripe, but not overripe fruit, and smooth sweet tannins that have a steely heart under the youthful exuberance they now display. It's also a surprisingly ready vintage; by comparison with the 1999 vintage, which displayed an angry immaturity at release, the 2001 is smoother and richer, and will be readier to drink in the short term, while gaining considerable grace and elegance as it ages. In other words, it's a more versatile vintage than some, and though you could it with the express intent of laying it down, you could also buy it for a special occasion in the more immediate future. In terms of overall stylistic observations, I continue to see a decrease in the so-called "new style" that emphasizes concentration with respect to finesse and involves a fair amount of oak. To be honest, the 2001 vintage didn't require either additional concentration or shoring up from oak -- what came from the vineyards was quite capable of standing alone -- and I therefore hesitate to call the observation a trend, though a number of producers I talked to told me that they are working towards greater finesse. Next year's Brunello, what there is of it from a cold wet vintage, will give a much better indication of whether or not the pendulum has begun to swing back. I was pleasantly impressed by the 2004 Rosso di Montalcino: Despite its coming on the heels of two very difficult years for Brunello, which likely tempted many producers to divert as much as they could to their flagship wine, I found an easy elegance that reveals considerable attention on the part of the producers. In other words, it may be a lesser sibling, but it's not an afterthought. In terms of accompaniments, most are suited to rich pasta dishes, thick soups, and light meats, while some have the acidity necessary to accompany fried foods, and others are substantial enough for more flavorful meats. There's much to enjoy.

The wines, in the order in which I tasted the Brunelli, on February 24 and 25 2006:

• ...
• Poggio il Castellare Brunello di Montalcino 2001
  Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with bright cherry and forest berry fruit supported by some lemony acidity and by pleasing spice from grapes, with alcohol providing a feeling of overall warmth. On the palate it's full, with bright slightly chalky cherry plum fruit supported by clean smooth sweet tannins that flow into a fairly long fruit laced finish; it's pleasant, and nicely balanced, though I might have liked just a touch more acidity to raise it up. I found it a bit more direct than I might have expected. This said, it will drink quite well with succulent red meats, and will age nicely for a decade or more. (2 stars)

italianwinemerchant.com

Brunello: The Nectar of Kings, Queens, and Popes

Brunello (the little dark one) is a Tuscan dialect name for a particularly fine strain of Sangiovese grown in Montalcino, south of both Chianti and Siena. In this dryer, hotter, and more Mediterrean climate of southern Tuscany, the limesone and sand soil produce a muscular grape capable of making a rich, dark, concentrated red (heavier and more tannic than Chianti). Tongue-curling tannins and firm acidity allow these wines to age, catching the eyes of wine collectors, Popes, Presidents, Kings, and Queens. It is the combination of this specific clone, the agreeable climate, the low yield guidelines set by the Consorzio (the regional governing body, and the long aging requirements (four years, with at least two in oak barrels) that contribute to great Brunello. As an elite wine, Brunello deserves special attention while aging and when poured. Like all great aged wines, it is often a bit hard and unsociable in its youth. However, Brunello becomes refined and harmonious with time, taking on a velvety texture. Those with the discipline to restrain themselves from uncorking these wines too early are advised to keep their bottles in the cellar - away from light, humidity, and extraneous smells. Sudden changes in temperature must also be avoided, and bottles should not be moved or shaken. When removing the bottle from storage, take care not to shake the bottle as sediment will have collected on its bottom side. Stand the bottle upright for one or two days in a cool place before decanting and serving.

Understanding Montalcino

The ancient walled city of Montalcino, whose name means "the mountain of the holm-oaks," has a rich history that includes struggles against the Florentines and the Spanish empire. This circular territory, delimited by the Orcia, Asso, and Ombrone valleys, has a diameter of 16 kilometers and a surface area of 24,362 hectares. As you will learn below, there is no finer residence to extract complexity from the Sangiovese grape. While vineyards are believed to have graced the rolling hills of Montalcino as early as the 10th century, the history of Brunello di Montalcino is relatively short by Italian wine standards. Many of the estates in the region trace their lineage back several centuries, but Brunello is just 150 years old. Up until the 1500's the wine of the region was a sweet white from the Muscat grape labelled Moscadello di Montalcino and was followed by wines made from the traditional Tuscan varietals Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano, and Malvasia. The birth of Brunello dates to the mid-1800's when Clemente Santi took an isolated Sangiovese clone and planted the vines on what would become the legendary family estate, Il Greppo. With its growth, Brunello became recognized as the ultimate expression of the Sangiovese grape in that it combines power, concentration, complexity, and personality that few Chiantis or Vino Nobile di Montepulcianos can match. However, it is not the clone itself that is responsible for this. Among the contributing factors are soil composition, climatic conditions, altitudes, and ageing requirements set by the DOCG. In the Montalcino zone the soil will generally contain more sand and limestone than soils farther north in the region of Chianti. The climate is another decisive factor, as there is a significant shift from the damper, cooler, continental climate of Chianti Classico to a more dry, heat-infused Mediterranean environment that is cooled by air currents formed by the Montalcino hills and shelter provided by Tuscany's highest peak, Mount Amiata. It is these influences that enhance the muscularity of the Sangiovese grape, in turn providing the characteristic rich, dark, concentrated character of Brunello. The longevity of wines from this area was tested by Clemente's grandson Ferruccio Biondi-Santi when he laid down significant quantities of the 1888 and 1891 vintages. These have proven their endurance through countless tastings, even one hundred years after their bottling. While the Santi family had this early vision, it wasn't until the 1960's that Brunello began to show its grandeur thanks to the early efforts of the Costanti estate and Giovanni Colombini of Fattoria dei Barbi, among others. The Montalcino production zone can be broken down into a range of subzones. Within each there are variations in altitude, soil composition, and weather patterns. In fact, the Consorzio lists more than 24 distinct microclimates in the area. In addition to this range of elements there is an array of styles from each producer that make it difficult to examine terroir in a side-by-side comparison.