The wine of the month
Col d'Orcia, Brunello di Montalcino, 2016
3,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP
February 2022: Col d'Orcia, Brunello di Montalcino, 2016 (27 EUR/31 USD in Sweden), red dry wine, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 3,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP (85 points of 100 points) (13-02-2022 by Nenad Jelisic)
Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino 2016 is a really good wine that comes from the appellation Brunello di Montalcino and that really wins on a two hour long aerating (decanting). It is austere and nuanced, has a very good tannin structure, wonderful aroma richness and a very long, dry and spicy aftertaste. Aroma: tobacco, black tea, cocoa, vanilla, dried herbs, cinnamon and dried dark cherries. Flavour: dark chocolate, tobacco, sweet spices, currants and dried dark cherries. If you want a wine that will develop for at least 7 years in your wine cellar or in your wine cooler, here you have it. Within a few years, it will reach 4,0 NJP, or even 4,5 NJP. Because it has everything that a wine needs to reach such heights.
A wine like this requires calorie rich and tasty food like Beef Wellington with mashed potatoes and red wine sauce, grilled entrecote or pork chops or lamb chops with a creamy potato gratin and red wine sauce or pasta Carbonara with fresh tagliatelle or with kebab roll (only with meat, and mild 50% and strong 50% sauce). It should be served at 18 to 19°C in Bordeaux glass, if possible, from Orrefors, Kosta Boda, Spiegelau or Riedel. Another option is to serve it at 16°C (when room temperature is above 20°C or outdoor temperature is above 23°C) and then enjoy it as it begins to open/grow in the glass.
Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino 2016 is made of 100% Sangiovese (in Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese is called Sangiovese Grosso or Brunello). The vineyards stretch over 100 hectares at about 450 meters above sea level. The soil on which the grapes for this wine grow consists of mica schist (galestro), sandy clayey limestone (alberese), gravel and sandy clay. The grapes for the wine are harvested by hand. After very careful selection in both vineyards and winery, destemming and crushing, the grape mass, which consists of crushed grapes and grape juice, is macerated/fermented under a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks. Then the grape mass is gently pressed, and the wine is moved to large Croatian (Slavonian) oak barrels and French oak barrels. The size of the barrels and the time of aging vary depending on the properties of the wines (fruitiness, acidity and tannin structure). For some wines, the aging can take so long time as 4 years. Finally, the wine is bottled and then aged under a controlled temperature for at least 1 year before it is released in the market.
