Giodo Brunello di Montalcino 2016

Carlo Ferrini’s heart belongs to Tuscany. Sangiovese is his first love, and Giodo Brunello di Montalcino is his life’s work.  This Brunello, composed of 100% Sangiovese, hails from the heart of Tuscany in one of Italy’s most prestigious DOCGs.  Carlo is one of Italy’s most influential winemakers, having worked at illustrious estates like Brancaia, Talenti, and Barone Ricasoli.   His style is simple, and his philosophy is all about, “the search of elegance.” Carlo was influenced by tasting a bottle of 1990 Château Margaux at a restaurant in Italy in 1993, falling in love with the sophisticated and restrained Margaux lacework.  It has been his life’s objective to recapture that refinement and bring it to the Sangiovese varietal.  Since the wine’s inaugural vintage in 2009, the Giodo Brunello di Montalcino has successfully epitomized his ethos, intriguing both critics and connoisseurs alike. 

Carlo Ferrini has made more than his share of contributions as a winemaker.  He has worked throughout the entire Italian peninsula, from Trentino all the way to Sicily.  One of his crowning achievements was serving as technical director of the Chianti Classico Consorzio, where he led the Chianti Classico 2000 Project.  This intensive restoration project involved a 16 year period where winemakers like Carlo would upgrade the vineyards within the Chianti Classico zone.  The most important part of this project was selecting better clonal material at higher densities.  The project dramatically improved the output of the Chianti Classico zone, and Chianti is experiencing its own version of a renaissance.  As for Giodo, Carlo chooses clones with tiny berries and harvests when the Sangiovese is just under-ripe to preserve some balanced acidity in the final wine. 

The name Giodo is a contraction of Carlo’s parents’ names – Giovanna and Donatello, as Carlo’s parents were extremely important figures in his life.  The 6 hectare estate is surprisingly large in comparison to most of the neighboring properties within the Brunello denomination.  The property sits between the communes of Sant’Angelo in Colle and Sant’Antimo.  Carlo uses only 8 Sangiovese clones that he manages with sustainable viticultural techniques whenever possible.  Attention to detail is crucial in the harvest and vinification process, and Carlo leaves nothing to chance.  The fruit is harvested a bit earlier to preserve freshness, and everything is sorted by hand prior to vinification in a mixture of stainless steel and concrete vats.   The wines then spend time in French oak casks prior to being bottled. 

Though Carlo likes to keep a low profile with Giodo as to not compete with some of his higher profile consulting clients, the wine does have a loyal following. Recently, Carlo has expanded his horizons by producing an Etna Rosso off the coast of Sicily.  He could not resist the fascinating pull of that region’s signature varietal – Nerello Mascalese.   Carlo is in the process of passing down his knowledge to his daughter, Bianca and this father/daughter team runs the operation at the estate today.  He continues to refine production of Sangiovese-based wines while exploring other new winemaking frontiers.      

"The Giodo 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a real stunner with a tight, finely knit texture that transcends and ultimately unites both the bouquet and the mouthfeel, putting them on an even playing field. This gives the wine a broad sense of unity and wholeness that is the key to withstanding the aging process one would expect to submit this bottle to. At this young stage, Giodo's Brunello reveals blue flowers, wild berry, camphor ash and delicate spice. This wine shows a compressed sense of intensity that expands quickly after you lift the proverbial lid off the box. As it breathes in air and takes on more volume, it also leaves a deeper impression on your nose and palate. It closes with a simple note of sweet cherry that makes for a perfect postscript. Some 10,000 bottles were released in January 2020." - Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate, (01/31/2020) Ratings: 97+, Drink: 2021-2040

"Situated in the south, between Sant’Angelo in Colle and Sant’Antimo, winemaker Carlo Ferrini established the now 6-hectare Giodo estate in 2002. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino was aged for 30 months in large French oak, followed by resting in concrete vats before bottling. Forward and polished aromatics of primary black cherry fruit, vanilla, sweet licorice, and crushed lavender are followed by an approachable palate, with just ripe plum, baking spice, and fresh earth. The tannins are supple and round, balanced with refreshing acidity without being austere. This is a very pretty wine that will cast a large net for enjoyment as there is purity matched with ease. I love this for its freshness now or enjoy over the next ten years." - Jeb Dunnuck, Ratings: 94, Drink: 2021-2031