Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino is a wine made with 100% Sangiovese with Italy’s highest DOCG classification. Sangiovese is the wine that most wine critics cite to be the best in all of Italy.

Brunello di Montalcino is made with a local Tuscan type of Sangiovese referred to as Brunello or Sangiovese Grosso. Some also call it Prugnolo Gentile.

Noted for having thicker-skinned berries, and because of this, Brunello produces wines with exceptionally bold fruit flavors, high tannin, and high acidity.

The fruit contributes to the enduring popularity of Brunello di Montalcino. Still, it’s the tannins and acidity that extend the life of this wine, so it reaches perfection a decade or more later. It’s worth the wait.

Young Brunello

Imagine a smart – somewhat cocky– exuberant, young brunette. This is a young Brunello.

Wines packed with fruit and flower flavors, including cherries, dried cranberry, wild strawberry, blackberry, violets, potpourri, and licorice. Wow.

When you taste it, Brunello di Montalcino exudes earthy notes of espresso and tilled soil along with mouth-gripping tannins.

It’s a bold wine, but because of the high acidity, it ends on a tart, astringent note that will have you licking the insides of your mouth. This astringency is why most reviews suggest a drink-by window several years after its release date.

Old Brunello

Now that the wine is aged and softened by time, our Brunello is more ravishing than ever.

With 10+ years of age, Brunello di Montalcino drops the fresh fruit flavors to reveal sweeter notes of dried figs, candied cherries, hazelnuts, and sun-baked leather. The tannins turn chocolatey and the acidity is succulent.

I haven’t met anyone drinking perfectly aged Brunello that doesn’t think it’s fantastic.

- Source: https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/brunello-di-montalcino-its-worth-the-wait/