Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006

This Riserva of Brunello is made only in the best vintages from Barbi's oldest vineyards in Montalcino.

The ageing in barrel and in bottle is longer then the one for the normal Brunello, thus the wine has a deeper concentration and a wider complexity of aromas. The vineyards are planted at an altitude of between 350 and 500m a.s.l. with an exposure to the South East. The vines are planted in a gravely soil with small amounts of clay and alluvial deposits. The harvest took place by hand during the last weekend in September and the first week in October. Ageing is for four years in large Slovenian oak casks and matured in bottle for a further year before release.

By eRobertparker.com, 93+ Points

The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva bursts from the glass with dark red fruit, flowers, mint and licorice. The 2006 is a powerful, intense Riserva, yet at the same time there is more than enough depth in the vibrant dark fruit to provide balance. This intense, rich, structured Brunello is built for cellar. It should be forgotten until at least age ten, and even that may prove to be a conservative estimate of the wine’s early approachability. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. 

Vinification

Before the fermentation the grapes were subjected to a cold pre-fermentative maceration which consists in cooling the grapes at a temperature of 16° C in an environment protected by CO². This process increases the extraction of polyphenols and aroma compounds. The regular alcoholic fermentation followed and lasted 16/17 days at a controlled temperature of 27°- 28°C. After the racking and the malolactic fermentation the wine aged in small-medium size oak barrels (2,25 – 15 hl) for the first months Later it completed the aging in larger oak barrels, for a total period of three years. Our Brunello Riserva is bottled at least 6 months before the release.

Capacity of ageing

20/25 years. Keep the bottles horizontally in a dark place at a temperature