Il Palazzone Brunello di Montalcino 2015
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James Suckling
Enticing combination of reserved freshness and bewitching ripeness here. Dried rose petals, stems, black tea, orange peel, steak tartare and tobacco simmer at the surface. The full-bodied palate has a complete but never overbearing feel, in that the tannins are fine-grained and precise, tracing an elegant positioning of subtle berries and cherries. Suave and polished.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Il Palazzone's 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a steady bouquet that is equally represented by dried fruit aromas, medicinal herb and crushed stone or dark mineral. The wine imparts a lean to medium-weight texture, and there is a point of bitterness that recalls sour cherry or crispy plum. That sourness is for now reinforced by the wine's young tannins, and that general rawness should subside as it continues its evolution in the bottle. Some 10,866 bottles were filled (not counting 250 magnums), and the wine was released in January 2020.
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Wine Enthusiast
Scents of woodland berry, eucalyptus oil, star anise and rose petal come together in the glass along with whiffs of new leather. The linear palate shows youthful tension that underscores red cherry, pomegranate, graphite and black tea. Taut refined tannins and fresh acidity provide support. Drink 2022–2027.
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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.