Brunello di Montalcino is located in Tuscany, Italy. It is a region where popular and prestigious wines are produced. Warm and dry climate surround the Brunello di Montalcino. The nice climate and its clayish soil seem to be the perfect environment where Sangiovese grapes thrive. Sangiovese grapes are the pride of this region. It is the only grape that is widely planted and permitted in the Brunello di Montalcino region.
Sangiovese grape is known for its Raspberry, Violet, Cherry, Blackberry and Leather qualities. Because of heavy production of Sangiovese grape, red wine is popular in Brunello di Montalcino. Oftentimes, Brunello wine made from Sangiovese grapes are compared with Pinot Noir for their aroma and fruit flavor. Nevertheless, Brunello wine, thanks to the beautiful production of Sangiovese grapes, has always managed to distinguish its own quality from the rest.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Poggio Nardone Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese Grosso.
The rich nose displays scents of spices combined with aromas of small red ripe fruits, blackberry and blueberry.
Well structured, determined and elegant, with round and silky tannins. Very nice finish.
Alcoholic fermentation was done in tank, maloactic fermentation in oak barrels. Wine was then aged for 3 years in French oak barrels.
Review:
Noble and decidedly balsamic in the primary profile alternating notes of peppermint, eucalyptus, green tea leaves and guaranà. A lot of very delicate dried cherries are housed in the background giving brilliance and crunchiness. Medium bodied, well extracted mature tannins and a finale which squeezes from the centre palate onwards. Better from 2025.
- WinesCritic.com 93 Points
Poggio Nardone Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese Grosso.
The rich nose displays scents of spices combined with aromas of small red ripe fruits, blackberry and blueberry.
Well structured, determined and elegant, with round and silky tannins. Very nice finish.
Alcoholic fermentation was done in tank, malolactic fermentation in oak barrels. Wine was then aged for 3 years in French oak barrels.
Review:
Powerful and classic, it alternates in the best way the floral features of magnolias, gardenias and hawthorn with fruity notes reminiscent of plums, pressed blueberries and lemon juice. Medium-full body, smooth and relaxed in the sip, it closes harmonious and balanced. How beautiful! Better from 2024.
Raffaele Vecchione - WinesCritic.com 94 Points
A ruby red garnet color, ripe fruit aromas, dried fruits, hints of licorice and scents of vanilla. Robust and harmonious in the mouth, a rich texture. The wine is only produced in the best vintages.
The grapes are coming from a vineyard planted at 400 meters above sea level. The soil is mainly marl and limestone.
The density of vines per hectare is 5,000 plants, which is equivalent to 2,000 vines per acre.
The pruning technique used is cordon
The grapes used are 100% Sangiovese grosso
Alcoholic fermentation was done in tank, while the Malo-Lactic fermentation was carried in oak barrels.
Wine was then aged for one year in big French oak barrels and 3 years in Slavonian oak barrels.
Review:
Rich and very slender in the sensory profile alternating notes of black prunes, blackberries, sandalwood, incense, camphor, withered white flowers and vetiver. Hints of woodland undergrowth animate the secondary scene giving it a dark character. Full bodied, soft tannins and a solidly performing finale. Better from 2024.
Raffaele Vecchione - WinesCritic.com 93 Points
Poggio San Polo Podernovi Brunello di Montalcino is made from Sangiovese.
Intense ruby red in color with garnet hues, clear and glossy. The bouquet exhibits typical aromas of violets and small red berries. Subtle nuances of forest undergrowth, aromatic wood, a touch of vanilla and jammy mixed fruit then give way to subtle hints of coffee. This Brunello is intense, persistent, broad and heady. Full-bodied and warm on the palate, with a densely-woven texture and robust body, it has a persistent finish with well-rounded tannins. The particular features of the terroir at San Polo produce a Brunello with a capacity for lengthy aging, while patient cellaring enhances the wine during ageing in the bottle.
Review:
Lovely purity of fruit with ultra fine tannins and depth, finesse and complexity. Black cherries, cedar and some flowers. It’s full-bodied with very fine tannins that drive the finish. Give it a year or two to open more, but already so enticing. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 96 Points
The San Polo 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with 8,000 bottles produced) is a textured wine with hearty fruit and touches of smoked meat and spice. At its core, the wine offers dark fruit, blackberry and ripe plum. The rich fruitiness of the wine cedes to campfire ash, mahogany and furniture wax. These results are sultry and even a bit flashy, with distant background tones of teriyaki and plum sauce. The wine is fermented in cylindrical oak fermenters and aged in oak for three years. We'll see this bottle hitting the market sometime after February 2021.
-Wine Advocate 95 Points
San Giorgio Ugolforte presents a dark core of red and black berry fruit layered with earth, leather, smoke, and herbs. Complex and elegant, the wine is full on the palate and firm in tannin structure. Refreshing acidity frames a graceful finish. Classic Brunello di Montalcino.
This red is marked by cherry, plum, thyme, sage and loam aromas and flavors. Lively and firmly structured, featuring a saline undercurrent. An open-knit version, with nice equilibrium, fine energy and a long, resonant finish.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
-Wine Spectator 94 Points
Aalto P.S. Pagos Seleccionados Tinto is made from 100 percent Tempranillo.
Climatic conditions
The farming year began with a mild autumn and little precipitation. A very dry winter started with -9ºC reaching at the end higher temperatures than normal for that time of the year. Spring and summer characterized by little rain, only some rain showers in July and late August avoided the hydric stress of the vines. The vegetative cycle of the vine developed with big variations of temperatures, alternating warm and atypical low temperatures of 4ºC for mid-June. The ripening of the grapes happened under very good conditions and the harvest started on 24th September 2019.
100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) primarily from very old vines – 60 to 90 years old – from selected plots in La Horra and La Aguilera. The harvest was done by hand, in small boxes of 15 kilos that are thoroughly inspected, bunch by bunch, on the selection table.
Tasting notes
Review:
Lots of depth here, with ripe blackberries and some nicely baked black cherries, roasted herbs, incense, dark spices, mussels and a balsamic tinge. An admirably fine dollop of tannins on the palate, which are immaculate and juicy, as they thoroughly dunk into the black fruit, melting into a persistent finish that lasts for over a minute. Very impressive. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 96 Points
Elton Bay Sauvignon Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Strung between serene beaches, sculpted coves and wild, rugged mountains, the coastline of South Africa stretches for thousands of miles from east to the west. Drawn to its wild beauty, many a leisure adventurers discover the pristine serenity of unnamed, secluded bays to claim as their own.
Elton Bay Sauvignon Blanc offers tropical fruit and delicate pear drop aromatics with subtle green notes and a hint of minerality on a refreshing, crisp finish.