Brunello di Montalcino 'Sorgente'

Salicutti
Italy
Tuscany
2018

Sorgente, a 1.5-hectare cru at 450m facing SW, previously made Salicutti’s Rosso di Montalcino. It is named for the water source (sorgente) that runs below.  As the vines have gotten older and more expressive, it is now elevated to Brunello stature.  Sorgente has more clay in the topsoil compared to the other parcels sites.  20-40 day macerations. Aged for three years in 1000L and 1500L casks and a year in bottle. Effusive red-fruited and spicy nose. Open-knit on palate, slightly rosey and exotic, complicated by carob, cacao, and orange zest. Energetic, with a salty, lengthy soil imprint. 2450 bottles made.

95 points
"This red boasts spice notes from new oak, along with plum, cherry, loam, mineral and sanguine aromas and flavors. Firm and concentrated, yet also impeccably balanced and with plenty to give, this reveals a juicy, cherry-infused aftertaste. Delivers terrific length."
Bruce Sanderson,
Wine Spectator
June 2023
94 points
"This has a pretty nose of strawberries, nutmeg, tobacco and pink peppercorns. Spicy, bright and delicious, with a full body and warm red berry fruit enveloped in firm, muscular yet ripe tannins. A touch hollow in the center palate. Deliciously open and richly fragrant, but still firm. From organically grown grapes. Drink now."
James Suckling,
James Suckling:
December 11, 2022
94 points
"Opening slowly in the glass, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Sorgente wafts up with a seductive mix of lavender and violets, complementing dusty cherry, plum and a lifting hint of sweet smoke. This glides across the palate, nearly juicy in feel, with racy acidity propelling its depths of mineral-tinged dark red fruits. For all of its energy, the 2018 finishes with a classic feel, as dusty black tea-like tannins linger, and a punctuating flourish of sweet spice resonates on and on. The inner harmony here is something to behold. Without a doubt, Salicutti has proven that their elevation of Sorgente from Rosso to Brunello was indeed warranted. "
Eric Guido,
Vinous:
October 2022
17 points
"Lustrous ruby. Quite tight and a little closed on the nose but with a suggestion of savoury, spicy oak. Very shy on the palate, but with pure fruit flavours becoming perfumed on the finish. Dry, but not rough, tannins support the fruit. This vintage seems to announce a return to former glory. Long and focused."
Walter Speller,
Jancis Robinson
December 2022
93 points
"The organic Salicutti 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Sorgente (closed in a black wax capsule) is darker in color compared to the Piaggione. This wine also shows a heavier bouquet with some distant aldehydic aromas of dried cherry skin that could cause the bouquet to flatten with time. For that reason, I recommend a near or medium-term drinking window. Enjoy the Sorgente today and put the Piaggione aside for more aging. The tannins are still firm, so that needs some navigating or perhaps a pairing with a cheese or butter-heavy dish. Sorgente is a vigorous and humid parcel with sandy soils, stone and ancient marine fossils. Production is 2,450 bottles and about 100 magnums."
Monica Larner,
Wine Advocate
March 2023

SKU/Code: 
DB3970-18
Product Line: 
Red
Varietal: 
Sangiovese
Farming Type: 
Biodynamic