2011 Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille
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Tasting notes
Deep ruby with the beginning of orange tinges. Deeper and a little richer on the nose than the Rennina and more genuine, with much less oak, or is it just better absorbed? Supple and with wonderful concentration of fruit. Impressive tannic structure that reminds me a little of Nebbiolo. Long and firm. (WS)
Critic scores
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Dark ruby with orange tinges. Lots of new oak on the nose, but with bags of fine fruit underneath. Creamy oak and then supple fruit and finely chiselled, yet very firm tannins. Has lots of potential. (WS)
A bit closed at first, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille sees fruit harvested from a five-hectare cru site with galestro limestone soils and all-southern exposures. Despite the initial shyness of the bouquet, this wine ultimately shows a more profound and elegant approach in this warm vintage. It just takes a little longer to get there. The nose offers a full spectrum of fruit, floral and earthy tones that speak so highly of this all-Sangiovese appellation. The wine is smooth and rich in terms of density with beautiful firmness at the back.
Smoke, earthiness, black cherries, licorice, menthol and dark spices are some of the signatures in the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille. A dark, brooding wine, the Sugarille boasts tremendous depth and intensity, not to mention tons of character. Deeply spiced, mentholated notes wrap around the polished finish. This is another superb showing from one of the Gaja family's under the radar gems, if that can be said. In a word: fabulous.
About the producer
Gaja has been at the forefront of the Piedmont wine scene for many years and is Barbaresco’s most decorated producer. The winery has received a record number of Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards – the highest accolade from Italy’s leading wine publication.