Alcohol: 14%
Grape(s): Sangiovese
Localization: Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Tasting notes: Intense ruby verging on garnet. Soft, warm and velvety, harmonic, rich in fruits and persistent in the mouth. Intense, ethereal melting into scents of sweet violet and iris, with hints of spices such as tobacco, cinnamon and leather.
93 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Silky and polished, this wine manages smooth integration with none of the rougher spots that can sometimes occur in hot and dry growing seasons. The bouquet shows nuanced detail with wild berry, forest floor, grilled herb and wild rose. The wine is firm on the palate with tight stemmy tannins.
Food Pairing: Great food pairings include red meats, preferably wild game; to serve, store sideways at room temperature at least 24 hours beforehand, cork two hours in advance, decant and serve in decanter.
The Domain: La Gerla was born from the passion of its founder, Sergio Rossi, a successful businessman in advertising and director of three top European branches of a renowned agency, who falls in love with this both bitter and sweet territory and becomes almost a true local loving his vineyards as if they were his children.
This man, with his mischievous and lively grin, knew how to create a little cru here in Montalcino where the most advanced technology unites with the knowledge of farmers and enologists to produce excellent products that come from the Tuscan land and become extraordinary thanks to the handiwork of man which plays a leading role at La Gerla.
The estate, which had the typical local name of Colombaio, belonged to the Biondi Santi family which achieved one of the best Brunellos of the area from there at the time. Sergio Rossi bought the land in 1976 and completely restructured it respecting its original environment. Shortly afterward in 1978, he created and marketed the La Gerla brand.
At La Gerla, despite big developments and multiple changes, much importance is still given to man and his feelings; listening to what the land murmurs every day, respecting its rhythms, and catering to its needs. And maybe it is for this reason that La Gerla has achieved high scores in the best food and wine guides and in specialized magazines in addition to the praise from wine shops and restaurants during the last years.
Maybe each of them, when they drink a glass of Brunello La Gerla or Birba, can sense in the bouquet, in addition to the hints of fruits of the forest or rosemary, a little bit of the heart put there by those who work the land.
Sergio Rossi passed away in July 2011, but what he taught all of us will remain clearly impressed in our memory: in a special way, his great attention to the quality and to detail, which mostly make the difference in these wines, and his philosophy will continue to be a benchmark to allow us to continue to make exceptional wines.
