This is my first installment of TalesoftheCork Wine Reviews.

Piccini Villa Cortile Riserva 2006 Brunello di Montalcino

With James Suckling and other wine critics calling the 2006 Brunello di Montalcino the best ever, I thought I’d begin my tasting review section with the darling of Italian red wine. As production increased over the last decade, it has become possible to purchase a wonderful bottle of Brunello without emptying the pocket book.

My first wine review will be the 2006 Piccini Villa Cortile Riserva DOCG Brunello di Montalcino. It is a dry red wine from Tuscany, Italy.

The romance of Italy is at your fingertips with this light Tuscan example of Brunello. Whether you travel to Tuscany this summer/fall or not, the 2006 Brunellos are showing their Tuscan flair. After five years in the bottle and now three on the shelf, this dark, reddish-brown, deep-garnet color has notes of black cherry and pretty roses aromas that fill the wine bowl as you swirl it.

This will be a great first Brunello for someone who’s experimenting with Italy’s most prized varietal. I opened the bottle three hours before dinner to give it time to breath and I wasn’t disappointed.

Brunello winemakers keep the wine in oak barrels for three years. The Piccini Sangiovese fruit is now showing a rich black cherry, mesquite with hints of coffee and chocolate aromas combined with a plum and brown sugar medium finish. The tannins have softened and dried fruits, spices including sage, cardamonm and clove, appear during a lasting finish at 14% alcohol.

While 2006 has wide fan fair, this is not a huge version but rather a lighter Brunello that even has some coffee overtones. I think it is perfect for roasts, game and mature cheese. On a rating scale of 100, I give the Piccini Villa Al Cortile Brunello 90 points.

Wine Enthusiast gave the Piccini Brunello 93 points.

The Piccini Brunello should continue to improve some but this light bodied Brunello is worth a try now. Originally marketed at $60 a bottle, this is the right time to purchase the 2006 Picciini Villa Cortile Riserva DOCG Brunello.

Currently this wine can be bought online through various outlets, including WineChateau.com for $34.97. If you are willing to buy a case of this or mix and match wine, the shipping is free! Another excellent source to find a good price for wine is at Wine-Searcher.com.

The average price for this wine currently is $37 (excluding tax) and available for as low as $34.97. Sample received courtesy Wine Chateau for review purposes.

According to their web flyer, the Piccini winery has been making wines since 1882. Winemaker Santo Gozzo grows his Sangiovese Grosso grapes on a seven hectare estate vineyards with a limestone based soil balancing clay and schist.

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