We recently tasted the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino by Fattoria dei Barbi (served with pork chops in white wine sauce) and were immediately reminded of Monica Larner’s tasting note for the wine published earlier this year (below).

We loved the approachability of this still youthful wine and how its flavors alternated between dark red fruit and earthy and eastern spice notes. Revisiting Monica’s note, we were blown away by how spot-on her impressions were. She’s one of the top tasters of Italian wines in the world and we couldn’t be more thrilled that she gave the wine a 92-point score.

Fattoria dei Barbi 2011 Brunello di Montalcino
92 points

Dark fruit layers packed tight with spice and tobacco. Like many of the wines this vintage, Fattoria dei Barbi’s newest release is immediate and approachable. You can drink it now or wait a few years longer. It tastes just great now with soft fruit layers and generous servings of black cherry and plum. It shows a dense texture with sweet tannins on the close.

Monica Larner
Robert Parker