After spending three delightful days in Umbria, we drove two hours north to Tuscany. While the charms of Tuscany were never a secret, the region rocketed to the top of everyone’s Italian bucket list following the 1996 publication of Frances Mayes’ uplifting, romantic memoir, “Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy.” The book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for two years. The 2003 film with Diane Lane only deepened the Tuscan love affair. And the place doesn’t disappoint! Glorious vistas, fantastic food, picturesque hill towns, and more wineries than anyone could fit into a three-day trip.
Given Tuscany’s extraordinary popularity, we steered clear of the larger, showier wineries, whose parking lots would likely be filled with tour buses and day-trippers [Yes, that’s who we are.] We came to Tuscany to taste Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti in situ. They are among Gary’s favorite wines, and we were determined to find the best wineries with the fewest number of visitors. We succeeded…mostly. Following is our report on the Brunello tastings. LF
About Brunello di Montalcino
Sangiovese is the most widely planted varietal in Italy. It’s the dominant grape in the red blends that define Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and Montefalco Rosso. But with Brunello di Montalcino, Sangiovese stands on its own. To earn the official DOCG label, the grapes “must come from vineyards in and around Montalcino, with the wine having been produced and bottled in the town and must contain 100 percent Sangiovese Grosso grapes.”1 The DOCG classification also mandates standards for alcohol level [minimum 12.5%] and a lengthy aging process.
The finesse of these wines–light ruby Sangiovese juice with amazing depth of aroma and flavor–is something that only the most skilled winemakers in the world can produce. The best Brunellos are simply at the top echelon of winemaking.
We spent one glorious day in Montalcino, an impossibly beautiful town we were thoroughly charmed by. The wineries we visited [chosen with the help of wine travel planner Into the Vineyard] weren’t exclusively Brunello houses, and some of their below-the-headline wines were also quite good. Lisa is not a fan of Sangiovese [to put it gently] so the tastings had to include something she would drink.
[Montalcino pix, above]
Sassetti Livio Pertimali, Montalcino
29 acres/75,000 bottles/year
Founded mid-1960s
Gary’s love affair with Brunello is not a new fling. In 2022 VinoDuo hosted a Brunello tasting with wine-loving but Brunello-virgin friends. Four wines and two vintages, one of which was Sassetti Livio Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2015. And while it didn’t win the “best in show” that day, the quality stuck in Gary’s mind. So naturally, we scheduled a visit to the winery. The estate is managed by 4th generation winemaker Lorenzo Sassetti, who produces several white wines, a Sangiovse rosé and a Proseco along with two Brunellos (standard and Riserva).
In 2020, James Suckling named Sassetti’s Brunello Di Montalcino 2016 his #1 selection of Top 100 Wines of Italy. We were excited to try later vintages and, with Cristina Rossi [below, left] as our guide, we toured the Sassetti estate and settled in for a tasting of each wine.
| Wine | Grapes | Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olivelli IGT 2023 | 50% Chardonnay, 50% Vermentino | Golden straw in the glass with hints of peach blossom and fresh cut grass on the nose. Medium bodied; delivers a refreshing palate of grapefruit and honeydew with solid balance of minerality and acidity | Not available in the US. €18 at the winery. Purchase: info@pertimalisassetti.it |
| Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG 2019 | Sangiovese Grosso | Aged 36 months in Slavonian oak; 6 months in the bottle. Sensational nose with toasty cedar, red berries and tanned leather. In the glass, initially jammy with plum, strawberry and black pepper notes. The finish was still too tannic, with significant alcohol (14.5% ABV). Best consumed post-2026. | $55 at Zachy’s in US |
| Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG Riserva 2019 | Sangiovese Grosso | Aged 48 months in Slavonian oak barrels; 12 months in the bottle.Oaky nose with leader and cigar notes. Beautifully smooth from start to finish. A well-polished Brunello, rated 99 by James Suckling…and us! | $100 at Woodland Hills Wine Co. |
Fattoria Dei Barbi, Montalcino
750 acres across 3 estates/800,000 bottles/year
Founded 1950s
The Columbini family has been Siena “nobility” since the 10th century and has owned land in Montalcino since 1352. The family remains at the helm of Fattoria Dei Barbi, which is now led by Stefano Cinelli Colombini, grandson of the winery’s founder. Gary has enjoyed Barbi’s Chianti for many years, but we were less familiar with its Brunello, which has won top scores from wine critics. Our guide Lorenzo led us through a six-wine tasting, each paired with a local cheese. In the face of an over-crowded tasting room and repeated dull thuds from a child kicking a soccer ball against the building, Lorenzo was patient, knowledgeable, and unflappable.
| Wine | Grapes | Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosso Di Montalcino 2023 | Sangiovese | Aged 1 year in Slavonian oak; 1 year in the bottle. Medium garnet hue with some toasted vanilla notes on the nose. Nice Bing cherry notes on the palate with still briary tannins. This will be a terrific table wine in a couple of years. | $35 at Saratoga Wine |
| Brunello Di Montalcino ‘Vigna di Fiore’ 2020 | Sangiovese Grosso | Aged 18 months in French oak barriques (225 liter); 18 months in French oak tonneaux (500-700 liters) and 2 years in the bottle. The wine is just too young to serve now; hot, harsh tannins cover what will likely be an excellent wine after 2028. Wine Advocate rated this a 96 in 2023, when it was nowhere near ready to drink. | $90 at K&L Wines |
| Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2019 | Sangiovese Grosso | Aged 4 years in Slavonian oak; 2 years in the bottle. Caramelized garnet hue in the glass with a beautiful vanilla toast/leathered humidor nose. The palate is as smooth as the finest European velvet with notes of wild raspberry/blueberry. Really a well-made wine. Ready now but will likely gain complexity with age. Our favorite wine of the tasting. | $93 at ReserveBar |
Casato Prime Donne, Montalcino
98 acres/160,000 bottles
Founded 1998
The final stop on our Brunello tour was a big, happy surprise. While we were familiar with Sassetti and Barbi, Casato Prime Donne was unknown to us. But from the minute we walked onto the estate, we knew were were in a special place. The winery is entirely run by women, which would be irrelevant if the wine was just ok. But under the leadership of founder Dontalla Cinelli Colombini, the wine is outstanding, the estate is gorgeous, and the vibe is electric.
Donatella hails from one of the great Tuscan families, landowners in Montalcino since the 16th century. In 1998 she left the family business — her brother Stefano Cinelli Colombini owns Fattoria Die Barbi [see above]– to found Casato Prime Donne and a second estate, Fattoria del Colle in nearby Trequanda. She then boldly ripped out all of the vines and replanted 81 acres of vineyards. A few years later she built two new wineries. We had the pleasure of touring Prime Donne with Donatella, and her passion for her wines and her all-woman leadership staff [including our terrific guide Antonella] is palpable. During our eight-wine tasting we enjoyed some of the finest Brunello [kudos to oenologist Valérie Lavigne] of our trip. If you have plans to visit Brunello country, put Casata Prime Donne on your list!
[Photo above left: Donatella Cinelli Colombini, left, and her long-time staffer Antonella, with Gary]
| Wine | Grapes | Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG 2020 | Sangiovese Grosso | Ruby-red with medium body. Notes of toasty vanilla/leather and pipe tobacco on the nose; bright red fruits/white pepper and tightly wound tannins on the palate. Good now, better in a couple of years. Donatella “tried to make the Brunello of my grandfather.” We think she’s hit a home-run! | $78 at Saratoga Wine |
| Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2018 | Sangiovese Grosso | Brick-red juice in the glass with a leather tannery/toasty vanilla nose. The wine is a work of art on the palate, with a slow-release of intense red fruits enveloped by velvet tannins and balanced minerality and acidity. The wine writer mafia got this one wrong (ratings 90-94 points)! 98 points at a minimum! | $133 at Saratoga Wine |
| Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG 2022 | Sangiovese Grosso | Barrel Tasting! Donatella said 2022 was a “terrific growing year for grape quality and quantity.” From the barrel, noted intense red fruit notes with freshness and already smooth tannins. This is one to watch for! | 2027 release |
| Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2019 | Sangiovese Grosso | Bright garnet juice in the glass with a leather- smoky vanilla nose. Smooth tannins yield a full mouthfeel with mid-palate concentrated red berries and some creaminess. Excellent! | $114 at Saratoga Wine |
| IOsono Donatella 2013 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013 | Sangiovese Grosso | An exceptional wine for discerning tastes! Gary said that this purple-to-garnet juice “was like drinking liquid velvet.” Amazing structure and complexity for its age. Only 600 bottles made from the best vintages. | $250 + shipping from winery |
Next Up: Drinking Chianti in Chianti
VinoDuo 