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2015 Fattoria Dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino

Removed from a temperature and humidity controlled wine storage unit; Purchased upon release

Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

96James Suckling

Ripe plum and cherry aromas with dried flowers and spices. Some lavender and cedar, too. Full bodied...

94The Wine Advocate

...extremely polished and precise expression that hits all the right buttons...with brilliant garnet reflections. The bouquet is tempered and shy at first, but it opens quickly to reveal those characteristic aromas of wild berry, candied cherry, licorice and pressed blue flowers that are so beautifully tied to this mighty Tuscan grape.

93+ Vinous / IWC

... Wild aromas of red and darker berries, flint and violet. Juicy, herbal and firm, with precise red berry and mineral flavors. Closes bright and long, with mounting tannic bite.

92Wine Spectator

Plum, cherry, iron, earth and salty notes mark this vibrant red. Lean and sinewy, with firm, dusty tannins plying the finish. This comes together well overall, delivering a solid core of ripe fruit.

91Wine Enthusiast

Menthol, blue-flower and tilled soil aromas emerge from the glass along with a whiff of dried tobacco leaf. The full-bodied palate offers dried cherry, vanilla and clove before finishing on a note of powdered sage. Close-grained tannins grip the close.

15Jancis Robinson

... Concentrated, ripe... Cherry fruit palate... Sweet and concentrated palate with a slightly bitter finish.

PRODUCER

Fattoria Dei Barbi

Fattoria dei Barbi is a 750-acre estate in Montalcino and Scansano. The 250 acres of vineyards produce about 800,000 bottles of wine annually. The estate has been owned by the Colombini family, who have been statesmen, businessmen, politicians and academics over the centuries. Though the estate makes olive oil and other agricultural products, it is best known for its Brunello. Gambero Rosso has noted that “Fattoria dei Barbi is an almost obligatory stop for anyone interested in knowing more about Brunello and its heritage.”

REGION

Italy, Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino is regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino is entirely Sangiovese. Montalcino itself is a picturesque, hill-top town not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine. Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.