By Piccini
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Technical Details
Varietals: 100% Sangiovese
Alcohol: 14.00%
Total Acidity (tartaric): 5.25 g/l
Volatile Acidity (acetic ): 0.55 g/l
Residual Sugar: 1.20 g/l
Cooperage: 36 months in oak barrels (Slovenian & French), six months in bottles.
Production: 60,000 bottles

Historical Notes
With more than 130 years of tradition under its belt, Piccini is one of the most important names in Italian winemaking history, ranking 30th among all Italian wine producers, 5th in Tuscany, and in the upper echelon of Chianti producers. The passion for winemaking has been the family legacy since 1882. Enjoying great recognition internationally by taking home the 2011 Decanter Wine Trophy for Tuscany for vintage 2006, the IV generation takes on the challenge of producing one of the most prominent Brunello wines.

Vintage Notes
Recognized as one of the best vintages, the 2010 has been classified by the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino as a five-star vintage, following the extraordinary 2006 and 2007 years. In Montalcino, the year began with a cold winter, followed by a rainy spring. June to September was sunny - warm but not torrid - with alternating showers and sunshine in the fall with mild temperatures. A perfect year with no extremes for Montalcino, when sun, wind and mild temperatures allowed the vineyards to gradually develop to full maturity of the grapes. A classic vintage on the harvest calendar as well, harvest takes place in the first part of October. Villa al Cortile 2010 wines are dense, but not weighty, with pure, focused bitter-cherry flavors strengthened by an underlying earthiness. This wine is elegant and rippling with acidity. Villa al Cortile Brunello 2010 is generously fruit driven. Ready to drink from in 2016, it will have a good evolution for the next ten years.

Harvest Notes
Exceptional wines are only produced in the vineyard. The 9 hectare of 15-year-old vineyards are located on the eastern part of Montalcino, with a west-southwest exposure at 350 meters above sea level. The cultivation is done according to sustainable, traditional methods - without the use of herbicides/pesticide, using exclusively organic fertilizers, following the integrated pest management and using no irrigations. All these efforts are being constantly made in order to create a wine that is an expression of the territory, a landmark of Montalcino's quality, with the modern approach that made Piccini wines known internationally. Traditionally, Brunello is a wine that requires dedication and patience - it has to be aged at least five years just to call it a "young Brunello." Our ambition in Brunello is to create a wine that speaks of a very unique equilibrium between a grape varietal, Sangiovese, and its dedicated territory: Montalcino. Sangiovese and Montalcino are naturally in perfect balance. In our making of Brunello, we are following the rules of simplicity, equilibrium, and moderation. Our ambition is to bring wines forward with every vintage that are uniquely representative of the region.

Tasting Notes
It was a cold year, with an irregular flowering that lowered yields, and a very late harvest. The wines possess stunning depth, well-delineated aromatics, and massive structure. Dark red cherries, plums, cloves, mint, and sage, are persistent. 2010 isn't a big, but rather a vertical wine, with firm, yet sweet, silky tannins. Good structure, but not powerful, with mineral notes in the finish. Invigorating acidity.
[Information provided by J.H.N.]
[Information is not vintage specific]




By Luca Maroni
Brunello di Montalcino Villa al Cortile 2010
Tenute Piccini - Tuscany
Points: 87
Consistency: 31 - Balance: 28 - Integrity: 28
Winery: Tenute Piccini Srl
Region: Tuscany
Type: Red
Category: Brunello
Tasting date: 17-06-2015
Grape Varieties: Sangiovese
Volume of Bottle: 750.00 ml

By Jancis Robinson
Piccini, Villa al Cortile 2010 Brunello di Montalcino
Producer: Piccini
Vintage: 2010
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino
Region: Toscana
Country: Italy
Score: 15.5/20
Colour: Red
Alcohol: 14.00%
When to Drink: 2015 - 2022
Published: 21 Jan 2015
Date Tasted: 17 Jan 2015
Reviewer: Walter Speller
Just mid ruby with orange rim. Exotically perfumed nose with a hint of leather. Slightly drying tannins framing bags of sweet fruit. Chewy, tangy finish with rustic, leathery notes. (WS)

PICCINI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO VILLA AL CORTILE
Score: 94
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Vintage: 2010
Date: January 19th, 2015
A soft and silky red with dried berries and cream and hints of vanilla. Full body, fine tannins and a fruity finish. Best wine ever from here. Better in 2016.

Piccini, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) Villa Al Cortile 2010
The 2010 Tuscans that I've tasted really show some solid acidic structure and the Brunellos, in particular, should age long and beautifully, like this example from Piccini. It shows quite a bit of barrel influence at this point in its development, but it will integrate over time, leaving the classic Brunello profile of bright cherry, tobacco, saddle, underbrush, and lavender to come to the fore in what is sure to become a worthy representative of the region. 92 Rich Cook Sep 29, 2015

Piccini 2010 Villa al Cortile Sangiovese (Brunello di Montalcino)
Points: 91
Price: $65
Designation: Villa al Cortile
Varietal: Sangiovese
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Winery: Piccini
Alcohol: 14.00%
Bottle Size: 750.00ml
Category: Red
Importer: Foley Family Wines
In Magazine: 5/1/2015
By Kerin O'Keefe
This earthy expression of Sangiovese offers aromas of fennel, dried hay, rose and a balsamic note. The palate delivers wild cherry, raspberry, clove, savory herb and licorice alongside gripping tannins and firm acidity. It still needs to develop. Drink 2020-2030.

2010 Piccini Brunello di Montalcino Villa Al Cortile
Italy, Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcino
Rating: 91
Producer: Piccini
Color: Red
Type: Table
Sweetness: Dry
Variety: Sangiovese
Release Price: $65
Drink Date: 2016 - 2024
Issue Date: 27th Feb 2015
Source: 217, The Wine Advocate
Reviewed by Monica Larner
The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Villa al Cortile offers good value in an otherwise very expensive category of wine. The wine is aged in oak casks for two years and opens to pretty tones of dried cherry, balsam herb, candied ginger and toasted almond. Piccini's effort does a great job of reflecting the characteristic aromas most associated with quality Sangiovese. Earthy and floral tones give the wine a homely, approachable style that opens the drinking window to near-term consumption.

I'm always a little hesitant when it comes to the wines of Mario Piccini (with various estates across Tuscany). This gregarious and fun-loving man (unabashedly obsessed with the color orange) is known as an industrial negociant with a sharp eye for sourcing bargain fruit. As a result, it is sometimes unclear where his fruit comes from. But that is not the case with Villa al Cortile, a stone and mortar estate and winery located at the heart of the appellation.

Piccini Villa al Cortile, Brunello di Montalcino, 2010
Score: 18.25/20
Drinking Window: 2017 - 2035
Producer: Piccini Villa al Cortile
Vintage: 2010
Colour: Red
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino
Alcohol: 14.00%
Grapes: 100% Sangiovese
Blind tasted by Andrea Briccarello, Ian D'Agata, Michael Garner
Flowers, marzipan, red cherry, sweet spices and a hint of earthy underbrush. Very pure, with a hint of blood orange and candied red currant emerging on the finish. Clean expression of Brunello with good body, excellent tannins, and structure.