95+ Pt (LG) Col d'Orcia Brunello

CALLING ALL BRUNELLO LOVERS!

“For the past few months, I have been going on about how amazing the 2018 vintage was in Montalcino, asserting that it was among the finest in years. With pricing and our allocations established, we have begun our official 2018 Brunello campaign and are ramping up for an epic vintage!

In Tuscany last summer I spoke with many producers who concurred that this is a more classic vintage, elegant and structured. The 2018 Brunello vintage has some of the world’s greatest values for long-lived, age-worthy wines. It is nearly impossible to find wines of this caliber from other highly sought-after wine regions at these prices.

Today we are rolling out our sixth 2018 Brunello offer, one of the highlights of the vintage, the 95+ point 2018 Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino. This is an opportunity to purchase one of Italy’s legendary wines, from the largest organic farm in Tuscany. It offers everything I love about Brunello (and it goes without saying that I love Brunello). This is a stunning wine and one of the great values of Montalcino, priced at only $48.99, the lowest price in the country! Also, for those of you who do not want to wait five+ years to start enjoying your Brunello, Col d’Orcia is drinking wonderfully now and will only improve over the next decade.” – Lance Montalto, The Wine House

Kerin O'Keefe on Brunello 2018 Classic, Cool Climate Wines:

“For Brunello fans who love fragrant wines with energy, elegance and balance, you are going to love the soon-to-be-released 2018s. I haven’t been this excited by a recent vintage since the classic 2013s were released five years ago. And the best part is that thanks to improvements in vineyard management and cellar practices, many of the 2018s are already approachable but the best also promise years of pleasure and evolution.

Unlike the many dry, scalding vintages of the 21st century – think 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2021 and 2022 – 2018 was cooler and wetter. In other words, a blast from the past in terms of weather in the denomination. As Susanna Padelletti, who owns the historic family firm of the same name along with her son and daughter puts it, '2018 was the last year Montalcino had a continental climate.' Made from vineyards located in the northern part of the denomination, Padelletti’s 2018 is outstanding.” – Kerin O’Keefe

Please join us on Thursday, June 8, for the Giro d’Italian Wine: Alto Adige-Veneto-Tuscany-Puglia in-store tasting. This 'tour' will begin in Alto Adige with the wines of Terlano, then move on to the Veneto region with the Amarones of Massimago, then to Tuscany for some iconic Brunellos of Silvio Nardi, and to the final destination of Puglia, with one of the region's hottest estates, Masseria Cuturi. Taste 25 wines for just $50.

The Wine House will close at 4:00 PM on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29.

95+ Points: “Another essential firm of Montalcino territory, in this Brunello of flawless balance. Hints of red cherries to the nose, nutmeg and eucalyptus. Savoury tannins to the palate, taut and crisp, juicy and of long persistence.” – Luca Gardini (October 2022)

94 Points: “This promising Brunello is hallmarked by pretty cherry, strawberry, currant and floral aromas and flavors. Starts out elegant and lacy, then the dense matrix of tannins emerges, giving different character to the long finish. Reveals wild herb and mineral notes that add depth.” – Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator (May 2023)

93 Points: “Santiago Marone Cinzano explains that in 2018, délestage played a key role, especially over extended periods of 8-12 hours, allowing delicate skins to macerate with a reduced amount of juice in order to coax out sufficient concentration. Beautifully weighted, it's full yet agile with enough stuffing to carry it over the next decade. Above all, it underscores the freshness of the vintage: fragrances reveal themselves slowly but are very much in the floral spectrum, with cherry and thyme blossoms lifted by traces of pepper. Crunchy red plum and succulent cherry flavours take over on palate, where youthful grippy tannins need some time to yield.” – Michaela Morris, Decanter (November 2022)

93 Points: “Masses of crushed cherries and cloves give way to nuances of spiced citrus peels and cedar as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino comes to life in the glass. This is round and pliant on the palate, with a balanced inner sweetness contrasting its mineral-tinged acids and tart wild berry fruits. Grippy tannins mount toward the close, yet fail to slow the 2018’s momentum, as notes of salted licorice are left to resonate under an air of dried roses. This is a deep and characterful rendition of Col d'Orcia’s Brunello, but patience will be required to unlock all of its charms.” – Eric Guido, Vinous (October 2022)

93 Points: “A certified organic wine, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino has dark fruit, bold cherry, earthy notes and a hint of black olive or scorched earth. The wine is generous and round in terms of mouthfeel with a streamlined mid-palate and plenty of Sangiovese acidity to keep things lively and fresh. The tannins are well managed and silky. Drink Date 2024 - 2038” – Monica Larner, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (March 2023)

FROM THE WINERY

Tasting note:
Colour: Ruby red with violet hues.
Bouquet: Intense, broad and complex, with hints of red fruits such as cherry and blackberry combined with vanilla and woody notes from the oak.
Taste: Full-bodied wine, excellent structure, strong and balanced. The tannins are soft and ripe and lead to a long, endless and fruity aftertaste.
Alcohol content: 14,5% vol.
Total acidity: 5.5 g/l
Serving Temperature: 18 °C

Production area:
Montalcino – Siena – the hill overlooking the Orcia River, facing South-South/West and exposed to sunrays all day long. Average height 300 m. above sea level.

Weather conditions:
Winter rains in the seasonal average with some snowfalls that helped compensate the water shortage in the soil. The beginning of the spring was mild with occasional rains. June and July were hot. Light and intermittent rains during the first three weeks of August with average temperatures of 25°C. During the first week of September the temperatures raised 30°C. with some rainy days. The harvest started around mid September.

Grapes:
Particular clones of Sangiovese, selected by Col d’Orcia. Manual harvest with rigorous selection of the best bunches in the vineyard at first and subsequently on a selection table in the cellar. Vintage 2016 yield: 65 q/ha, against the maximum yield allowed by the Protocol Regulation: 80 q/ha.

Vinification:
Fermentation on the skins for about 18-20 days, at controlled temperature below 28° C. in 150 hl wide and shallow stainless steel tanks, designed and built in order to extract tannins and colour efficiently but delicately.

Ageing:
4 years, 3 of which in 25-50 and 75 hl oak casks from Slavonia and Allier followed by at least 12 months of refinement in bottles placed in storage at controlled temperature.