Val di Suga

Bright ruby red. Very lively nose of bright berries and blackcurrant with sweet, spicy components. Crisp, yet balanced acidity on the palate with a racy mix of fresh fruit and sweet extract spice. A cool but very authentic representative of its type that never pretends to be more than it is, but brings enough to be one of the most finessed Rossi of the vintage. It is de facto a very successful wine of a pleasing purity with a clear commitment to the appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

"The Val di Suga 2018 Rosso di Montalcino is a vibrant and fun red to pull out for your next veal or vegetarian lasagna. The wine is teeming with bright berry fruit with wild raspberry and cherry. Showing balanced acidity and a snappy, lean-bodied style, this is textbook Rosso. There is a note of candied cherry and sweet spice on the close. This vintage marks significant improvements since I last visited this wine. You get good value." Robert Parker

Beautiful and very balanced red from the three main historical areas of Montalcino, which bring different geo-climatic characteristics due to their different slopes and altitudes - and thus provide a unique balance between freshness and structure, body and elegance.

Ruby red with garnet highlights, opens immediately with a rich, complex nose. Initially dark cherry, chinotto orange and violet. Then it opens to broader, more complex notes of blueberry, vanilla, tobacco, cinnamon and chocolate with a subtle menthol finish. This juicy 2016 Brunello di Montalcino offers plenty of energy and brightness, carried through the cherry fruit and wild berry flavors at its core. The primary fruit is surrounded by spice, grilled herbs and floral earth. The natural complexity, purity and depth of the Sangiovese grape comes through particularly well in this dream vintage and especially in this Brunello. SUPERIORE.DE

"Bright, noble ruby red with a radiant core. Open-hearted and inviting nose, slightly fleshy, with nuances of ripe sour cherries, pepper and raspberries, reverberating with rose hips. Shows very polished and balanced on the palate, with tight tannin, opens up great as it progresses, slightly salty finish." Falstaff

"Bricky ruby. Senescent fruit sweetness, lovely ripe cherry and undergrowth. Some apparent oak sweetness on the palate too but even so there is a delicacy here, perhaps because the tannins are so fine and relatively light. Elegant, dry, delicate, long, even juicy." Jancis Robinson

"There’s something savory and slightly rustic about the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino that I find quite attractive. Baked black cherries, balsamic spice and hints of animal musk form up to create a beguiling display. The textures are silky-smooth, with cooling acids and salty minerals lifting the expression while giving way to tart red fruits. Tannins mount, slowly drying out the senses yet there’s still plenty of pleasure to be found here today, as the 2016 comes across as both youthfully structured but also spicy and fresh. This is a blend of Val di Suga’s vineyards throughout Montalcino." Vinous

"Dusty notes with crushed gravel and dried tea leaves are a prelude to aromas of fresh button mushrooms and hints of fennel. Savory mushrooms and olives, followed by firm, fine-grained tannins. Structured and full-bodied." James Suckling

The name Poggio al Granchio comes from the small pond in the middle of the vineyard, located under an imposing holm oak and home to some lively freshwater crayfish. It is the area with the highest vineyards on the hill of Montalcino. It is a vineyard that gets the morning sun and is exposed to the strong climatic influence of Monte Amiata (former volcano and sacred mountain of the Etruscans) that rises opposite. This area of Montalcino has rich Galestro soils that are particularly good for Brunello. On Galestro, the Sangiovese becomes mineral and savory, with silky tannins; on the nose, it has notes of ripe fruits of the undergrowth, combined with that unmistakable hint of flint that you can smell right on the slate. On the palate, the wine shows a subtle, elegant but assertive entry and proves tasty and mineral. The Brunello here is dark in color and has great aging potential.

Intense ruby red with violet glints. Powerful and sharpened bouquet of fresh cherries, red currants, blackberries, anise and myrtle. On the palate, it has an unmistakably subtle Sangiovese character, the wonderfully fanned primary flavors flanked by long, silky tannins. It has a very tasty and mineral finish that only this region can give to Sangiovese. SUPERIORE.DE

"Sparkling ruby with lots of garnet. Multi-layered nose with notes of plums, pickled cherries and liquorice. Very good tension on the palate, unfolds with present, grippy tannin, shows bite and firm pressure on the final." Falstaff

"Ripe, featuring sweet plum, cherry, balsamic and iron notes, this is powerful and expressive. Dense tannins underlie the fruit on the lingering aftertaste." Wine Spectator

"Purity of cherries and watermelon comes through here with some fresh, floral character to the aromas. Medium to full body. Round and fruit-laden tannins follow through to a flavorful finish with lovely fruit." James Suckling

"Full, deep red. Aromas of blueberry, red cherry cola, violet, coffee and smoke, complicated by balsamic undertones. An absolutely beautiful wine that is already sweet, pliant and accessible, but with a solid, polished spine nicely framing the musky red fruit, mocha, and licorice flavors and ensuring a long life ahead. Clearly deeper than the regular and Vigna al Lago 2015 Brunellos, this finishes long and suave. Made with grapes picked in a vineyard in the southeastern sector of Montalcino. This 2015 is excellent." Vinous

"Val di Suga makes three single-vineyard expressions of Sangiovese, and this is one of them. The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Granchio comes from a sun-kissed 18-hectare plot located at the southeastern side of the appellation that also sees very cool nights, thanks to the soft breezes and diurnal shifts that come off the nearby Monte Amiata. You can see a sketch of this vineyard in the little drawing on the front label. Compared to the other wines in this series, this wine is distinguished by a thickly textured mouthfeel and warm aromas of dark plum and blackberry. That acidity comes in at the end to give the wine linearity and length." Robert Parker

As with the Annata, the grapes for this Riserva come from the three main historical areas of Montalcino, which bring different geo-climatic characteristics due to their different slopes and altitudes - and thus provide a unique balance between freshness and structure, body and elegance.

The longer Riserva maturation of about one year enriches this Brunello both in its complexity and depth as well as with a more nuanced bouquet. There is a little more of everything here: more fruit, more minerals, leather, licorice, and on top of that, deep vegetal aromas make this wine more generous, layered, and enchanting. Its body is also fuller and more elegant than in the fresher, racier and more clearly focused 2016 Annata, due in part to the warmer, more opulent 2015 vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

The northern slope of Montalcino was not once covered with vines, but was cultivated with cereals, olives and cherries. In this area, which is influenced by the Apennines, the seasons are more pronounced, continental and the north wind lowers the temperature significantly in winter. Therefore, it is the coldest Brunello area at this time of year, but also the wettest. This northern slope is a gentle hill: a characteristic more reminiscent of the Crete Senesi area, right next to it, than of the two stiffer, steeper and warmer southern slopes of Montalcino.

Due to the climate and the origin of the soils, the grapes in this area of Montalcino are harvested last every year. Vigna del Lago is the vineyard that welcomes all visitors arriving from the north of Montalcino. It takes its name from the lake that surrounds it and which plays a fundamental role in the microclimate of the area; the soil is a constant alternation between clay and strips of very fine galestro.

Brunello Vigna del Lago is a historic cru of the Val di Suga winery, it is an old school Brunello, from the times before the arrival of barriques and technology. An authentic product that is enjoying increasing demand. Unlike the Poggio al Granchio, which is aged in new French 300-litre barriques, this wine is aged in large 30- and 50-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels.

It is a wine with lower alcohol content, bright orange-ruby colour, with very fine and almost imperceptible tannins, with a floral nose of citrus notes, myrtle and fresh cherries. It is a Brunello of great richness and balance, and also has a very pleasant lightness, well-contoured acidity and a salty, mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"Brilliant, rich ruby garnet. Open and approachable nose with nicely ripened cherry, some blackberry. Shows present, powerful tannin on the palate, pithy on the back end, good pressure." Falstaff

"Nice deep red color. Pure aromas of red plum and ripe strawberry, with notes of minerals and balsamic oils. Soft and rich in the mouth, with an unctuous texture and insidious sweetness. Rather broad in flavor for this bottling and much rounder than usual; no doubt the warmer 2015 vintage contributed a certain measure of fat here. An excellent Brunello that finishes long." Vinous

"Aromas of black-skinned berry, charred earth and new leather lift out of the glass. The concentrated medium-bodied palate offers dried black cherry, tobacco, star anise and orange zest alongside austere fine-grained tannins and firm acidity." Wine Enthusiast

"This succulent red combines strawberry and cherry fruit, with earth, iron and tobacco flavors. Elegant and detailed, unfolding to reveal a lingering aftertaste of red fruit, mineral and earth elements." Wine Spectator

"The Val di Suga 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Lago draws its fruit from a low-lying vineyard site (at 300 meters in elevation) next to a big water reservoir. The heat of the summer sun permeates these vines, and you can feel that intensity in the wine's medium-dark appearance and its ripe fruit flavors. This release of 8,000 bottles offers an attractive level of ripeness and balanced dark fruit." Robert Parker

"This shows focus and balance, compared to some of the other Brunellos here in this year. Full body, creamy and ripe tannins with roundness and beauty. Lovely already." James Suckling

The Spuntali vineyard is historically known as the best area of the southwestern, sea-facing slope of Montalcino. Spuntali is a historic cru for Brunello di Montalcino: it is its unique terroir, moreover, it is the sunniest and driest of the three slopes of Brunello, the sea just 40 km away already provides a Mediterranean climate here.

In general, the Mediterranean Sea plays a crucial role here, moderating the warm summer nights and cold winters. This allows an early reawakening of the plant in spring and an important day/night temperature change in summer. Because of these particular climatic conditions, it is the site whose grapes are harvested first in the appellation. Here, Sangiovese takes advantage of the beneficial effects of the sun, reaching maximum maturity and producing rather creamy wines, with sweet, soft tannins and notes of candied fruit.

Strong ruby garnet. Unveils a warm, intense and refined bouquet of ripe fruit with notes of sour cherry, dried figs and candied fruit. On the palate, the sweet and soft tannins accompany the long finish, rich in notes of plums and blackberries. A deep layering on the palate with rich flavours of cherries, blackberries and dark fruits. There is much to discover in the background: spices, leather and balsamic herbs. All these elements are skilfully interwoven and make for a very impressive interpretation of the Sangiovese grape. SUPERIORE.DE

"Brilliant ruby with garnet glints. Impressive nose with powerful notes of fresh cherries, pomegranate and cloves. Very juicy in the attack and course, very well integrated tannin, unfolds fine-meshed, clear, present fruit, salty in the finish." Falstaff

"Wet-earth, oyster-shell and dark-berry aromas follow through to a full body, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish." James Suckling

"Good medium red. Fresh, almost tight aromas of red cherry, sweet spices and peppermint oil, complicated by blood orange and marzipan nuances. Rich and round, with minty acidity leaving a penetrating quality and an impression of greater verticality than some other recent vintages of this wine. Clearly refined, nicely sweet and pure on the long, multifaceted finish. One reason behind this wine’s success in 2015 is that while the Spuntali area is usually fairly dry, it actually rained in 2015. A superb wine." Vinous

"One of three single-vineyard expressions, the Val di Suga 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Spuntali is the most representative of the estate philosophy and the Sangiovese grape. This classic Brunello shows the thick lines and ripe fruit that this vintage is known for, but it also offers mineral notes or crushed stone and iron ore that add contours and framing to the fruit. There is an almost saline or salty note on the close that you don't get with the other wines in this series." Robert Parker