Brunello di Montalcino
Wine from Montalcino was only appreciated and understood by locals as recently as the 70's, even though its warm dry climate has much in common with its famous Tuscan cousin, Chianti. However pioneering work from Clemente Santi with various clones of Sangiovese led to what was labelled Brunello di Montalcino. Changes in strict laws have allowed this region to react better to modern trends, reducing mandatory oak ageing from 4 to 2 years. As with Chianti small amount of foreign grapes can now be including within blends.
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Brunello di Montalcino
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(6x75cl) 2015Inc. VAT£222.29 -
Vinous (92)
The 1995 Brunello di Montalcino emerges from the glass with hints of smoke, scorched earth, licorice and tobacco. Here, too, the aromas are more forward than the fruit, which remains big, powerful and virile. The tannins are quite firm, and the wine remains young, even after all these years. A huge, intense finish rounds things out. Today the 1995 comes across as a bit awkward. It should be a little more composed in another 2-3 years.Inc. VAT£877.92 -
Wine Advocate (89)
The estate’s 2001 Brunello di Montalcino is a full-bodied, supple effort offering ripe dark fruit, earthiness and toasted oak with excellent length, if not much overall complexity. This attractive Brunello will benefit from another year or two of bottle age and should drink well to at least age fifteen. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016.Inc. VAT£577.92 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The Col d'Orcia 2004 Brunello di Montalcino opens to an explosive bouquet of wildflower, heritage rose and dark fruit. However, that intensity does settle 10 to 15 minutes after being poured. The wine is very flirty and showy on first impression, and it grows more timid with time. Like the 2023 vintage, this was a difficult year that required more passages in the vineyard for canopy and fruit management. The wine offers immediate freshness and polymerized tannins. In terms of its analytical parameters, you could be mistaken for thinking it is younger than its real age.Inc. VAT£853.55 -
Wine Advocate (95)
The Col d'Orcia 2006 Brunello di Montalcino has a seamless, almost glossy quality where black cherry is intermingled with dried herb and spice. There is a little more structure to this wine, and you feel some chalkiness in terms of its tannins. This wine is incredibly expressive right now and ready to drink.Inc. VAT£969.58 -
Vinous (94)
Sweet rich, lush and layered, yet also remarkably light on its feet, the 2008 Brunello di Montalcino dazzles from start to finish. Sweet roses, red berries, flowers, mint and orange peel all take an appearance in this utterly impeccable polished Brunello I imagine the 2008 will still be a special wine at age 30. The aromas are naturally still quite primary, so some cellaring is advisable. The brutal August hailstorm took with it a full 40% of the production, but left behind a strikingly beautiful Brunello endowed with seemingly endless layers of fruit and fabulous overall balance.Inc. VAT£442.78 -
Wine Advocate (96)
Col d'Orcia has an impressive library of old vintages. It was an honor for me to travel back in time thanks to this vertical tasting organized by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano and his son Santiago. The Col d'Orcia 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is drinking beautifully right now. Indeed, these wines tend to be less expressive upon their commercial release, so you need to give them their due time. This vintage is resolved and structured. It wraps smoothly over the palate with dark fruit tones, spice and dried violet. The winemaking team has been shortening maceration times over the years to obtain softer tannins. They are implementing softer extraction methods and more delicate cap management. In the bottle for 10 years, this wine shows superb complexity with spicy tobacco and dried fruit.Inc. VAT£533.98 -
Vinous (89)
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is remarkably pretty, with an attractive mix of bright cherry and strawberry complemented by a dusting of sweet cinnamon spice. This splashes across the palate, propelled and lifted by juicy acidity, as tart red berries add tension, and a salty flourish of minerality evolves toward the close. If there is one thing I can hold against the 2012, it’s the modestly clipped finale, where licorice tones and the slightest hint of heat linger on. That said, when paired with the right meal, this spunky and mature Brunello will have a lot of fans.Inc. VAT£585.20 -
Inc. VAT£443.98 -
Vinous (94)
At first, the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is quite closed in the glass, to the point I move on to the wine next to it… However, upon returning to the glass a few minutes later, I come to realize that the 2015 simply needs time to come to life; and once it does, watch out. Here I find a gorgeous and intense display, mixing savory and sweet, as well as, earth and fruit, as dusty cedar and spice give way to ripe strawberry with a hint of citrus, with wild herbs and a hint of animal musk adding further depths. On the palate, silky textures meld into woodland red berry fruits, zesty spice, hints of cedar, savory herbs, saline minerals, and mounting tannins. The finish is long and structured, yet there remains enough primary fruit to balance it all out, as well as resonating acids, intriguing hints of citrus, and spice. This is remarkably balanced, singing already, yet it’s full of potential for the cellar.Inc. VAT£394.40 -
Vinous (95)
Dusty earth gives way to dried roses, incense, hints of cedar, sage, currants and black cherries in a display that makes the 2016 Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino a very special experience. It’s nuanced and perfumed from start to finish, boasting silky textures contrasted by tart berries and minerals, but with sweet tannins that frame the expression perfectly. Its inner sweetness is balanced by bright acids, creating an almost-juicy sensation, right up until the moment you realize that your palate is aching with youthful tension. There’s so much going on and much more to come, making me wonder what the Poggio al Vento might offer in the 2016 vintage. For now, that doesn’t even matter, because the 2015 Col d'Orcia impresses on nearly every level.Inc. VAT£381.58 -
Vinous (92)
The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino wafts up with a dusty display of cherry, wild berries, crushed stone and savory herbs. This is silky and elegant in feel, offering balanced acidity matched by masses of tart red and black berry fruits, along with firming tannins. It’s long, rich and dark with haunting inner florals, but also a surprisingly classic structure. Despite a 30% loss of production in 2017, Col d"Orcia made a balanced and highly enjoyable Brunello.Inc. VAT£308.38 -
(1x150cl) 2019Inc. VAT£200.64 -
(6x75cl) 2019Inc. VAT£372.84 -
Vinous (94)
Deep red. Complex nose combines extremely fragrant aromas of redcurrant, red cherry, spices, and flowers. Supple and very pure, with good lift and definition to its flavors of redcurrant, tobacco, flint and herbs. Finishes with serious but noble tannins and good lift, spreading out nicely on the back, with a repeating lingering and very perfumed note of violet. An outstanding Brunello; perhaps the best Nastagio to date.Inc. VAT£475.18 -
Vinous (94)
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Nastagio is youthfully coy, requiring time to release its dark fruits and savory exotic spices. This is velvety in feel yet not weighty at all, with ripe black fruits contrasting nervous acidity as autumnal spices come forward toward the close. Hints of vanilla, tobacco and sweet herbs linger through the long, structured finale. The 2016 finds a wonderful balance of fruit, structure and acidity, and it should be glorious in another five to ten years’ time.Inc. VAT£358.40 -
Inc. VAT£160.67 -
Inc. VAT£485.60 -
Vinous (97)
(5.8 g/l total acidity, 3.44 pH, 26.9 g/l dry extract, 14% alcohol): Bright amber-red. Despite the rather evolved color, the nose is brooding and still closed, revealing captivating aromas of red cherry, raspberry, minerals, and brown spices with aeration. Big, broad, ripe and sweet on the palate, boasting a lovely lush texture and impressive fullness to its red cherry, peach, vanilla, cinnamon and mineral flavors. The very long finish features broad, polished, building tannins and noteworthy sweetness. Aged for 63 months in large oak casks, this is a very great wine.Inc. VAT£822.41 -
Vinous (94+)
Moderately saturated bright red-ruby. Raspberry, rose oil, sour red cherry, and Asian spices on the nose, with a note of cola gaining strength with air. Refined and concentrated at the same time, with sweet red berry, herbal and mineral flavors becoming fuller with air. Finishes with impressive energy and lingering red fruit and floral qualities that are nicely buffered by fine-grained tannins. Much less powerful but then again also more graceful than the 2010 Poggio al Vento. I also noticed this picks up considerable volume with air, so my suggestion is to decant an hour or two ahead, should you decide to pop a cork early. Lay this away.Inc. VAT£710.38 -
Vinous (96)
(6 g/l total acidity, 3.35 pH, 27.5 g/l dry extract, 14.5% alcohol): Good bright medium red with an amber rim. Deep, refined aromas of red cherry, strawberry jam, licorice and wet underbrush. Supple, suave, creamy and rich, with a suggestion of white chocolate complementing ripe red fruit flavors. Very soft and silky, but also shows well-integrated acidity and very polished tannins. Most impressive today on the long, scented back end, which exudes a delicate but very persistent flavor of candied small red fruits. Aged for 65 months in large oak casks. This wine was made from a very low yield, and a growing season marked by two deep freezes in spring and a very hot September and October. In fact, the 1985 vintage is one of the few hot years in Montalcino that gave truly memorable wines--unlike, for example, 1997 and 2003.Inc. VAT£782.89 -
Vinous (96)
(6 g/l total acidity, 3.35 pH, 27.5 g/l dry extract, 14.5% alcohol): Good bright medium red with an amber rim. Deep, refined aromas of red cherry, strawberry jam, licorice and wet underbrush. Supple, suave, creamy and rich, with a suggestion of white chocolate complementing ripe red fruit flavors. Very soft and silky, but also shows well-integrated acidity and very polished tannins. Most impressive today on the long, scented back end, which exudes a delicate but very persistent flavor of candied small red fruits. Aged for 65 months in large oak casks. This wine was made from a very low yield, and a growing season marked by two deep freezes in spring and a very hot September and October. In fact, the 1985 vintage is one of the few hot years in Montalcino that gave truly memorable wines--unlike, for example, 1997 and 2003.Inc. VAT£2,424.80 -
Vinous (97)
(5.8 g/l total acidity, 3.44 pH, 26.9 g/l dry extract, 14% alcohol): Bright amber-red. Despite the rather evolved color, the nose is brooding and still closed, revealing captivating aromas of red cherry, raspberry, minerals, and brown spices with aeration. Big, broad, ripe and sweet on the palate, boasting a lovely lush texture and impressive fullness to its red cherry, peach, vanilla, cinnamon and mineral flavors. The very long finish features broad, polished, building tannins and noteworthy sweetness. Aged for 63 months in large oak casks, this is a very great wine.Inc. VAT£2,424.80 -
Vinous (96)
The 1995 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Vento Riserva is distinctly savory with a beguiling green tinge. It mixes stone dust, sage, autumnal spices and dried strawberries. The wine is pure and feminine with silky textures and medium-bodied weight. Ripe red berries and crisp mineral tones swirl across a wave of cooling acidity. It displays amazing grace and refinement, coming across as far more youthful than anticipated while leaving a web of fine-grained tannins to resonate. This is a spectacular showing and there is no fear of decline in the near future.Inc. VAT£1,530.80 -
(1x75cl) 2001Vinous (95)
Pulling yourself away from a glass of 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Al Vento Riserva is an exercise in futility. It wafts up with a heady bouquet of dried cherries and clove complemented by brown spices, worn leather, tobacco and the slightest hint of mocha. There are silken depths here, ushering in intense, tart red currants, motivated by stimulating acidity, as saline-minerals and a burst of sour citrus provides lovely contrasts. It leaves a potent and persistent staining of primary fruit and sweet tannins, all under rosy inner florals and earth tones. Judged by the bright ruby color alone, you’d never guess this was a twenty-year-old wine, yet what you find within tempts the imagination even more. The 2001 Riserva has many years of evolution in store.Inc. VAT£204.25 -
Vinous (95)
Pulling yourself away from a glass of 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Al Vento Riserva is an exercise in futility. It wafts up with a heady bouquet of dried cherries and clove complemented by brown spices, worn leather, tobacco and the slightest hint of mocha. There are silken depths here, ushering in intense, tart red currants, motivated by stimulating acidity, as saline-minerals and a burst of sour citrus provides lovely contrasts. It leaves a potent and persistent staining of primary fruit and sweet tannins, all under rosy inner florals and earth tones. Judged by the bright ruby color alone, you’d never guess this was a twenty-year-old wine, yet what you find within tempts the imagination even more. The 2001 Riserva has many years of evolution in store.Inc. VAT£1,040.75 -
Vinous (95+)
Col d'Orcia's 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento is beautifully perfumed, finessed and nuanced, with plenty of bright red-fleshed fruit flavors. Hints of cedar, smoke, licorice and tobacco develop in the glass, but the 2004 remains quite primary and dense, with little in the way of development relative to so many other wines of the vintage. The 2004 can be enjoyed today with some aeration, but its best drinking almost certainly lies in the future. Richer, dark red cherry compote and plum notes start to open up in the glass, hinting at what is to come.Inc. VAT£545.29 -
Vinous (96)
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Vento Riserva starts to show tertiary nuances as dusty soil tones, dried roses and cedar complicate crushed wildberries and a lifting hint of rosemary evolves in the glass. It offers total pleasure on the palate, silken and round with fresh acidity for balance and a pure display of strawberry and cherry. The finish shows excellent length and framing tannins, perfectly balanced as a balsamic twang and the slightest tinge of soy fade. The 2006 is ready to go, yet balanced for many more years of cellaring.Inc. VAT£947.60 -
Vinous (95+)
The estate's 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento is striking. Freshly cut roses, sweet spices and red cherries wrap around the palate in a sensual wine endowed with superb depth and pedigree. This is one of the more feminine, gracious wines of the year. It will be interesting to see where the 2007 Poggio al Vento goes over the coming decades. Today, it is all about texture. The combination of dazzling fruit supported by plenty of structure makes me think this is one of the few 2007 Riservas that is built for the long haul.Inc. VAT£854.38 -
Wine Advocate (97)
Released seven years after the harvest, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento is a stunning wine. It soars to the highest altitudes in terms of elegance and power. These opposite forces—muscle versus grace—are what distinguish this classic vintage. Col d'Orcia has effortlessly captured and immortalized both sides of the continuum. The bouquet produces a long succession of aromas including dried cherry fruit, licorice, cola, lavender flower, cured meat and black truffle. The velvety finish is supple and long in persistence. This is a gorgeous creation.Inc. VAT£818.00
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(6x75cl) 2015In Bond£166.00
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Vinous (92)
The 1995 Brunello di Montalcino emerges from the glass with hints of smoke, scorched earth, licorice and tobacco. Here, too, the aromas are more forward than the fruit, which remains big, powerful and virile. The tannins are quite firm, and the wine remains young, even after all these years. A huge, intense finish rounds things out. Today the 1995 comes across as a bit awkward. It should be a little more composed in another 2-3 years.In Bond£713.00 -
Wine Advocate (89)
The estate’s 2001 Brunello di Montalcino is a full-bodied, supple effort offering ripe dark fruit, earthiness and toasted oak with excellent length, if not much overall complexity. This attractive Brunello will benefit from another year or two of bottle age and should drink well to at least age fifteen. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016.In Bond£463.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The Col d'Orcia 2004 Brunello di Montalcino opens to an explosive bouquet of wildflower, heritage rose and dark fruit. However, that intensity does settle 10 to 15 minutes after being poured. The wine is very flirty and showy on first impression, and it grows more timid with time. Like the 2023 vintage, this was a difficult year that required more passages in the vineyard for canopy and fruit management. The wine offers immediate freshness and polymerized tannins. In terms of its analytical parameters, you could be mistaken for thinking it is younger than its real age.In Bond£692.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
The Col d'Orcia 2006 Brunello di Montalcino has a seamless, almost glossy quality where black cherry is intermingled with dried herb and spice. There is a little more structure to this wine, and you feel some chalkiness in terms of its tannins. This wine is incredibly expressive right now and ready to drink.In Bond£788.00 -
Vinous (94)
Sweet rich, lush and layered, yet also remarkably light on its feet, the 2008 Brunello di Montalcino dazzles from start to finish. Sweet roses, red berries, flowers, mint and orange peel all take an appearance in this utterly impeccable polished Brunello I imagine the 2008 will still be a special wine at age 30. The aromas are naturally still quite primary, so some cellaring is advisable. The brutal August hailstorm took with it a full 40% of the production, but left behind a strikingly beautiful Brunello endowed with seemingly endless layers of fruit and fabulous overall balance.In Bond£349.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
Col d'Orcia has an impressive library of old vintages. It was an honor for me to travel back in time thanks to this vertical tasting organized by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano and his son Santiago. The Col d'Orcia 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is drinking beautifully right now. Indeed, these wines tend to be less expressive upon their commercial release, so you need to give them their due time. This vintage is resolved and structured. It wraps smoothly over the palate with dark fruit tones, spice and dried violet. The winemaking team has been shortening maceration times over the years to obtain softer tannins. They are implementing softer extraction methods and more delicate cap management. In the bottle for 10 years, this wine shows superb complexity with spicy tobacco and dried fruit.In Bond£425.00 -
Vinous (89)
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is remarkably pretty, with an attractive mix of bright cherry and strawberry complemented by a dusting of sweet cinnamon spice. This splashes across the palate, propelled and lifted by juicy acidity, as tart red berries add tension, and a salty flourish of minerality evolves toward the close. If there is one thing I can hold against the 2012, it’s the modestly clipped finale, where licorice tones and the slightest hint of heat linger on. That said, when paired with the right meal, this spunky and mature Brunello will have a lot of fans.In Bond£467.00 -
In Bond£350.00
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Vinous (94)
At first, the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is quite closed in the glass, to the point I move on to the wine next to it… However, upon returning to the glass a few minutes later, I come to realize that the 2015 simply needs time to come to life; and once it does, watch out. Here I find a gorgeous and intense display, mixing savory and sweet, as well as, earth and fruit, as dusty cedar and spice give way to ripe strawberry with a hint of citrus, with wild herbs and a hint of animal musk adding further depths. On the palate, silky textures meld into woodland red berry fruits, zesty spice, hints of cedar, savory herbs, saline minerals, and mounting tannins. The finish is long and structured, yet there remains enough primary fruit to balance it all out, as well as resonating acids, intriguing hints of citrus, and spice. This is remarkably balanced, singing already, yet it’s full of potential for the cellar.In Bond£308.00 -
Vinous (95)
Dusty earth gives way to dried roses, incense, hints of cedar, sage, currants and black cherries in a display that makes the 2016 Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino a very special experience. It’s nuanced and perfumed from start to finish, boasting silky textures contrasted by tart berries and minerals, but with sweet tannins that frame the expression perfectly. Its inner sweetness is balanced by bright acids, creating an almost-juicy sensation, right up until the moment you realize that your palate is aching with youthful tension. There’s so much going on and much more to come, making me wonder what the Poggio al Vento might offer in the 2016 vintage. For now, that doesn’t even matter, because the 2015 Col d'Orcia impresses on nearly every level.In Bond£298.00 -
Vinous (92)
The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino wafts up with a dusty display of cherry, wild berries, crushed stone and savory herbs. This is silky and elegant in feel, offering balanced acidity matched by masses of tart red and black berry fruits, along with firming tannins. It’s long, rich and dark with haunting inner florals, but also a surprisingly classic structure. Despite a 30% loss of production in 2017, Col d"Orcia made a balanced and highly enjoyable Brunello.In Bond£237.00 -
(1x150cl) 2019In Bond£161.86
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(6x75cl) 2019In Bond£290.72
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Vinous (94)
Deep red. Complex nose combines extremely fragrant aromas of redcurrant, red cherry, spices, and flowers. Supple and very pure, with good lift and definition to its flavors of redcurrant, tobacco, flint and herbs. Finishes with serious but noble tannins and good lift, spreading out nicely on the back, with a repeating lingering and very perfumed note of violet. An outstanding Brunello; perhaps the best Nastagio to date.In Bond£376.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Nastagio is youthfully coy, requiring time to release its dark fruits and savory exotic spices. This is velvety in feel yet not weighty at all, with ripe black fruits contrasting nervous acidity as autumnal spices come forward toward the close. Hints of vanilla, tobacco and sweet herbs linger through the long, structured finale. The 2016 finds a wonderful balance of fruit, structure and acidity, and it should be glorious in another five to ten years’ time.In Bond£278.00 -
In Bond£127.00
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In Bond£384.00
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Vinous (97)
(5.8 g/l total acidity, 3.44 pH, 26.9 g/l dry extract, 14% alcohol): Bright amber-red. Despite the rather evolved color, the nose is brooding and still closed, revealing captivating aromas of red cherry, raspberry, minerals, and brown spices with aeration. Big, broad, ripe and sweet on the palate, boasting a lovely lush texture and impressive fullness to its red cherry, peach, vanilla, cinnamon and mineral flavors. The very long finish features broad, polished, building tannins and noteworthy sweetness. Aged for 63 months in large oak casks, this is a very great wine.In Bond£680.00 -
Vinous (94+)
Moderately saturated bright red-ruby. Raspberry, rose oil, sour red cherry, and Asian spices on the nose, with a note of cola gaining strength with air. Refined and concentrated at the same time, with sweet red berry, herbal and mineral flavors becoming fuller with air. Finishes with impressive energy and lingering red fruit and floral qualities that are nicely buffered by fine-grained tannins. Much less powerful but then again also more graceful than the 2010 Poggio al Vento. I also noticed this picks up considerable volume with air, so my suggestion is to decant an hour or two ahead, should you decide to pop a cork early. Lay this away.In Bond£572.00 -
Vinous (96)
(6 g/l total acidity, 3.35 pH, 27.5 g/l dry extract, 14.5% alcohol): Good bright medium red with an amber rim. Deep, refined aromas of red cherry, strawberry jam, licorice and wet underbrush. Supple, suave, creamy and rich, with a suggestion of white chocolate complementing ripe red fruit flavors. Very soft and silky, but also shows well-integrated acidity and very polished tannins. Most impressive today on the long, scented back end, which exudes a delicate but very persistent flavor of candied small red fruits. Aged for 65 months in large oak casks. This wine was made from a very low yield, and a growing season marked by two deep freezes in spring and a very hot September and October. In fact, the 1985 vintage is one of the few hot years in Montalcino that gave truly memorable wines--unlike, for example, 1997 and 2003.In Bond£646.00 -
Vinous (96)
(6 g/l total acidity, 3.35 pH, 27.5 g/l dry extract, 14.5% alcohol): Good bright medium red with an amber rim. Deep, refined aromas of red cherry, strawberry jam, licorice and wet underbrush. Supple, suave, creamy and rich, with a suggestion of white chocolate complementing ripe red fruit flavors. Very soft and silky, but also shows well-integrated acidity and very polished tannins. Most impressive today on the long, scented back end, which exudes a delicate but very persistent flavor of candied small red fruits. Aged for 65 months in large oak casks. This wine was made from a very low yield, and a growing season marked by two deep freezes in spring and a very hot September and October. In fact, the 1985 vintage is one of the few hot years in Montalcino that gave truly memorable wines--unlike, for example, 1997 and 2003.In Bond£2,000.00 -
Vinous (97)
(5.8 g/l total acidity, 3.44 pH, 26.9 g/l dry extract, 14% alcohol): Bright amber-red. Despite the rather evolved color, the nose is brooding and still closed, revealing captivating aromas of red cherry, raspberry, minerals, and brown spices with aeration. Big, broad, ripe and sweet on the palate, boasting a lovely lush texture and impressive fullness to its red cherry, peach, vanilla, cinnamon and mineral flavors. The very long finish features broad, polished, building tannins and noteworthy sweetness. Aged for 63 months in large oak casks, this is a very great wine.In Bond£2,000.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 1995 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Vento Riserva is distinctly savory with a beguiling green tinge. It mixes stone dust, sage, autumnal spices and dried strawberries. The wine is pure and feminine with silky textures and medium-bodied weight. Ripe red berries and crisp mineral tones swirl across a wave of cooling acidity. It displays amazing grace and refinement, coming across as far more youthful than anticipated while leaving a web of fine-grained tannins to resonate. This is a spectacular showing and there is no fear of decline in the near future.In Bond£1,255.00 -
(1x75cl) 2001
Vinous (95)
Pulling yourself away from a glass of 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Al Vento Riserva is an exercise in futility. It wafts up with a heady bouquet of dried cherries and clove complemented by brown spices, worn leather, tobacco and the slightest hint of mocha. There are silken depths here, ushering in intense, tart red currants, motivated by stimulating acidity, as saline-minerals and a burst of sour citrus provides lovely contrasts. It leaves a potent and persistent staining of primary fruit and sweet tannins, all under rosy inner florals and earth tones. Judged by the bright ruby color alone, you’d never guess this was a twenty-year-old wine, yet what you find within tempts the imagination even more. The 2001 Riserva has many years of evolution in store.In Bond£167.00 -
Vinous (95)
Pulling yourself away from a glass of 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Al Vento Riserva is an exercise in futility. It wafts up with a heady bouquet of dried cherries and clove complemented by brown spices, worn leather, tobacco and the slightest hint of mocha. There are silken depths here, ushering in intense, tart red currants, motivated by stimulating acidity, as saline-minerals and a burst of sour citrus provides lovely contrasts. It leaves a potent and persistent staining of primary fruit and sweet tannins, all under rosy inner florals and earth tones. Judged by the bright ruby color alone, you’d never guess this was a twenty-year-old wine, yet what you find within tempts the imagination even more. The 2001 Riserva has many years of evolution in store.In Bond£848.00 -
Vinous (95+)
Col d'Orcia's 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento is beautifully perfumed, finessed and nuanced, with plenty of bright red-fleshed fruit flavors. Hints of cedar, smoke, licorice and tobacco develop in the glass, but the 2004 remains quite primary and dense, with little in the way of development relative to so many other wines of the vintage. The 2004 can be enjoyed today with some aeration, but its best drinking almost certainly lies in the future. Richer, dark red cherry compote and plum notes start to open up in the glass, hinting at what is to come.In Bond£448.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Vento Riserva starts to show tertiary nuances as dusty soil tones, dried roses and cedar complicate crushed wildberries and a lifting hint of rosemary evolves in the glass. It offers total pleasure on the palate, silken and round with fresh acidity for balance and a pure display of strawberry and cherry. The finish shows excellent length and framing tannins, perfectly balanced as a balsamic twang and the slightest tinge of soy fade. The 2006 is ready to go, yet balanced for many more years of cellaring.In Bond£769.00 -
Vinous (95+)
The estate's 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento is striking. Freshly cut roses, sweet spices and red cherries wrap around the palate in a sensual wine endowed with superb depth and pedigree. This is one of the more feminine, gracious wines of the year. It will be interesting to see where the 2007 Poggio al Vento goes over the coming decades. Today, it is all about texture. The combination of dazzling fruit supported by plenty of structure makes me think this is one of the few 2007 Riservas that is built for the long haul.In Bond£692.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
Released seven years after the harvest, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento is a stunning wine. It soars to the highest altitudes in terms of elegance and power. These opposite forces—muscle versus grace—are what distinguish this classic vintage. Col d'Orcia has effortlessly captured and immortalized both sides of the continuum. The bouquet produces a long succession of aromas including dried cherry fruit, licorice, cola, lavender flower, cured meat and black truffle. The velvety finish is supple and long in persistence. This is a gorgeous creation.In Bond£661.00
Wine from Montalcino was only appreciated and understood by locals as recently as the 70's, even though its warm dry climate has much in common with its famous Tuscan cousin, Chianti. However pioneering work from Clemente Santi with various clones of Sangiovese led to what was labelled Brunello di Montalcino. Changes in strict laws have allowed this region to react better to modern trends, reducing mandatory oak ageing from 4 to 2 years. As with Chianti small amount of foreign grapes can now be included within blends.
