Brunello di Montalcino “Ugolforte” Riserva DOCG 2019 (BIO) · 6 bottles in OWC

Tenuta San Giorgio | Tuscany
Collemassari S.p.A. s.a. | Via Di Porta Pinciana 6 | IT 00187 Roma

29642519 · 4,5 l · 106,22 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping2 units available

A debut is followed by confirmation. The second vintage of Ugolforte Riserva shows that 2018 was no fluke – and, at the same time, that every vintage speaks its own language. Whereas the 2018 was fresh and vertical, the 2019 is deeper, spicier and more full-bodied. A different character, the same origin. Castelnuovo dell’Abate, south-east of Montalcino, 250 to 400 metres. Views over the Val d’Orcia. The complex soils – clay, tuff, galestro, red soils – and the temperate Mediterranean climate, cooled by a constant breeze. Organically farmed since the estate’s first certified organic vintage. Hand-harvested with careful selection in the vineyard, fermentation in oak vats and concrete tanks with long maceration periods, followed by 30 months in 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels. The same philosophy: minimal intervention, maximum expression of the terroir.

The 2019 vintage produced wines of medium to full body, with alluring fruit and firm yet polished tannins. A crystal-clear tension on final – a vintage that requires more time. Intense garnet red. On the nose: bark, blueberry, meatiness, dried herbs – — complex and multi-layered. On the palate, enveloping and with a precise structure, featuring spices, leather and a long, clean finish. The ‘resistance fighter’ from Montalcino – in its mature form. SUPERIORE.DE

"The wine opens with notes of red forest fruits, leather and liquorice; a balanced texture, with noticeable acidity, great finesse and well-integrated, fine-grained tannins; long-lasting and multi-faceted." Vinum

"Succulent and open, this red exudes macerated cherry, plum, Tuscan scrub, eucalyptus and orange peel notes. Sleek and tense, with balance and accessibility. The sneaky structure at the end suggests this can age well." Wine Spectator

"The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Ugolforte shows a little more evolution with spice, leather and a hint of medicinal herb. The wine is open-knit and generous. I also get a vein of minerality or a ferrous metallic note at the back. This Riserva finishes with soft texture, and I suggest a medium-term drinking window." Wine Advocate

"The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Ugolforte is impossible to ignore. Zests of blood orange combine with crushed cherries, rubbed sage and exotic spice. This is soft and round with vividly ripe red berry fruits and mineral tones complicated by a hint of cedar and an herbal tinge toward the close. The 2019 maintains fantastic energy, tapering off with sweet tannins, licorice and a hint of citrus that keeps the mouth watering for more." Vinous

"This shows aromas of bark and blueberries with meatiness and dried herbs woven in. The medium- to full-bodied palate has pretty, enveloping red fruit as well as firm yet polished tannins. It has lovely tension with a crystalline finish." James Suckling