Brunello di Montalcino Coldisole 2000

Yesterday had been a difficult day. Raffaella and I wanted to treat ourselves to something special with dinner. Dinner was to be chicken breasts with sage rolled in pancetta and braised in butter and a bit of lemon. This limited our selection a bit. We needed something luxurious but not overpowering. We had started before dinner drinks with a Prosecco with onion focaccia.

A quick look at our cooler evidenced a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino 2000 produced by Coldisole. It was a bit young but the other Coldisole products were very drinkable as soon as they appeared in the stores so we decided to take a chance. I popped the cork and immediately picked up a hint of chocolate. This bouquet is very similar to another wine produced by Lionello Marchesi. Brunello wines need at least a half hour to breathe before drinking and we set this one to decant while Raffaella prepared dinner.

We sat down to dinner, a toast to each other and the first sip of the wine. Our concern about the age was not justified; it was very drinkable. Most likely allowing the wine to age another couple of years would have been beneficial but this Brunello had matured sufficiently. The chocolate had completely disappeared while a very smooth taste of berries and cinnamon. The flavor was full and rounded, for me this means it filled all portions of my mouth without peaks or valleys in flavor. Tannins were present but ever so slightly. The wine was encompassing, as if you could chew it. A structured and complex wine, the finish had a hint of sweet tobacco.

Normally we would not drink a Brunello with chicken but the pancetta would add flavor and structure to the chicken. This Brunello was a perfect compliment. As we finished dinner we continued our bottle of wine as we chatted about our day. It was almost addictive. Smooth, flavorful, not overbearing, only slight tannins and the combination of berries and cinnamon were too much to resist.

Brunello di Montalcino Coldisole also has a great price quality ratio. At about 40$ it is not an everyday table wine but certainly in the same quality range of some of the 50-60 $ Tuscany wines. This would also be an appropriate wine to serve with aged cheeses as an after dinner wine or with cream or chocolate desserts should your guest not appreciate white wines.

The technical information on this wine is:

Grape: 100% Sangiovese.

Alcohol: 14%

Serving Temperature: 18 degrees c.

Decanting: 1 hour before drinking.

Glass: Wide mouthed and wide bodied. A balloon glass would be perfect

Tags: Brunello di Montalcino Red Wine Montalcino Tuscany Food and Wine Travel Italy