2015 Belpoggio Brunello di Montalcino

It was Casanova who first said, “[This Brunello] kindled in my heart the sparks of a feeling which later became my ruling passion.” And my ruling passion is the silky-smooth, chocolaty, richly cherry taste of Brunello.

And really, if the World’s Greatest Lover adores Brunello, shouldn’t you, too?

Brunello is one of Italy’s most prestigious and rarest red wines. It is a type of wine – not a grape, nor a location. Up in the hills of Montalcino, cognoscenti Ferruccio Bondi-Santi first identified the grape Sangiovese Grosso, the “little dark one,” and vinified it. The result was a wine of such authoritative fidelity that the world took notice. He named this treasure Brunello.

The Belpoggio Estate follows up on this romantic tradition – a relative newcomer to the region (founded in 2005) the estate sits right below the famed Abbey of St. Antimo in the heart of Montalcino. Their vineyards have a perfect southwest exposure, maximizing the potential of the Sangiovese grape and indeed, producing blockbuster Brunello:

Elegant and well balanced, Belpoggio’s powerful 2015 Brunello has all the hallmark traits of Brunello that you are going to love: expansive chocolate richness is embellished with dulcet, ripe black and red fruits cascading to a rich palate, revealing smooth notes of mocha and cacao bean succulence. The finish is long and dynamic – rising on a symphony of integrated and supple tannins, finishing with a lingering nose of roses and brown sugar spice.

Lovingly decant this two hours early for optimal fruit expression and serve it up with the grilled Tuscan ribeye for which we all yearn … and that’s the perfect night-at-home for two.

Or as the OG of love Casanova would put it, “Those who believe that [Brunello] is incapable of making a man (or woman) happy all 24 hours of the day have never known Belpoggio.”

Critical Acclaim:

“97 points.

“Crystalline ideas developed by the Martellozzo family, confirmed by the highest quality of their wine releases, as usual. An excellent characterfor the year 2015: intensity on the nose, a great spiciness along with anextraordinary roundness in the mouth. Fragrance of tannins and a juicy taste ending with a convincing persistence.” – Luca Gardini, The Wine Notes

Vintage Report from James Suckling:

“The 2015 vintage is a historical year for Brunello and nobody should miss it. The wines show impressive precision of vivid fruit, fine tannins, and freshness in acidity despite their ripeness and richness which makes them some of the most exciting in years. The growing season in 2015 was impressive. The winter and spring had plenty of rain to make up for the intense sun and heat during the summer. There was some rain in September before the harvest to freshen the vineyards. And as noted before, good vineyard management compensated for the hot weather during the growing season, and sorting out dried grapes at harvest was extremely important for making exceptional wines.”