Montalcino, 2006 vintage: Comments apply to all wines coming from the town of Montalcino, not just Brunello. However the star ratings from one to five given below are those given by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino specifically for Brunello di Montalcino DOCG.

2006 ***** (five)

2006 Growing season: Wet winter without any really cold temperatures. Late bud burst. Alternating rain and sun from April to June. Vines caught up at mid-summer. Dry summer compensated for a wet spring, but without being super hot (like eg. 2003). Rainy periods in late August, early September. Slow maturation. Decent weather during picking. Overall considered a relatively cool year. ‘Long, coolish growing season,’ (Ian D’Agata 2016 Decanter Italy).

2006 Wine style: The wines were somewhat angular upon first release but the best wines from lower-yielding vines on warmer sites should show well in time. Wines that will develop slowly, with complexity and refinement,’ (Ian D’Agata 2016 Decanter Italy). ‘The 2006 Brunello’s are still youthful,’ Einar Fjoran told me in Feb 2021.

‘A sizeable number of the top [2006 Brunellos] are truly stunning. The best big, powerful Brunelli with beautifully delineated aromatics, great concentration of fruit and plenty of structure. Many of the most elegant wines come from the northern parts of Montalcino. These include Fuligni, Valdicava, Salvioni, Costanti, Cerbaiona and Casanova di Neri’s regular bottling. Significant differences between the northern and southern parts of the zone. More irregular in the south. A number of wines from Castelnuovo dell’Abate and Sant’Angelo in Colle come across as excessively concentrated and dark,’ (Antonio Galloni, abridged).

‘Overrated. Many unbalanced, with massive tannins, low acidity, soaring alcohol,’ (Kerin O’Keefe, 2012, p.277). ‘

2006 Production: The vineyard area comprised 1,750 hectares for Brunello and 212 hectares for Rosso producing 83,633hl of Brunello and 12,558hl of Rosso respectively.

Bibliography

Antonio Galloni, ‘2006 Brunello: The Emperor’s New Clothes or Historic Vintage?’. Vinous.com