A recent Saturday night was a very special occasion - we were getting together with old friends, ones we don't get to see nearly enough. The restaurant was selected, an easy pick as we all love Italian. My task was to select a wine for the table, and I decided to bring along a bottle of Brunello.
I happened to have a 2007 Donna Olga Brunello di Montalcino on hand, put away when the wine world could talk about nothing else but the incredible back-to-back vintages of 2006 and 2007 in Tuscany. From the beginning, we all anticipated that the 2007s would be slightly more approachable, with the '06s needing additional bottle age to show their best features. The Donna Olga validated this theory and showed beautifully from the minute the cork was popped. On the palate, this Brunello is full of deep, luxurious flavors including dark berries, earth and a bit of leather which I very much enjoy. The texture is very silky with a great long finish and enhanced all of our meals beautifully from the veal with vegetables to chicken parmesan.
Donna Olga is named for Olga Peluso Centolani, one of the few women proprietors in Montalcino, who produces these amazing wines from just 4 hectares of vineyards. Select Sangiovese clones are planted at 6500 vines per hectare and the result is 20,000 bottles per vintage. Situated just 5 km from the walls surrounding Montalcino for centuries, the plots are terraced with grapes from each level lending different qualities - the higher grown grapes are known for their incredible aroma and acidity and those from lower levels lend structure and satiny texture.
All of this painstaking attention to detail, passion for winemaking and beautiful terroir are evident in the bottle! At just $47.99, this BdM is rated 93 points from James Suckling and is one of our best Tuscan values. We have a few cases left in stock and though 20,000 bottles might sound like a lot, let's not forget how many have been consumed! Pick up a few bottles for your cellar to have on hand the next time you meet with old friends and share a beautiful meal - it's a great time to Bring Your Own Brunello.