Wine Advisor
Cerbaiona, Brunello di Montalcino 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino literally explodes onto the palate with masses of dark cherries, plums, wild herbs, menthol and spices. Hard candy and gorgeous inner perfume emerge from a sweet, ripe and totally expressive core. The finish is elegant, decisive and eternal. At times the Cerbaiona 2006 has been surprisingly dark and weighty while other tastings have shown the more finessed side of the wine. Either way, it is a Brunello to buy and bury in the deepest corner of the cellar. It is a mythical, legendary wine in the making. The Brunello spent 40 months in cask. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031. A visit to Cerbaiona is always a treat. Of all the Brunelli in the cellar the most promising appears to be the 2010, while vintages 2007, 2008 and 2009 are less interesting, at least today. Prices have gone up considerably, especially for the 2006 Brunello, and the Rosso is undoubtedly very expensive, but at their best, the Cerbaiona wines deliver the goods. This continues to be one of my favorite vineyard sites for fine, traditionally made Brunello. Both Diego and Nora Molinari have battled health issues of late. I know I am not alone in wishing them speedy recoveries. Importers: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200; The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Cerbaiona's 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the benchmark wines of the appellation. It is especially indicative of the traditional style of Sangiovese that has captured so many hearts, minds and palates in recent years. The wine is aged for 40 long months in large oak casks. The bouquet is light as a feather with lingering nuances of wild berry, chopped mint, dried oregano and licorice. These aromas are enormously fine tuned and detailed. Sadly, they lift too fast. Despite the inherent beauty of the wine, this classic Brunello shifts gears very quickly and shows a sudden evolution with prolonged contact with oxygen. With a few swirls of the glass, the wine saw a very rapid decline with heavier notes of dried leaf and caramel soda that cloud the purity and intensity of the bouquet. I don't believe that this wine will hold for much longer. In fact, I have had the misfortune of tasting a good number of older Brunellos from Cerbaiona that did not age as long as I had hoped.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino literally explodes onto the palate with masses of dark cherries, plums, wild herbs, menthol and spices. Hard candy and gorgeous inner perfume emerge from a sweet, ripe and totally expressive core. The finish is elegant, decisive and eternal. At times the Cerbaiona 2006 has been surprisingly dark and weighty while other tastings have shown the more finessed side of the wine. Either way, it is a Brunello to buy and bury in the deepest corner of the cellar. It is a mythical, legendary wine in the making. The Brunello spent 40 months in cask.
About the Producer
Cerbaiona was founded by retired Alitalia pilot Diego Molinari in 1977. The winery has remained one of the most sought after and historically important Brunello wineries from their very first bottling in the early '80s. The Cerbaiona vineyard had been a legend for nearly 200 years but with the advent of the Brunello DOCG it immediately began to shine on the world stage gaining cult status, sought after by collectors and connoisseurs. Consistently listed in the top five by Brunello collectors and critics alike, the secret to the success of Cerbaiona was in the terroir and vineyard microclimate as well as the traditional interpretation in the cellar. This created the perfect symbiosis of age-worthiness and delicious complexity which is the hallmark of great wines.
