Il Palazzone Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2010
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
So much sweet berry and currant aromas and flavors here with an underlying volcanic salt character. Full body, savory and chewy yet delicious and lively. Drink or hold.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Enticing scents of ripe dark-skinned berry, leafy underbrush, chopped herb, dark spice and a toasted note come together on this structured, poised wine. The delicious, full-bodied palate offers layers of juicy black cherry, crushed raspberry, licorice, mint and a blast of orange peel while firm, velvety tannins provide the polished framework. A coffee note closes the lingering finish. Drink 2019–2028.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Il Palazzone 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva walks a fine line between grace and brawn. That not-so-subtle contrast of extremes is the wine's most fascinating characteristic. On the one hand, you have the finessed elegance of the bouquet that emits subtle tones of wild fruit and balsam herb. On the other, you have the very noticeable tightness of the wine's delineated and well-articulated mouthfeel. This is a Brunello with purpose and high ideals, and it reaches all the major milestones it sets out to conquer.
-
Wine Spectator
Sweet cherry and strawberry fruit is an even match for the briar and tobacco notes and granular tannins in this sleek, intense red. Picks up a mineral element and finishes with a vibrant, long aftertaste. Best from 2018 through 2033.
Other Vintages
2004-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
Il Palazzone was founded in the 1980s. The estate has three separate vineyards in three distinct areas of Montalcino. The highest elevation vineyard, Le Due Porte, is located next to the cellar, very close to the town of Montalcino. Two older vineyards are near Castelnuovo dell’Abate. In total we have 5 hectares/ 12 acres under vine, all Sangiovese.
Each vineyard is tended separately and picked, vinified and aged alone. The extraordinary variety of terroir and microclimate result in having three complimentary aspects of Montalcino represented in the final Brunello which is blended across the three vineyards.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.