Benvenuto Brunello - Tasting 2015 Brunello di Montalcino
2015 Brunello
The final days, or day as it were for me, of the Anteprime Toscana is Benvenuto Brunello. It is a fitting end to a week of previewing current releases as Brunello di Montalcino is the most highly valued group of wines tasted over the course of the week. Whether that is right or wrong is a subject requiring additional time to discuss, and in my opinion it’s not worth that effort.
Brunello di Montalcino has done a terrific job of marketing themselves worldwide, and in particular in the USA where the brand is associated with premium wines. There is just reason for that, but it is undeniable that the brand, and the quality of the wines, has been aided over the years by the terrific terroir of the region. South within the region of Tuscany and close-ish to the effects of the sea, it has always benefitted from a bit more warmth than other Sangiovese producing regions within Tuscany. Today I’m not sure that that extra bit of warmth remains an advantage.
I seriously do tire of this, but once again I just am not feeling what seems to be almost universal adoration for the current releases: 2015 Brunello di Montalcino. My gripe with the vintage? They are too easy to drink, they are already super enjoyable, they will probably age more quickly than I would prefer and never get to the palace that truly great vintage would.
2015 is in fact remarkably variable:
Some are exciting
Some punch you in the mouth
And some just sit there
There are plenty of very good wines on offer, it’s just a bit of challenge to pin down the quality of the vintage. The best attribute seems to be the approachability of almost all the wines, which should mean that wine drinkers should be able to get a picture of how their favorite wines are shaping up not only from the myriad professional reviews, which often are mere sip, swirl, and spit snapshots (which my notes admittedly are), but also from drinkers posting their notes worldwide. There is little mystery among many of these wines and that to me seems to be a shortfall.
And still, there is a lot to like so why not enjoy the bounty of good to excellent wines and not worry too much if you’re drinking the best ever from this estate or the product of some mythical vintage of the century!
I tasted these wines over the course of a day of tasting so take the review with a grain of salt. I don’t know if I got the first pour out of a bottle or the last, and didn’t spend a ton of time with each wine. I think my notes capture the essence of each wine, particular those that struck me defective, or those that really impressed me. The wines in the middle may have the least accurate assessment, and while I would love to have tried each wine a second time that was not logistically possible so here is what I got.
I hope you enjoy the notes!
94
2015 La Palazzetta Brunello di Montalcino
Delicate on the nose and very floral, high toned, saline and sandy toned. Lean and crisp in the mouth but not without a degree of sweetness to the tart red fruit. Simple and direct but with a lovely sweet/tart character and lovely nuanced complexity. A very fresh feel, light, lithe and long. I love this, it's fun and exciting to drink with superb fruit tannins that should ensure a decent life. 94pts
2015 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino
Wiry and herbal on the nose with very complex floral, dried fruit, tobacco, and briar aromas. Almost silky in the mouth, mineral and deep with terrific fruit, angular powerfully built Brunello. This has everything, is already approachable but explodes on the palate with juicy freshness, depth, sil tones and complexity. So long. 94pts
2015 Cerbaiona Brunello di Montalcino
Gorgeous purity of fruit on the nose with dried meats, a hint of ragu, and candied citrus peel notes. Well integrated, moderately rich with fine balance, this is packed with fruit, fresh yet black with herbal and floral nuance. This is so broad shouldered yet slender waisted, though it turns dense and a touch chewy on the moderately long finish. Very structured with great potential but this is slightly tough going even if it is generally well balanced. 94pts
2015 Querce Bettina Brunello di Montalcino
Deep, very intensely aromatic with huge fruit, spice notes, ginseng, fresh white flowers, captivating. Fresh on entry, complex in the mouth, bitter cherry fruit, linear, well sculpted with good depth on the palate, transparency a rather faceted presentation in the mouth, just terrific fruit that finishes with juicy acidity and a light citrus tone. Could use another year in a bottle, but this is powerful, complete, lively and detailed. 94pts
2015 Vasco Sassetti Brunello di Montalcino
Very complex with tons of cinnamon spice, leather, earth, pollen, violet and dark fruit aromas. Much more elegant in the mouth than the nose would suggest. Deep, rich, masculine flavors with fine sinewy length and terrific balance in the mouth. This is tight and requires time in the bottle but is terrific with great complexity, firm well balanced feel, and intense aromatics. 94pts
93
2015 Fossacolle Brunello di Montalcino
A bit smokey, dark fruit, clay, leather, damp tobacco and old wood accents, very classic. A bit chewy, tart red fruits up front followed by some herbal accents, and lots of soil tones all supported by slightly chewy tannins. This is long, just a bit rustic but full and bright with fine tobacco leaf accents. Needs another year to finish integrating. 93pts
2015 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino
A bit of thistle and plenty of dried herbs on the nose. Deep, vinous, gentle black fruit and worn leather notes. Sleek, elegant, almost seamless in the mouth with fine depth to the black fruit and leather character that yields to a fine mineral note on the long, lithe finish. Very fine with great inner mouth perfumes of fruit, dried orange peel, and dried herbs on the very long finish. 93pts
2015 Le Ragnaie Brunello di Montalcino
Smoky, salty, and almost flinty on the nose with very intense mediterranean herb and dried floral aromas. Light and elegant on the palate, vibrant and transparent with nice detail. Not a large scaled wine but nuanced and very complex with superb balance. Subtle if long on the finish, very refined, should improve but is already compelling. Great cut and energy on the palate. 93pts
2015 Salvioni - La Cerbaiola Brunello di Montalcino
Sophisticated and deep with layers of coriander, fresh red fruit, dried lemon, and dried meat/mortadella aromas. Elegant, very finely textured, a seductive wine with impressive depth of fruit. There are very attractive slightly crude fruit tannins here that should resolve well, on the long, burnished wood and tart red fruit fruit. Bright lifted, and juicy 93pts
92
2015 La Fornace Brunello di Montalcino
Dep clay tinged plummy dark fruit on the nose with plenty of oak and dark black spice. This is rich and fairly powerful with lots of substance in the mouth. There's some obvious wood tannin, but at the same time this is chewy and full, and the wine feels well balanced and should age niely. Very good and a crowd pleaser. 92pts
2015 Tenuta Le Potazzine Brunello di Montalcino
Totally different from every precedent wine. All cinnamon, rose hips, gentle oak, hazelnut and rose scented talc. Tight on entry, elegant, not lean but a bit firm and compressed, this is distinctive with fresher fruit and lots of rose and cinnamon accents that sets it apart. There's not a lot of follow through but this is distinctive and elegant with enough tannin to ensure an interesting evolution over 5-7 years. It really is quite attractive, if atypical. With very precise and fresh red fruit. Sneaky length. 92pts
2015 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino
Very black fruited shiny and slightly oaky, nutty oak on the nose. Moderately rich but right in the mouth with fine tannins, lots of fruit here but fresh even if it veers into the black end of the spectrum. Aromatic in the mouth, a touch extracted and chewy but with tons of depth here. This needs some more time in the bottle, probably best after 2-3 years. A bit of a powerhouse. But focused and detailed with a lovely mineral wash across the finale. 92pts
91
2015 Corte del Vento Brunello di Montalcino
Tobacco, ash and black fruit on the nose. Very fresh, lovely nuanced herbal note on the palate. This is very fresh and juicy, not hugely complex but with energy on the palate and lots of transparency and lift. Very fresh, nuanced wine, really liking this flavor profile. Delicate and elegant 91pts
2015 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino
Complex and rich showing some graham cracker accents laid over the base of dark berry fruit with a touch of dried orange peel lending complexity. Almost plump, round and generous in the mouth though retaining fine transparency. There's a fine sense of minerality here emerging on the back end along with some unnecessary wood tannins that flesh out the rather long finish. Not my style Not my deal, but quite good with real persistence to the sweet fruit. 91pts
2015 Piancornello Podere del Viscolo Brunello di Montalcino
Oaky and a bit raw on the nose with very floral yet high toned aromas. Fairly intense if slightly rustic and chewy. There's a lot going on here, it's not that well knit together but delivers an intense mouthful of chewy, slightly rustic but bold fruit. Good length, dusty, there's alot to like here but this is rustic if gutsy. 91pts
2015 Podere Brizio Brunello di Montalcino
Bristly, salty, and almost basaltic on the nose. Floral and red fruited. A bit sleek, then this turns quite gentle, juicy, sapid, and mineral. Lovely bright stuff with a delicate and fairly modest finish. A rather restrained style but with terrific flavors on the palate in a tart, red fruited style. Small scaled but attractive. 91pts
2015 Tenuta Crocedimezzo Brunello di Montalcino
Fleshy, meaty fruity nose with subtle nutty oak nuance, meditteranean herbs with a nuance of jasmine florality. Silky and fairly generous in the mouth. Juicy, dusty red fruit lingers on the moderately long finish. Lots of dusty, dried floral scented fruit on the palate delivered in a slightly rustic style with a bit of chewiness and plenty yet not excessive tannins. Lacks just a bit of follow through. 91pts
2015 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino
Fairly intense on the nose with plenty of dried herbs, blue marne, and spicy/sweet red fruits. Fairly big in the mouth, juicy and plump and structured. Seems like there's a lot of everything with terrific intensity to the fruit. Perhaps not very suave but this really fills the mouth. Just a bit crude but plenty to like. 91pts
2015 Campogiovanni Brunello di Montalcino
A bit reticent on the nose, slightly bricky with a touch of meatiness and rosehips accentuating the core of ripe, red fruit. A touch lean in the mouth, though this delivers a decent load of red fruit, all herb tinged and gently floral and saffrony in the mouth. Finishes very well, with energy and drive, medium dense and with good detail. This seems like it's on a positive development curve. I think I like this more than most will. Rather minty and perfumed in an ethereal way. 91pts
2015 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino
A bit nutty and woody on the nose with lots of fresh red fruit framed by hints of cigarette ash and candied lime. Light and fresh in the mouth, pinpoint tannins, juicy adis, though the flavor profile is very dark and the tannins clamp down a bit on the backend, still there are slightly minty aromatics and floral fruit that persists on the palate. Nice lift and freshness here paired with intense fruit that gets fresher with air. A touch extracted but quite good. 91pts
90
2015 La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino
Deep, a bit ashy on the nose but this offers up lots of sour fruit, toasted sice, herb, and leather notes. Fresh in the mouth, opulent but clear on the palate, almost fruity bobmy in a way but very likeable for its direct and pure cherry fruit. Verging on ready, fun to drink. 90pts
2015 Le Chiuse Brunello di Montalcino
Smoky, very floral but quite fruited at the same time with lots of spice and dried berry fruit. Perhaps just faintly dirty in the mouth, but complex, earthy, and slightly chewy. Attractive weight though a bit matte in the mouth at this point. This is more about potential today with the balance to age very well. Chewy and nuanced. Should improve but already developing lovely inner mouth perfumes and rich clay and calcareous soil tones. 90pts
2015 Poggio Landi Brunello di Montalcino
Clay, bricks, pink peppercorn, and salty on the nose. A bit loose in the mouth, broad and nicely detailed on the palate, very refined with small dried red cherry fruit and a nice heathery, dried floral wash across the palate. Finishes with good length, dusty tannins, a touch leathery but also retaining a touch of sweetness. Small scaled but complete in a traditional style. 90pts
2015 Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino
Clay with a slightly gummy aspect to the herb tinged red fruits. Enters the mouth with a fine sense of delicacy, delivers plenty of nuanced red fruits. Decent length, lacks the complexity of the best but is so approachable and well balanced, it's actually quite complete. Though it finishes a little on the weak side. 90pts
2015 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino
A touch toasty on the nose and a bit heathery with sour red fruits and a touch of pink peppercorn. Fresh on entry, broad and clear on the palate, the tannins here are very well managed, abundant but soft, and this remains elegant in the mouth finishing with a subtle sweetness and lovely clay and cranberry notes. Almost easy going, and almost ready to drink with a lifted, fresh character in the mouth. 90pts
2015 Casenuove delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino
A bit exotic with tons of citrus, fine herbs and salty almost seaside aromas along with blue floral notes and a touch of campfire. Fresh, with some austere bristly tannins, complex if not particularly deep on the palate. Lovely nose but lacking a touch of intensity in the mouth. Floral and sandy soil tones. Fine length and naunce on the finish. Old school. I like this more than most. 90pts
89
2015 Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino
A nice array of red fruits on the nose with some clay soil and leathery accents and a nice floral top note. Smooth, medium bodied and elegant with fine, lacy delicate red fruit on the palate followed by a slightly chewy, deep and vaguely sweet backend which leads to a modest finish. There is nice complexity here with fine density on a medium weight frame. Sneaky 89pts
2015 Cordella Brunello di Montalcino
Very orange peel toned on the nose, citrussy, perhaps a suggestion of wood but fresh and bright. A touch chewy, very cherry fruited, simple but chewy but long with dusty tannins. A hint of rusticity but in an attractive way. A touch dense but long, sinewy and fresh. 89pts
2015 Gianni Brunelli Le Chiuse di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino
A touch of wood spice tops the cherry and herb nose. Rather intense on the nose. Playful on entry, decidedly open knit and showing a nice blend of fresh fruit and aged character. Slight chewy and slightly short with some blue floral notes on the finish along with a hint of dry wood tannin. A lot on the backend here but this is just a bit chunky. 89pts
2015 Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino
Delicate and fairly floral on the nose with sour red fruits, a touch lactic, Delicate in the mouth, a touch indistinct, pleasant and easy going with a one two step of transparent red fruit and dried herbal character that is pleasant but short and simple. Elegant and refined though perhaps lacking some intensity. Though it does pop on the finish, long, juicy and bright with fine inner mouth perfumes, but still a bit simple. 89pts
2015 Voliero Brunello di Montalcino
Some graham cracker and mint notes on the nose with a dark, slightly latex driven small core of black fruit. A little chewy, this is a bit small aceled but delivers tons of almost sweet/tart red fruit to the palate. Simple but plump with perhaps a touch too much tannin, still it should age well though might remain a touch simple, though with a lovely, firm balanced feel. 89pts
2015 Capanna Brunello di Montalcino
Intensely fruity, all wild red berry fruits, some raw oak, and some braised vegetal basenotes. A touch loose on entry, soft but fairly tannic, Chewy and fairly fresh with good length to the finish. There's lots of tart fruit here and a lovely earthy core but this is on the tight side and needs another 2 years to harmonize. Tannic but with good stuffing. 89pts
2015 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino
Intense dark fruits on the nose simple but powerful, with some extracted tea notes and lots of tobacco. Very tea like on entry as well with some damp tobacco notes accenting a core of slightly roasted fruit. Tannins are dry and firm though this retains great minerality on the backend and through the fairly long and red fruited finish. A bit too tough and chewy but there's a lot here and it might surprise on the upside. 89pts
88
2015 Cortonesi la Mannella Brunello di Montalcino
Dusty, earthy and complex with some black fruit and mediterranean herbs. A matte and broad shouldered in the mouth, clay, a bit simple with a certain density and opacity on the palate. This needs another year in bottle with plenty of dark berry fruit that shows good persistence but this is just a touch spackly in the mouth and doesn’t refresh the palate. 88pts
2015 Cupano Brunello di Montalcino
Slightly creamy and nutty oak greets the nose followed by lots of astringent red fruit with fresh leather accents. A touch tight on the palate with red fruit that shows some tobacco leaf nuance and hints of dried orange peel before dissolving in a gentle if long and pleasantly tannic finish Very pleasant with good persistence 88pts
2015 Mocali Brunello di Montalcino
A touch volatile, wild cherry fruit, minty and high toned. Small scaled, plump, easy to drink and decidedly in a friendly style. Just a bit chewy, this is simple but fun to drink if a bit short. It’s rounded and even though it's fairly tannic today though easy to drink with refreshing acidity on the finish. Perhaps just a whisper too extracted. 88pts
2015 Renieri Brunello di Montalcino
Dark and moderately toasty on the nose with intense aromas of leather black fruit. Polished, black fruited in the mouth with good depth and lots of very spicy nuances. A bit flat, kind of short, slightly plump but also fairly structured with a dark, matte chewy character and a slightly extracted feel on the finish. There's lots of black cherry fruit here lurking behind it all. 88pts
2015 Ridolfi Brunello di Montalcino
Lots of orange peel and butcher wax character on the nose along with nuanced caraway and coriander spice notes. Very complex, red and juicy. Relaxed, much riper on the palate than the nose would suggest, acids are a touch soft and the flavors show baked red fruit character with incipient truffle notes. There's not much to the finish, subtle and fairly elegant, and of modest proportions. 88pts
2015 Agostina Piero Brunello di Montalcino
Opens with a balsamic cast to the nose followed by wildflower aromas and a hint of flinty, basaltic minerality. A touch soft, or rather supple in the mouth, elegant and quite pleasant with subtle red fruit and plenty of butchers wax and polleny floral tones. Tannins are fine grained, if abundant, drying out the finish a bit. 88pts
87
2015 Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino
High toned and gently spicy with an almost green edge to the wild berry fruit, though there is a slightly distracting note of old wood here. Light and elegant in the mouth, very refined, long and gentle Good acidity but the tannins here are quite small and rounded. Playful and elegant if a touch dry. More texturally appealing than rich with flavor. 87pts
2015 La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino
Smokey and gently oaky on the nose with a touch of vanilla, layered over dark, herb tinged and slightly anonymous fruit. A bit chewy up front and delivering a fair load of fruit on the palate, black fruited almost curranty and slightly jammy. A touch short but pleasant. 87pts
2015 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino
Very citrusy and almost raspberry/strawberry fruited on the nose with some arugula and tobacco accent notes. Rather fruity in style, fresh and just vaguely chunky. A lusty, medium scaled wine with lacy tannins and a modest finish. Chewy and friendly. 87pts
2015 Il Togata La Togata Brunello di Montalcino
Spicy and floral on the nose, bricks, leather and rosehips aromas. Old school, bright,a bit lean, though elegant and fine. The flavors tend to the dried out end of the spectrum and while this is tannic it is quite aromatic in the mouth at the same time. Decent length and balance. On the austere side. 87pts
2015 Le Gode Brunello di Montalcino
Intense sweet fruit, clay, very peety and slightly bretty in nature. Rich yet transparent in the mouth, with a slightly dried out palate impression but plenty of freshness. This is tannic but in a fairly refined way, the intensity and depth of the nose doesn’t seem to be transferring to the palate yet though this should flesh out with additional bottle age if the brett doesn’t kill it. 87pts
2015 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino
Slightly toasty on the nose with a hint of vanillin lurking behind finely rendered spicy black cherry fruit. Fresh, nuanced and fairly complex if a bit modern sheen. Light on entry, lithe in the mouth with a juicy deliver of red fruit. Small scaled, though simple in the mouth with tart red fruits that show decent length. Easy to drink if on the simple side. 87pts
2015 Quercecchio Brunello di Montalcino
Streaks of cigar ash and green herbs grace the nose along with some slightly stewy though very red fruits. A touch loose on entry, then gaining some tannic tension across the palate. Small scaled with very pleasant dried berry fruit, clay, and tobacco notes that lead to a chalky, modest finish. A touch wiry and lean, very fresh flavor profile. 87pts
2015 Capanne Ricci Brunello di Montalcino
A bit of seaweed on the nose, extracted floral notes, a hint of sour leather and some white pepper. Lively in the mouth, playful and easy going but still fairly structured with good cut on the palate. In fact this is quite tannic but nice fruit tannins which clips the finish. A touch rustic in structure with modest, pleasant fruit on the palate though this remains short. 87pts
86
2015 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino
Dark fruit, some wood tones and fairly spicy with a faint hint of dirtiness lurking in the background. A bit chunky, pleasant, very typical dried fruits up front, this turns lean and more elegant if short on the backend. Classic but small scaled wine with a gentle sweetness at its core. It does strike me as short and simple on the finish though. 86pts
2015 Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino
Sweet, caramelly on the nose, sour plum, and leather, complex if a bit heavy. A bit chewy and extracted in the mouth, lots of dry tannin but juicy acidity as well. Powerful yet fresh but a bit too dark and extracted, not pleasurable. but impressive. 86pts
2015 Tiezzi Poggio Cerino Brunello di Montalcino
Leathery, perhaps a touch of brett, medicinal and cola scented with medicinal black cherry fruit. A bit diffuse in the mouth, though not heavy, nor intense for that matter. Simple, pleasant wine with a bit too much tannin. There's something attractive here but this is dry and austere. Somehow I like the excessive austerity here. 86pts
2015 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino
Clay, old wood, dried meats and a rather noticeable note of crayon greets the nose. Raher supple in the mouth, soft tannins, soft acids, easy going with herbal and dried fruit character. A bit boring and short, With some complexity but not very interesting. 86pts
85
2015 Col d”Orcia Brunello di Montalcino
Dusty, delicate, faintly sweet red berry fruit with hints of leather and perhaps a hint of VA on the nose. A bit lean, Fairly austere, light on the palate with dry tannins. Nuanced, leathery and short. 85pts
2015 Elia Palazzesi Collelceto Brunello di Montalcino
Grassy, tea toned, and saffrony on the nose, with some black pepper spice and a hint of dry earth. Bright, juicy, and quite nervous in the mouth with well developed flavors of dried fruit that shows an incipient truffle note. Short finish, A bit lean and dried out but typical and pleasant. 85pts
2015 Fattoria Barbi Brunello di Montalcino
Lean, floral, some faint candied cough tones on the nose with a background note of beetroot and medicinal spice. Bright up front but then this turns a bit dull and slightly heavy on the midpalate. Simple, old school, and a bit trippingly austere. Simple, small and old school. 85pts
84
2015 Cortonesi Brunello di Montalcino
A bit of oak streaks the nose. With spice and coffee bean character. Juicy, rounded, some astringent tannins mar the palate, this is chewy and a bit dusty in the mouth with a modest and decidedly earthy and slightly dull finish. 84pts
2015 La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino
Earthy with lots of dark spicy, black spice. A bit fluid and loose in the mouth, This has an odd blend of chewiness, dense tannins, lots of leathery character, and weight in the mouth. Chewy, in need of 2-3 bottle age but not sure where this goes as it's quite tannic today with fruit that seems extracted and yet lean. 84
2015 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino
Very fresh and fruity on the nose, then a touch musty with old barrel smells, and slightly dirty, oldschool old Rioja aromas. Lean on the palate, dry, austere, long, there's some muscle here and even some incipient elegance, but this lacks a bit of depth and nuance. Old school and a bit clumsy. 84pts
83
2015 Palagetto - Bellarina Brunello di Montalcino
Dark, a bit oaky and high toned. Chewy a bit dense, loaded with dark and dried fruits that leak out onto a medium length and wood tannin dominated finish. Chewy, dense and four square, though this might improve with some age, still no fun. 83pts
82
2015 Fattoi Brunello di Montalcino
A bit latex and volatile on the nose, Off Putting. Narrow and focused in the mouth though this lacks height on the palate and liveliness. A bit chewy with some pleasant orange and red fruit notes on the finish but clipped and simple. 82pts
2015 Tenuta Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino
Nutty, dark, and black peppery on the nose with a touch of VA. A touch loose in the mouth, broad and not terrible focused with dark flavors, modest intensity. Delicate and diffuse. 82pts
81
2015 Ferrero Brunello di Montalcino
High toned and metallic on the nose with aromas of resiny old wood.Plump but hollow, a bit dried out, some cranberry fruit here, but this is front loaded and clumsy. 81pts
Not recommended
2015 Roberto Cipresso Brunello di Montalcino
The nose smells very medicinala, with lots of green herb notes, odd on the palate as well, a little bitter, very extracted, tactile, and very short. What is this from? There's fruit here, but its just very coarse and chalky and oaky on dry finish. 78pts
2015 Villa Poggio Salvi Brunello di Montalcino
A bit dirty, wiry and almost barnyardy not attractive. Chewy, dry, austere, and even diffuse. Finishes well enough with decent length and some fruit. Tough going. Dried out and lean. 78pts
2015 La Colombina Brunello di Montalcino
Dirty and earthy on the nose. All cola and aged characters. Dried out, earthy and lean in the mouth. Thankfully short, dry and without any detail. 74pts
Judgement reserved
2015 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino
Reticent on the nose, smoky, ashy, green herbs and almost grassy. Some wood on entry, then this is very compact and extracted. Dry, simple, tannic while not extracted, Probably closed. JR
2015 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino
Fresh, a touch nutty perhaps but showing lots of dried herb, dried spice, and dried red fruit character. Moderately big, a bit compressed in the mouth with little depth on the palate or follow through. Closed and tight in the mouth, though well balanced. JR
The final days, or day as it were for me, of the Anteprime Toscana is Benvenuto Brunello. It is a fitting end to a week of previewing current releases as Brunello di Montalcino is the most highly valued group of wines tasted over the course of the week. Whether that is right or wrong is a subject requiring additional time to discuss, and in my opinion it’s not worth that effort.
Brunello di Montalcino has done a terrific job of marketing themselves worldwide, and in particular in the USA where the brand is associated with premium wines. There is just reason for that, but it is undeniable that the brand, and the quality of the wines, has been aided over the years by the terrific terroir of the region. South within the region of Tuscany and close-ish to the effects of the sea, it has always benefitted from a bit more warmth than other Sangiovese producing regions within Tuscany. Today I’m not sure that that extra bit of warmth remains an advantage.
I seriously do tire of this, but once again I just am not feeling what seems to be almost universal adoration for the current releases: 2015 Brunello di Montalcino. My gripe with the vintage? They are too easy to drink, they are already super enjoyable, they will probably age more quickly than I would prefer and never get to the palace that truly great vintage would.
2015 is in fact remarkably variable:
Some are exciting
Some punch you in the mouth
And some just sit there
There are plenty of very good wines on offer, it’s just a bit of challenge to pin down the quality of the vintage. The best attribute seems to be the approachability of almost all the wines, which should mean that wine drinkers should be able to get a picture of how their favorite wines are shaping up not only from the myriad professional reviews, which often are mere sip, swirl, and spit snapshots (which my notes admittedly are), but also from drinkers posting their notes worldwide. There is little mystery among many of these wines and that to me seems to be a shortfall.
And still, there is a lot to like so why not enjoy the bounty of good to excellent wines and not worry too much if you’re drinking the best ever from this estate or the product of some mythical vintage of the century!
I tasted these wines over the course of a day of tasting so take the review with a grain of salt. I don’t know if I got the first pour out of a bottle or the last, and didn’t spend a ton of time with each wine. I think my notes capture the essence of each wine, particular those that struck me defective, or those that really impressed me. The wines in the middle may have the least accurate assessment, and while I would love to have tried each wine a second time that was not logistically possible so here is what I got.
I hope you enjoy the notes!
94
2015 La Palazzetta Brunello di Montalcino
Delicate on the nose and very floral, high toned, saline and sandy toned. Lean and crisp in the mouth but not without a degree of sweetness to the tart red fruit. Simple and direct but with a lovely sweet/tart character and lovely nuanced complexity. A very fresh feel, light, lithe and long. I love this, it's fun and exciting to drink with superb fruit tannins that should ensure a decent life. 94pts
2015 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino
Wiry and herbal on the nose with very complex floral, dried fruit, tobacco, and briar aromas. Almost silky in the mouth, mineral and deep with terrific fruit, angular powerfully built Brunello. This has everything, is already approachable but explodes on the palate with juicy freshness, depth, sil tones and complexity. So long. 94pts
2015 Cerbaiona Brunello di Montalcino
Gorgeous purity of fruit on the nose with dried meats, a hint of ragu, and candied citrus peel notes. Well integrated, moderately rich with fine balance, this is packed with fruit, fresh yet black with herbal and floral nuance. This is so broad shouldered yet slender waisted, though it turns dense and a touch chewy on the moderately long finish. Very structured with great potential but this is slightly tough going even if it is generally well balanced. 94pts
2015 Querce Bettina Brunello di Montalcino
Deep, very intensely aromatic with huge fruit, spice notes, ginseng, fresh white flowers, captivating. Fresh on entry, complex in the mouth, bitter cherry fruit, linear, well sculpted with good depth on the palate, transparency a rather faceted presentation in the mouth, just terrific fruit that finishes with juicy acidity and a light citrus tone. Could use another year in a bottle, but this is powerful, complete, lively and detailed. 94pts
2015 Vasco Sassetti Brunello di Montalcino
Very complex with tons of cinnamon spice, leather, earth, pollen, violet and dark fruit aromas. Much more elegant in the mouth than the nose would suggest. Deep, rich, masculine flavors with fine sinewy length and terrific balance in the mouth. This is tight and requires time in the bottle but is terrific with great complexity, firm well balanced feel, and intense aromatics. 94pts
93
2015 Fossacolle Brunello di Montalcino
A bit smokey, dark fruit, clay, leather, damp tobacco and old wood accents, very classic. A bit chewy, tart red fruits up front followed by some herbal accents, and lots of soil tones all supported by slightly chewy tannins. This is long, just a bit rustic but full and bright with fine tobacco leaf accents. Needs another year to finish integrating. 93pts
2015 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino
A bit of thistle and plenty of dried herbs on the nose. Deep, vinous, gentle black fruit and worn leather notes. Sleek, elegant, almost seamless in the mouth with fine depth to the black fruit and leather character that yields to a fine mineral note on the long, lithe finish. Very fine with great inner mouth perfumes of fruit, dried orange peel, and dried herbs on the very long finish. 93pts
2015 Le Ragnaie Brunello di Montalcino
Smoky, salty, and almost flinty on the nose with very intense mediterranean herb and dried floral aromas. Light and elegant on the palate, vibrant and transparent with nice detail. Not a large scaled wine but nuanced and very complex with superb balance. Subtle if long on the finish, very refined, should improve but is already compelling. Great cut and energy on the palate. 93pts
2015 Salvioni - La Cerbaiola Brunello di Montalcino
Sophisticated and deep with layers of coriander, fresh red fruit, dried lemon, and dried meat/mortadella aromas. Elegant, very finely textured, a seductive wine with impressive depth of fruit. There are very attractive slightly crude fruit tannins here that should resolve well, on the long, burnished wood and tart red fruit fruit. Bright lifted, and juicy 93pts
92
2015 La Fornace Brunello di Montalcino
Dep clay tinged plummy dark fruit on the nose with plenty of oak and dark black spice. This is rich and fairly powerful with lots of substance in the mouth. There's some obvious wood tannin, but at the same time this is chewy and full, and the wine feels well balanced and should age niely. Very good and a crowd pleaser. 92pts
2015 Tenuta Le Potazzine Brunello di Montalcino
Totally different from every precedent wine. All cinnamon, rose hips, gentle oak, hazelnut and rose scented talc. Tight on entry, elegant, not lean but a bit firm and compressed, this is distinctive with fresher fruit and lots of rose and cinnamon accents that sets it apart. There's not a lot of follow through but this is distinctive and elegant with enough tannin to ensure an interesting evolution over 5-7 years. It really is quite attractive, if atypical. With very precise and fresh red fruit. Sneaky length. 92pts
2015 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino
Very black fruited shiny and slightly oaky, nutty oak on the nose. Moderately rich but right in the mouth with fine tannins, lots of fruit here but fresh even if it veers into the black end of the spectrum. Aromatic in the mouth, a touch extracted and chewy but with tons of depth here. This needs some more time in the bottle, probably best after 2-3 years. A bit of a powerhouse. But focused and detailed with a lovely mineral wash across the finale. 92pts
91
2015 Corte del Vento Brunello di Montalcino
Tobacco, ash and black fruit on the nose. Very fresh, lovely nuanced herbal note on the palate. This is very fresh and juicy, not hugely complex but with energy on the palate and lots of transparency and lift. Very fresh, nuanced wine, really liking this flavor profile. Delicate and elegant 91pts
2015 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino
Complex and rich showing some graham cracker accents laid over the base of dark berry fruit with a touch of dried orange peel lending complexity. Almost plump, round and generous in the mouth though retaining fine transparency. There's a fine sense of minerality here emerging on the back end along with some unnecessary wood tannins that flesh out the rather long finish. Not my style Not my deal, but quite good with real persistence to the sweet fruit. 91pts
2015 Piancornello Podere del Viscolo Brunello di Montalcino
Oaky and a bit raw on the nose with very floral yet high toned aromas. Fairly intense if slightly rustic and chewy. There's a lot going on here, it's not that well knit together but delivers an intense mouthful of chewy, slightly rustic but bold fruit. Good length, dusty, there's alot to like here but this is rustic if gutsy. 91pts
2015 Podere Brizio Brunello di Montalcino
Bristly, salty, and almost basaltic on the nose. Floral and red fruited. A bit sleek, then this turns quite gentle, juicy, sapid, and mineral. Lovely bright stuff with a delicate and fairly modest finish. A rather restrained style but with terrific flavors on the palate in a tart, red fruited style. Small scaled but attractive. 91pts
2015 Tenuta Crocedimezzo Brunello di Montalcino
Fleshy, meaty fruity nose with subtle nutty oak nuance, meditteranean herbs with a nuance of jasmine florality. Silky and fairly generous in the mouth. Juicy, dusty red fruit lingers on the moderately long finish. Lots of dusty, dried floral scented fruit on the palate delivered in a slightly rustic style with a bit of chewiness and plenty yet not excessive tannins. Lacks just a bit of follow through. 91pts
2015 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino
Fairly intense on the nose with plenty of dried herbs, blue marne, and spicy/sweet red fruits. Fairly big in the mouth, juicy and plump and structured. Seems like there's a lot of everything with terrific intensity to the fruit. Perhaps not very suave but this really fills the mouth. Just a bit crude but plenty to like. 91pts
2015 Campogiovanni Brunello di Montalcino
A bit reticent on the nose, slightly bricky with a touch of meatiness and rosehips accentuating the core of ripe, red fruit. A touch lean in the mouth, though this delivers a decent load of red fruit, all herb tinged and gently floral and saffrony in the mouth. Finishes very well, with energy and drive, medium dense and with good detail. This seems like it's on a positive development curve. I think I like this more than most will. Rather minty and perfumed in an ethereal way. 91pts
2015 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino
A bit nutty and woody on the nose with lots of fresh red fruit framed by hints of cigarette ash and candied lime. Light and fresh in the mouth, pinpoint tannins, juicy adis, though the flavor profile is very dark and the tannins clamp down a bit on the backend, still there are slightly minty aromatics and floral fruit that persists on the palate. Nice lift and freshness here paired with intense fruit that gets fresher with air. A touch extracted but quite good. 91pts
90
2015 La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino
Deep, a bit ashy on the nose but this offers up lots of sour fruit, toasted sice, herb, and leather notes. Fresh in the mouth, opulent but clear on the palate, almost fruity bobmy in a way but very likeable for its direct and pure cherry fruit. Verging on ready, fun to drink. 90pts
2015 Le Chiuse Brunello di Montalcino
Smoky, very floral but quite fruited at the same time with lots of spice and dried berry fruit. Perhaps just faintly dirty in the mouth, but complex, earthy, and slightly chewy. Attractive weight though a bit matte in the mouth at this point. This is more about potential today with the balance to age very well. Chewy and nuanced. Should improve but already developing lovely inner mouth perfumes and rich clay and calcareous soil tones. 90pts
2015 Poggio Landi Brunello di Montalcino
Clay, bricks, pink peppercorn, and salty on the nose. A bit loose in the mouth, broad and nicely detailed on the palate, very refined with small dried red cherry fruit and a nice heathery, dried floral wash across the palate. Finishes with good length, dusty tannins, a touch leathery but also retaining a touch of sweetness. Small scaled but complete in a traditional style. 90pts
2015 Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino
Clay with a slightly gummy aspect to the herb tinged red fruits. Enters the mouth with a fine sense of delicacy, delivers plenty of nuanced red fruits. Decent length, lacks the complexity of the best but is so approachable and well balanced, it's actually quite complete. Though it finishes a little on the weak side. 90pts
2015 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino
A touch toasty on the nose and a bit heathery with sour red fruits and a touch of pink peppercorn. Fresh on entry, broad and clear on the palate, the tannins here are very well managed, abundant but soft, and this remains elegant in the mouth finishing with a subtle sweetness and lovely clay and cranberry notes. Almost easy going, and almost ready to drink with a lifted, fresh character in the mouth. 90pts
2015 Casenuove delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino
A bit exotic with tons of citrus, fine herbs and salty almost seaside aromas along with blue floral notes and a touch of campfire. Fresh, with some austere bristly tannins, complex if not particularly deep on the palate. Lovely nose but lacking a touch of intensity in the mouth. Floral and sandy soil tones. Fine length and naunce on the finish. Old school. I like this more than most. 90pts
89
2015 Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino
A nice array of red fruits on the nose with some clay soil and leathery accents and a nice floral top note. Smooth, medium bodied and elegant with fine, lacy delicate red fruit on the palate followed by a slightly chewy, deep and vaguely sweet backend which leads to a modest finish. There is nice complexity here with fine density on a medium weight frame. Sneaky 89pts
2015 Cordella Brunello di Montalcino
Very orange peel toned on the nose, citrussy, perhaps a suggestion of wood but fresh and bright. A touch chewy, very cherry fruited, simple but chewy but long with dusty tannins. A hint of rusticity but in an attractive way. A touch dense but long, sinewy and fresh. 89pts
2015 Gianni Brunelli Le Chiuse di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino
A touch of wood spice tops the cherry and herb nose. Rather intense on the nose. Playful on entry, decidedly open knit and showing a nice blend of fresh fruit and aged character. Slight chewy and slightly short with some blue floral notes on the finish along with a hint of dry wood tannin. A lot on the backend here but this is just a bit chunky. 89pts
2015 Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino
Delicate and fairly floral on the nose with sour red fruits, a touch lactic, Delicate in the mouth, a touch indistinct, pleasant and easy going with a one two step of transparent red fruit and dried herbal character that is pleasant but short and simple. Elegant and refined though perhaps lacking some intensity. Though it does pop on the finish, long, juicy and bright with fine inner mouth perfumes, but still a bit simple. 89pts
2015 Voliero Brunello di Montalcino
Some graham cracker and mint notes on the nose with a dark, slightly latex driven small core of black fruit. A little chewy, this is a bit small aceled but delivers tons of almost sweet/tart red fruit to the palate. Simple but plump with perhaps a touch too much tannin, still it should age well though might remain a touch simple, though with a lovely, firm balanced feel. 89pts
2015 Capanna Brunello di Montalcino
Intensely fruity, all wild red berry fruits, some raw oak, and some braised vegetal basenotes. A touch loose on entry, soft but fairly tannic, Chewy and fairly fresh with good length to the finish. There's lots of tart fruit here and a lovely earthy core but this is on the tight side and needs another 2 years to harmonize. Tannic but with good stuffing. 89pts
2015 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino
Intense dark fruits on the nose simple but powerful, with some extracted tea notes and lots of tobacco. Very tea like on entry as well with some damp tobacco notes accenting a core of slightly roasted fruit. Tannins are dry and firm though this retains great minerality on the backend and through the fairly long and red fruited finish. A bit too tough and chewy but there's a lot here and it might surprise on the upside. 89pts
88
2015 Cortonesi la Mannella Brunello di Montalcino
Dusty, earthy and complex with some black fruit and mediterranean herbs. A matte and broad shouldered in the mouth, clay, a bit simple with a certain density and opacity on the palate. This needs another year in bottle with plenty of dark berry fruit that shows good persistence but this is just a touch spackly in the mouth and doesn’t refresh the palate. 88pts
2015 Cupano Brunello di Montalcino
Slightly creamy and nutty oak greets the nose followed by lots of astringent red fruit with fresh leather accents. A touch tight on the palate with red fruit that shows some tobacco leaf nuance and hints of dried orange peel before dissolving in a gentle if long and pleasantly tannic finish Very pleasant with good persistence 88pts
2015 Mocali Brunello di Montalcino
A touch volatile, wild cherry fruit, minty and high toned. Small scaled, plump, easy to drink and decidedly in a friendly style. Just a bit chewy, this is simple but fun to drink if a bit short. It’s rounded and even though it's fairly tannic today though easy to drink with refreshing acidity on the finish. Perhaps just a whisper too extracted. 88pts
2015 Renieri Brunello di Montalcino
Dark and moderately toasty on the nose with intense aromas of leather black fruit. Polished, black fruited in the mouth with good depth and lots of very spicy nuances. A bit flat, kind of short, slightly plump but also fairly structured with a dark, matte chewy character and a slightly extracted feel on the finish. There's lots of black cherry fruit here lurking behind it all. 88pts
2015 Ridolfi Brunello di Montalcino
Lots of orange peel and butcher wax character on the nose along with nuanced caraway and coriander spice notes. Very complex, red and juicy. Relaxed, much riper on the palate than the nose would suggest, acids are a touch soft and the flavors show baked red fruit character with incipient truffle notes. There's not much to the finish, subtle and fairly elegant, and of modest proportions. 88pts
2015 Agostina Piero Brunello di Montalcino
Opens with a balsamic cast to the nose followed by wildflower aromas and a hint of flinty, basaltic minerality. A touch soft, or rather supple in the mouth, elegant and quite pleasant with subtle red fruit and plenty of butchers wax and polleny floral tones. Tannins are fine grained, if abundant, drying out the finish a bit. 88pts
87
2015 Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino
High toned and gently spicy with an almost green edge to the wild berry fruit, though there is a slightly distracting note of old wood here. Light and elegant in the mouth, very refined, long and gentle Good acidity but the tannins here are quite small and rounded. Playful and elegant if a touch dry. More texturally appealing than rich with flavor. 87pts
2015 La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino
Smokey and gently oaky on the nose with a touch of vanilla, layered over dark, herb tinged and slightly anonymous fruit. A bit chewy up front and delivering a fair load of fruit on the palate, black fruited almost curranty and slightly jammy. A touch short but pleasant. 87pts
2015 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino
Very citrusy and almost raspberry/strawberry fruited on the nose with some arugula and tobacco accent notes. Rather fruity in style, fresh and just vaguely chunky. A lusty, medium scaled wine with lacy tannins and a modest finish. Chewy and friendly. 87pts
2015 Il Togata La Togata Brunello di Montalcino
Spicy and floral on the nose, bricks, leather and rosehips aromas. Old school, bright,a bit lean, though elegant and fine. The flavors tend to the dried out end of the spectrum and while this is tannic it is quite aromatic in the mouth at the same time. Decent length and balance. On the austere side. 87pts
2015 Le Gode Brunello di Montalcino
Intense sweet fruit, clay, very peety and slightly bretty in nature. Rich yet transparent in the mouth, with a slightly dried out palate impression but plenty of freshness. This is tannic but in a fairly refined way, the intensity and depth of the nose doesn’t seem to be transferring to the palate yet though this should flesh out with additional bottle age if the brett doesn’t kill it. 87pts
2015 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino
Slightly toasty on the nose with a hint of vanillin lurking behind finely rendered spicy black cherry fruit. Fresh, nuanced and fairly complex if a bit modern sheen. Light on entry, lithe in the mouth with a juicy deliver of red fruit. Small scaled, though simple in the mouth with tart red fruits that show decent length. Easy to drink if on the simple side. 87pts
2015 Quercecchio Brunello di Montalcino
Streaks of cigar ash and green herbs grace the nose along with some slightly stewy though very red fruits. A touch loose on entry, then gaining some tannic tension across the palate. Small scaled with very pleasant dried berry fruit, clay, and tobacco notes that lead to a chalky, modest finish. A touch wiry and lean, very fresh flavor profile. 87pts
2015 Capanne Ricci Brunello di Montalcino
A bit of seaweed on the nose, extracted floral notes, a hint of sour leather and some white pepper. Lively in the mouth, playful and easy going but still fairly structured with good cut on the palate. In fact this is quite tannic but nice fruit tannins which clips the finish. A touch rustic in structure with modest, pleasant fruit on the palate though this remains short. 87pts
86
2015 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino
Dark fruit, some wood tones and fairly spicy with a faint hint of dirtiness lurking in the background. A bit chunky, pleasant, very typical dried fruits up front, this turns lean and more elegant if short on the backend. Classic but small scaled wine with a gentle sweetness at its core. It does strike me as short and simple on the finish though. 86pts
2015 Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino
Sweet, caramelly on the nose, sour plum, and leather, complex if a bit heavy. A bit chewy and extracted in the mouth, lots of dry tannin but juicy acidity as well. Powerful yet fresh but a bit too dark and extracted, not pleasurable. but impressive. 86pts
2015 Tiezzi Poggio Cerino Brunello di Montalcino
Leathery, perhaps a touch of brett, medicinal and cola scented with medicinal black cherry fruit. A bit diffuse in the mouth, though not heavy, nor intense for that matter. Simple, pleasant wine with a bit too much tannin. There's something attractive here but this is dry and austere. Somehow I like the excessive austerity here. 86pts
2015 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino
Clay, old wood, dried meats and a rather noticeable note of crayon greets the nose. Raher supple in the mouth, soft tannins, soft acids, easy going with herbal and dried fruit character. A bit boring and short, With some complexity but not very interesting. 86pts
85
2015 Col d”Orcia Brunello di Montalcino
Dusty, delicate, faintly sweet red berry fruit with hints of leather and perhaps a hint of VA on the nose. A bit lean, Fairly austere, light on the palate with dry tannins. Nuanced, leathery and short. 85pts
2015 Elia Palazzesi Collelceto Brunello di Montalcino
Grassy, tea toned, and saffrony on the nose, with some black pepper spice and a hint of dry earth. Bright, juicy, and quite nervous in the mouth with well developed flavors of dried fruit that shows an incipient truffle note. Short finish, A bit lean and dried out but typical and pleasant. 85pts
2015 Fattoria Barbi Brunello di Montalcino
Lean, floral, some faint candied cough tones on the nose with a background note of beetroot and medicinal spice. Bright up front but then this turns a bit dull and slightly heavy on the midpalate. Simple, old school, and a bit trippingly austere. Simple, small and old school. 85pts
84
2015 Cortonesi Brunello di Montalcino
A bit of oak streaks the nose. With spice and coffee bean character. Juicy, rounded, some astringent tannins mar the palate, this is chewy and a bit dusty in the mouth with a modest and decidedly earthy and slightly dull finish. 84pts
2015 La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino
Earthy with lots of dark spicy, black spice. A bit fluid and loose in the mouth, This has an odd blend of chewiness, dense tannins, lots of leathery character, and weight in the mouth. Chewy, in need of 2-3 bottle age but not sure where this goes as it's quite tannic today with fruit that seems extracted and yet lean. 84
2015 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino
Very fresh and fruity on the nose, then a touch musty with old barrel smells, and slightly dirty, oldschool old Rioja aromas. Lean on the palate, dry, austere, long, there's some muscle here and even some incipient elegance, but this lacks a bit of depth and nuance. Old school and a bit clumsy. 84pts
83
2015 Palagetto - Bellarina Brunello di Montalcino
Dark, a bit oaky and high toned. Chewy a bit dense, loaded with dark and dried fruits that leak out onto a medium length and wood tannin dominated finish. Chewy, dense and four square, though this might improve with some age, still no fun. 83pts
82
2015 Fattoi Brunello di Montalcino
A bit latex and volatile on the nose, Off Putting. Narrow and focused in the mouth though this lacks height on the palate and liveliness. A bit chewy with some pleasant orange and red fruit notes on the finish but clipped and simple. 82pts
2015 Tenuta Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino
Nutty, dark, and black peppery on the nose with a touch of VA. A touch loose in the mouth, broad and not terrible focused with dark flavors, modest intensity. Delicate and diffuse. 82pts
81
2015 Ferrero Brunello di Montalcino
High toned and metallic on the nose with aromas of resiny old wood.Plump but hollow, a bit dried out, some cranberry fruit here, but this is front loaded and clumsy. 81pts
Not recommended
2015 Roberto Cipresso Brunello di Montalcino
The nose smells very medicinala, with lots of green herb notes, odd on the palate as well, a little bitter, very extracted, tactile, and very short. What is this from? There's fruit here, but its just very coarse and chalky and oaky on dry finish. 78pts
2015 Villa Poggio Salvi Brunello di Montalcino
A bit dirty, wiry and almost barnyardy not attractive. Chewy, dry, austere, and even diffuse. Finishes well enough with decent length and some fruit. Tough going. Dried out and lean. 78pts
2015 La Colombina Brunello di Montalcino
Dirty and earthy on the nose. All cola and aged characters. Dried out, earthy and lean in the mouth. Thankfully short, dry and without any detail. 74pts
Judgement reserved
2015 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino
Reticent on the nose, smoky, ashy, green herbs and almost grassy. Some wood on entry, then this is very compact and extracted. Dry, simple, tannic while not extracted, Probably closed. JR
2015 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino
Fresh, a touch nutty perhaps but showing lots of dried herb, dried spice, and dried red fruit character. Moderately big, a bit compressed in the mouth with little depth on the palate or follow through. Closed and tight in the mouth, though well balanced. JR