The 2009 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli has a little more intensity, depth and overall structure than the straight bottling, but the flavors are also more forward. Another year might help the tannins soften a bit, but the Montosoli is also best suited for drinking sooner rather than later. All things considered, its hard to see the rationale for bottling the Montosoli separately in this vintage.

This is a unique wine for 2009, with an amazing nose of clementines and ripe fruit. It's full-bodied and very, very velvety with a long, long finish. Classy wine. Best of the vintage.

The 2009 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli pays great homage to the aromatic nuances inherent to Sangiovese: pressed rose and violet, berry fruit and warm earth all capped by bright balsam notes that recall eucalyptus, hummus, rosemary oil and root beer. There’s a smooth note of polished river stone as well. The wine shows a steady evolution in the glass, revealing more of itself slowly and carefully. Although the palate is not as fleshed out especially when compared to more structured vintages like 2007 and 2004, this edition does an impressive job of prioritizing harmony especially in terms of the balanced acidity. This is not a Montosoli of legends, but it is a very good effort. Drink: 2017-2028. From Bien Nacido in California’s Santa Barbara to Cannubi in Italy’s Barolo region, there are those unforgettable vineyards – sites of profound beauty and magic – that leave an incontrovertible imprint on your mind. Each time you taste a wine from that site, the memory of that beauty is evoked in a sudden mental mirage. Montalcino’s Montosoli is one of those places. This little mound of a hill sits at the foot of the Montalcino promontory like its own little island strewn haphazardly, and somewhat provokingly, in front of the whole town to admire. It seemingly mocks Montalcino with its unique sense of self. Montosoli has good reason to be smug. Of the many single-vineyard expressions in the appellation, this is one of the most distinct and profound with delicate floral and mineral nuances that are elegantly interwoven within a thicker textural consistency. Many estates source fruit from the Montosoli hill, but only Altesino has registered the name. In fact, their wine “Montosoli” born from a five-hectare plot located at 350 to 400 meters above sea level with marl and limestone soils, was one of the first single-vineyard bottlings of Brunello. It was created in 1975. Now, 40 years later, Montosoli is one of the biggest reasons why greater single-vineyard mapping efforts must become a top priority. Importer: Winebow Inc., www.winebow.com

Wine Advocate February, 2014

The 2009 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli pays great homage to the aromatic nuances inherent to Sangiovese: pressed rose and violet, berry fruit and warm earth all capped by bright balsam notes that recall eucalyptus, hummus, rosemary oil and root beer. There’s a smooth note of polished river stone as well. The wine shows a steady evolution in the glass, revealing more of itself slowly and carefully. Although the palate is not as fleshed out especially when compared to more structured vintages like 2007 and 2004, this edition does an impressive job of prioritizing harmony especially in terms of the balanced acidity. This is not a Montosoli of legends, but it is a very good effort. Drink: 2017-2028.

Bright red. Minty redcurrant, gunflint and fresh violet on the enticing, precise nose. Pure and penetrating in the mouth, with lively acidity lifting the creamy-sweet red berry and red cherry flavors. The long finish features smooth tannins, lively acid lift and a whiff of flinty minerality. This is much more refined than the entry-level Brunello; in fact, it's one of the better young Montosolis in my memory.