La Gerla 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Half Bottle 375ml

Brunello di Montalcino is the crown jewel of Italian red wine — the world's most age-worthy expression of Sangiovese, grown on the Montalcino hillside south of Siena in conditions of warmth and drainage that allow the grape to reach a concentration and structural complexity that no other Sangiovese appellation approaches. The DOCG's regulations are among the most stringent in Italy: a minimum of five years aging before release, four of which in barrel and six months in bottle, from 100% Sangiovese Grosso — the specific Brunello clone — grown exclusively within the Montalcino commune. The result is a wine category that requires patience, rewards cellarers generously, and expresses the Montalcino hillside's specific combination of Galestro and Alberese soils, Mediterranean warmth, and altitude-moderated acidity in a form that the world's most serious Italian wine collectors track across every vintage.

375ml Half Bottle

La Gerla was founded in 1974 by Sergio Rossi — who acquired the Colombaio-Santi estate from the Biondi Santi family itself, the family credited with creating the Brunello di Montalcino category, and who became one of the 24 founding members of the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino. The provenance is as specific as Montalcino gets: land that belonged to the founding dynasty of the entire appellation, farmed since 1974 by a family committed enough to be among the consortium's founders.

The 2019 vintage in Montalcino is exceptional — widely described as one of the finest in the last two decades, producing wines of ripe concentration, vibrant acidity, and the structural completeness that makes great Brunello genuinely age-worthy. Kerin O'Keefe of Wine Advocate awarded 95 Points, describing "polish and intensity — ripe black cherry, blackberry, underbrush, camphor, and licorice — firm, close-grained tannins and vibrant acidity — still brooding and needs time to fully develop — drink 2029–2039." Decanter awarded 93 Points, praising "appealingly unpretentious yet complex" character with "wild berry compote laced with clove, tantalizing acidity." The 375ml half-bottle format delivers this exceptional vintage in the most accessible quantity — perfect for a serious dinner for two or a first encounter with a wine that deserves to be known.

Origins & Craftsmanship

La Gerla was established in 1974 when Sergio Rossi acquired the Colombaio-Santi estate — a property whose previous ownership by the Biondi Santi family, the creators of the Brunello di Montalcino category itself, gives La Gerla a land-based connection to Brunello's founding that no acquisition could replicate. Rossi was among the 24 founders of the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino in 1967 — making La Gerla's institutional roots in the category as deep as any estate in the appellation. The estate is now managed by Marco Samueli, continuing the founding commitment to quality that Rossi established.

The estate covers 15 hectares total, of which 11.5 hectares are vineyards — planted exclusively to Sangiovese Grosso, the Brunello clone. The vineyards are divided between two distinct growing zones: 6.5 hectares in Canalicchio, in the cooler northeastern sector of the Montalcino commune, and 5 hectares in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, in the warmer southeastern sector. Decanter specifically identified La Gerla's multi-zone sourcing as one of the estate's most commercially and qualitatively interesting characteristics: the cool Canalicchio parcels contribute aromatic freshness, acidity, and floral lift while the warmer Castelnuovo parcels add the darker fruit concentration, fuller body, and structural intensity that make the blend more complete and more complex than either zone alone produces. The estate's "signature umami style" — Decanter's characterization — is the direct result of this north-south terroir balance.

The production protocol follows Brunello di Montalcino DOCG requirements rigorously: minimum five years aging before release, four years in large Slavonian oak barrels and six months in bottle. The large-format oak — as opposed to small French barriques — is the aging decision that most distinguishes La Gerla's style from modernist Brunello producers: larger barrels provide gentler, slower oxidation and less direct wood flavor transfer, allowing the Sangiovese Grosso's natural fruit, acidity, and tannin structure to develop without excessive oak imposition. The 2019 vintage produced 40,000 bottles of the estate Brunello — a production volume that confirms the wine's accessibility relative to micro-production Brunello while confirming the quality standard that 95-point Wine Advocate recognition validates.

Critics Reviews

Wine Advocate (Kerin O'Keefe) — 95 Points (2019) "The 2019 Brunello from La Gerla shows polish and intensity, offering aromas and flavors of ripe black cherry, blackberry, underbrush, camphor and licorice. Firm, close-grained tannins and vibrant acidity provide support and energy. It's still brooding and needs time to fully develop. Drink 2029–2039."

Wine Advocate (Monica Larner) — 94 Points (2019) "The La Gerla 2019 Brunello di Montalcino has spicy, dried fruit with blackcurrant, pinecone, juniper berry and a hint of medicinal herb or camphor ash. The oak comes through clearly in the form of mulled spice or crushed clove. This Brunello is rather streamlined on the mid-palate, and although there is some mild chalkiness to the tannins, they are almost approachable now. Production is 40,000 bottles."

Decanter Magazine — 93 Points (2019) "La Gerla's estate Brunello brings together an even proportion of fruit from holdings in the cool northeastern area of Canalicchio with lots from warmer parcels in Montalcino's southeast. Exhibiting the estate's signature umami style, the 2019 is appealingly unpretentious yet complex. Restrained aromas of chestnut and grilled, smoky herbs lead to a wild berry compote laced with clove. It flows easily across the palate, carrying tantalizing acidity."

Tasting Profile

Nose Deep ruby with garnet highlights — the 2019 vintage's concentration and the large-format oak aging's natural color development. The nose opens with the brooding, slightly compressed quality that Kerin O'Keefe identified as the wine's most immediate characteristic at this stage of development — this is a wine still gathering itself for the long journey ahead. Wild raspberry and ripe black cherry emerge first with the vivid, slightly floral freshness that the Canalicchio component's cooler terroir contributes. Blackberry and blackcurrant add darker fruit depth from the Castelnuovo parcels. Underbrush and earthy quality thread through — the Galestro and Alberese soils' most direct aromatic contribution. Camphor and licorice add the medicinal, slightly resinous quality that is Brunello's most immediately recognizable aromatic signature — specific to Sangiovese Grosso at this maturity level and entirely characteristic of Montalcino's hillside terroir. Mulled spice and crushed clove add warm secondary aromatic depth from the large Slavonian oak aging. Pinecone and a hint of juniper berry add herbal complexity alongside wild herbs and the "umami" savory depth that Decanter identified as the La Gerla estate's most consistent stylistic signature.

Palate Full-bodied, polished, and structured with firm close-grained tannins — the 2019 vintage's combination of warmth and natural acidity most apparent in the palate's combination of ripe concentration and structural energy. The entry delivers the dark fruit concentration that Castelnuovo's warmer parcels build: ripe black cherry and blackberry arriving with a density and richness that confirms the vintage's exceptional growing conditions. Vibrant acidity threads through from the Canalicchio component — present, mouthwatering, and providing the structural counterweight that prevents the dark fruit from reading as simply opulent. The tannins — firm, close-grained, and mildly chalky as Monica Larner noted — are the wine's most important quality indicator: this level of tannin structure, this integrated with the fruit, confirms a Brunello capable of developing for decades. Licorice and camphor add the savory, medicinal depth through the mid-palate. Wild berry compote and clove from the Slavonian oak add warm secondary complexity. The wine flows easily across the palate — Decanter's characterization confirmed — the tantalizing acidity keeping every sip fresh and focused.

Finish Long, structured, and persistently tannic — the close-grained tannins carrying forward through the extended finish alongside licorice and dark fruit in a combination that is still resolving rather than fully integrated. The vibrant acidity provides the freshness and the quenching saline lift at the close. Mulled spice and camphor persist at the very end. The finish confirms O'Keefe's "still brooding" assessment — this wine is genuinely young, genuinely structured, and genuinely built for the long term.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Serve at 17–18°C in a large Burgundy-style bowl. Decanting 60–90 minutes minimum is essential — the firm close-grained tannins and brooding dark fruit require significant air to reveal the wine's full aromatic and textural complexity. The 375ml half-bottle serves two people generously at a formal dinner or provides one serious tasting opportunity — the perfect format for encountering a great Brunello without committing to a full bottle of a wine designed for a decade or more of further development. Drinking now requires patience and decanting; Kerin O'Keefe's 2029–2039 drinking window reflects the wine's genuine aging trajectory for peak expression. Outstanding alongside Bistecca alla Fiorentina, braised wild boar, roasted lamb, pappardelle with wild mushrooms, aged Pecorino Toscano, and any Tuscan preparation where the wine's dark fruit, licorice, and camphor character finds its natural companion.