2006 Brunello di Montalcino
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Tasting notes
Cerbaiona's 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the benchmark wines of the appellation. It is especially indicative of the traditional style of Sangiovese that has captured so many hearts, minds and palates in recent years. The wine is aged for 40 long months in large oak casks. The bouquet is light as a feather with lingering nuances of wild berry, chopped mint, dried oregano and licorice. These aromas are enormously fine tuned and detailed. Sadly, they lift too fast. Despite the inherent beauty of the wine, this classic Brunello shifts gears very quickly and shows a sudden evolution with prolonged contact with oxygen. With a few swirls of the glass, the wine saw a very rapid decline with heavier notes of dried leaf and caramel soda that cloud the purity and intensity of the bouquet. I don't believe that this wine will hold for much longer. In fact, I have had the misfortune of tasting a good number of older Brunellos from Cerbaiona that did not age as long as I had hoped.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The 2006 Cerbaiona Brunello di Montalicino was the most impressive wine of the day. It was fabulous when it was first opened, and it stayed that way over the course of several hours. Layer after layer of flavor blossomed in a Brunello of true pedigree and class. The 2006 remains one of the greatest wines ever made by Diego and Nora Molinari. I only wish I owned more of it. In a word: stunning.
Bright medium red. Explosive aromas of crushed red cherry, raspberry, exotic flowers, minerals and incense. Like liquid silk in the mouth, with penetrating floral perfume and lift thanks to strong acidity. Wonderfully floral, gripping sangiovese with intense sour cherry and raspberry fruit carrying through to the juicy, extremely long finish. Reminiscent of a top Chambolle-Musigny, and built to reward aging.
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino literally explodes onto the palate with masses of dark cherries, plums, wild herbs, menthol and spices. Hard candy and gorgeous inner perfume emerge from a sweet, ripe and totally expressive core. The finish is elegant, decisive and eternal. At times the Cerbaiona 2006 has been surprisingly dark and weighty while other tastings have shown the more finessed side of the wine. Either way, it is a Brunello to buy and bury in the deepest corner of the cellar. It is a mythical, legendary wine in the making. The Brunello spent 40 months in cask.
About the producer
A cult address for many Italian fine wine lovers, Cerbaiona is one of Montalcino’s top estates. The site has long been identified as special, but it was Diego Molinari who established its reputation. Today, Matthew Fioretti is at the helm, bringing the estate into the modern era.