Italy Wines

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A ruby/red color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino is a bit understated. Initially ripe with aromas of baked red plum, woodsy earth, and balsamic herbs, it’s full-bodied on the palate and offers grippy tannins and an earthy profile with a clean finish. It would be well-matched to pair with a steak drizzled with olive oil. Drink 2024-2032.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDAromas of cedar, berries, orange peel and some lifted notes follow through to a full body with chewy tannins and a tangy finish. Lots of new wood. May be a little too much. But it should come around with bottle age. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 91 JS

The organic La Torre 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is elegant and tight with floral notes, iris root and a sweet note of cherry confit or crème de cassis. It has a cushiony feel, or bounce, and the wine envelopes the whole palate without pulling too strong in any one direction. Some sweetness carries to the palate. This pretty wine would benefit from a few more years of bottle age. Production is 14,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino La Torre is born of the earth, as a burst of crushed ashen stones and wild herbs give way to dried black cherries. This is surprisingly juicy and sleek, with vividly ripe red plums complicated by saline minerals and savory spice. Green olives resonate under an air of violet inner florals. The 2019 finishes long, structured and staining. A pleasantly rustic character here may not be for everyone, but I think it works pretty well.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2019 Brunello from La Torre has a shy nose that eventually offers whiffs of leather, resin, forest floor and botanical herb. The linear palate offers juicy Morello cherry, tangerine and coffee bean alongside firm, fine-grained tannins. Drink 2027–2034. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 90 KO

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino wafts up from the glass with an airy, minty freshness as dusty dried flowers, strawberries and pine shavings join the fray. This is lifted and finessed with soft textures and cooling mineral tones complementing its seductively ripe red berry fruits. It maintains fabulous energy throughout. The mouth is left watering despite its classic tannin profile and lingering tart wild berry concentration. The 2019 from Le Macioche possesses a wonderful combination of power and purity. This estate has been continually raising the bar with each passing vintage.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis Brunello combines vivid cherry, strawberry and chocolate aromas and flavors with savory notes of eucalyptus, spice, mineral and tobacco. Solidly structured yet balanced, with fine-grained tannins shoring up the lengthy finish. Best from 2027 through 2043. 1,650 cases made, 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSLots of dark fruits with dried lavender followed by allspice and a touch of citrus. Medium-bodied with round and chewy tannins. Healthy and muscular. Better after 2028.Decanter | 93 DECLots of dark fruits with dried lavender followed by allspice and a touch of citrus. Medium-bodied with round and chewy tannins. Healthy and muscular. Better after 2028.James Suckling | 93 JSBlue flower, menthol, new leather, forest floor and a whiff of game lead the nose on the fragrant 2019 Brunello from Le Macioche. Linear and showing an earthy elegance, the savory palate features ripe black cherry, blood orange, dried mint, licorice and cocoa before closing on a note of white truffle. Taut, fine-grained tannins provide the framework. Drink 2028–2034. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KO

Planted in 1996, La Lucére distinguishes itself from San Filippo’s other sites with its full eastern exposure and silty, sandstone soil. The 2019 harvest saw multiple passages from the end of September through to the first week of October. It takes its time to unravel, progressing from exotic and integrated oak spice and cedar forest to intense cherry and currants with hints of fennel, pressed flowers and dark chocolate. Glossy wood adds weight and breadth to a mouthful of stones and cherry pit. The tannins are smooth and tightly woven while fresh, steely acidity cuts vertically giving magnificent vibrancy. It lingers quite tenaciously, with juxtaposing bitter coffee and vanilla cherry.Decanter | 96 DECBlack cherry, cedar and dried flowers on the nose follow through to a medium to full body with chewy tannins and a savory finish. Lots of structure. Muscular and wholesome yet there’s a softness and beauty. Better after 2027.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino le Lucére is a darkly concentrated wine with black fruit and a very creamy side. There are aromas of coconut butter and vanilla that meet bakery aromas of croissant or pie crust. The oak renderings are significant, but I give it good cellar potential, as it fleshes out, especially because there is plenty of dark primary fruit to give it aging momentum.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPRich, round and juicy, this satiny and harmonious red sports cherry, plum, blackberry and chocolate flavors. Even the tannins are civilized and well-integrated, providing an overall charm. Expansive on the finish, with notes of mint, dusty mineral and spices. Best from 2026 through 2042. 800 cases made, 400 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Showing intensity and elegance, the delicious Padelletti 2019 Brunello is a stunner, starting with enticing aromas of dog rose, violet, forest berry, dark spice, crushed mint and a whiff of flint. On the linear, precise palate, a backbone of firm but refined tannins and bright acidity support juicy red cherry, orange zest, licorice and tobacco. Lay this down for several more years and you’ll be rewarded with even more complexity. Drink 2028–2044. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOTo the northeast of Montalcino, tucked just beneath the town, Padelletti’s vineyards sit on limestone-rich calcareous clay. The Brunello is fermented in lined cement vats with indigenous yeast and aged in French and Slavonian oak casks. Emblematic of the 2019 vintage, this appears delicate at first then bursts into a floral frenzy of peony, freesia and red currant blossoms. Behind all that prettiness, the palate packs a sneaky punch. Compact, chalky tannins provide the architecture for ageing. Seamlessly knit, they could soften more. Beautiful clarity of raspberry and rose is amplified by radiant acidity, and the finish goes on and on. Exquisite Sangiovese buoyancy.Decanter | 96 DECThe Padelletti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows hints of dried herb and ripe fruit over a nicely concentrated mouthfeel. This wine shows a classic fruit profile with bold cherry followed by underbrush, rose and earth all delivered over a mid-weight palate with fine tannins. This bottle gives you a very representative view onto Brunello and Sangiovese.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a pretty blend of dusty rose, strawberries and flowery undergrowth, which is airy, floral and fresh. This washes across the palate like a wave of pure silk, vividly fruit-focused yet harmonious, with vibrant acidity and crisp red fruits that cascade beneath a sweet air of inner florals. The 2019 finishes staining and long with grippy tannins that tug at the cheeks yet never tire as licorice hints fade.Vinous Media | 93 VMFlourishing, lifted red and purple flowers, followed by red cherries, brambles and a hint of rosemary. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Vibrant yet delicate and elegant, despite the young tannins. Hint of balsamic at the end. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 92 JS

Darkly alluring and spicy, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino emanates from the glass with an earthy blend of crushed rocks, savory herbs, spiced blood orange and dried cherries. This soothes the palate with its soft textures and depths of wild berry fruit. Brisk acidity and mineral tones add lift but also depth. The 2019 finishes dramatically long and structured, turning youthfully inward on itself as orange and rosy inner florals resonate. The house style is on full display here, elevated by the radiant fruits of the 2019 vintage.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens to dried cassis and cranberry, and there is a hint of something floral and fragile, like crushed red rose petals or potpourri. However, the wine also shows growing momentum, especially as it opens in the glass and you start to recognize dark spice, clove, bay leaf and thyme. There is a point of sweetness on the mid-palate, even some dried raspberry, rendering an overall more accessible wine. Compared to the brilliant fruit in the Filo di Seta, this village wine has drier notes with hints of daisy greens and dried currant.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPolished and refined wine with aromas of wild strawberries, dark cherries and violets.Rich and full-bodied with balanced, soft acidity. Firm and fine-grained tannins. Energetic. Better after 2027.James Suckling | 93 JS

So floral and fresh with rose stem, sandalwood and orange blossom. Cherries, too. Full-bodied yet reserved and held back with creamy fine tannins and a beautiful finish. Shows brightness and finesse. Silky texture. One of the best I have had from here. A Brunello that emphasizes purity of fruit. Give this three to four years more. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSThe Cerbaia 2019 Brunello is utterly delicious. It opens with heady aromas of blue flower, wild herb and camphor but really opens up on the smooth, savory palate, delivering juicy black cherry, blackberry, blood orange, truffle and tobacco alongside tightly woven, velvety tannins. Drink 2027–2034. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe | 94 KOThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is earthy and savory in the best possible way with an almost rustic, yet not quite, blend of old cedar spice box and dried roses elevated by orange zest and bright cherries. This is wonderfully pure and silky, with a measured inner sweetness and masses of ripe red and blue fruits that swirl throughout. Juicy acidity maintains a lovely energy as the 2019 finishes long and staining. Fine-grained tannins saturate, and a resonance of tart cranberry puckers the cheeks. This energetic and sleek Brunello from Cerbaia will require minimal cellaring to show its best.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Boasting great depth and extreme elegance, the drop-dead gorgeous Ciacci Piccolomini Pianrosso delivers crushed raspberry, succulent Morello cherry, star anise and crushed mint flavors while aromas of eucalyptus, wild rose, new leather and forest floor continuously lift out of the glass. It’s a smooth, stunning wine, with taut, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity that lend great aging potential and energy. Absolutely stunning. Drink 2029–2044. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 100 KOThe Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso opens to a wide and all-encompassing bouquet with dried cherry or cherry pie with the crust, plum tart and rose potpourri. There are evident oak tones, but they fold into underbrush, grilled herb and the generous texture of this wine. Likewise, the 15% alcohol content also neatly disappears into the wine’s fleshy fruit consistency. For sure, this is a wine that needs more bottle evolution in order to hone in on the silkiness and pretty freshness of such an important Sangiovese. Exactly 43,054 bottles were made along with about 1,000 larger formats.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPAged in Slavonian oak for 36 months, Pianrosso is a selection from the self-titled vineyard: 11 hectares in the lower southeast of Montalcino. The grapes were harvested between 11 September and 4 October 2019, suggesting a classic vintage. It shines for its Earl Grey tea aroma combined with dark cherry, cinnamon, liquorice, and a floral bouquet. The fruit character is very dark and precise; gorgeous in this vintage. Full bodied, thick and velvety with firm, long yet integrated acidity, it tapers on the finish but this should be considered a signifier of its elegance.Decanter | 97 DECSweet berries and cherries on the nose, together with fresh violet and lilac notes. Full body with juicy tannins and a flavorful finish that opens on the palate. Lots of ripe cherry flavor. Tar, too. A rich and layered Pianrosso. One of the bigger, riper wines of the vintage, but still holds true. Try in 2027.James Suckling | 94 JS

Orthodox in taste and vinification, a Brunello of intensity and tension. The nose shows hints of pomegranate, with touches of eucalyptus and juniper, then citrine thyme in the closing. Sip with salty-sapid tannins, with a return of balsamic notes and pomegranate.Luca Gardini (Gardini Notes) | 100 GNPerfumed with sweet berry, fresh flower and cedar aromas that follow through to a medium-bodied palate with firm and chewy tannins and a fresh finish. Very classy and structured. Extremely long. Give it time to open. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSShowing the intensity and concentration of the vintage but also the finesse that’s the hallmark of this storied estate, the 2019 Fuligni is a stunner. It opens with aromas of camphor, violet, dog rose and spice while the full-bodied, enveloping palate delivers succulent black cherry, crushed raspberry, dried mint and licorice alongside velvety tannins. Boasting a weightless elegance, it closes on a note of almond liqueur. Drink 2029–2039. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOWith dark fruit balanced out by savory notes of tobacco leaf or cigar ash, the Fuligni 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is rich and beautifully concentrated. In little time, the bouquet reveals a floral interlude with dried rose petal and a tropical note of hibiscus. This wine shows a lot of angles, all very pleasant, that work together. The tannins are dusty and finely textured with a hint of powdery cocoa to close. Production is 33,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPDusty and floral, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a perfumed blend of dried roses, cherries, mint and lavender candies. It’s elegant and seamlessly silky on the palate, enveloping the senses with ripe red berry fruits contrasted by a bitter clove tinge. A core of brisk acidity maintains a lovely balance as a web of fine tannins saturates the palate, and a pleasantly chewy sensation remains. The 2019 is classic to the core.Vinous Media | 96 VM

After excellent showings from the 2018 vintage, Canalicchio di Sopra follows up with an impressive trio of 2019s. There is also a highly promising Riserva waiting in the wings... In the meantime, the current releases kick off with the estate Brunello, which is assembled from vines that are at least a decade old. It’s a model of freshness and energy, backed by substance and staying power. Aromas of mint, lavender and tobacco lead to a radiant core of warm stone and red currants. The tannins are direct and linear, giving a firm grip to the dense fruit. Bitter citrus to finish.Decanter | 95 DECWith a hint of candied cherry, grenadine or Shirley Temple, the Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Brunello di Montalcino reveals purple blossom, dried flower, cough drop and balsam herb. The wine is very nicely stitched together with integrated oak that comes through in a structural way but not too much on the bouquet. The tannins do feel dry on the mid-palate, but they remain fine and tight. The alcohol is a bit high in this vintage at 15%. Production is 47,321 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPBlack cherry, black berry, and lead pencil on the nose. Some fresh bark too. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a fresh finish. Linear tannins. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 94 JSNew leather, camphor, forest floor and exotic brown spice aromas lead the nose on the robust, savory 2019 Brunello from Canalicchio. This is a big, bold red, delivering liquor-soaked prune, succulent black cherry, licorice and tobacco alongside a backbone of firm, tightly woven tannins. You’ll also feel the warmth of alcohol on the close. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KOThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens slowly in the glass, earthy, dusty and floral, showing a savory blend of wild herbs and black cherries. This is surprisingly energetic on the palate, with silk textures and a juicy core of wild berry fruit complemented by violet inner florals toward the close. A saturation of fine tannins clamps down hard through the finish as the 2019 tapers off dry and with admirable length, leaving a tactile mineral crunch to fade. Extensive cellaring will be required.Vinous Media | 92 VM

In my mind, this is the wine that best represents the Casanova di Neri house style. With 30 months of aging in tonneaux, it shows enormous richness and texture, and the stellar fruit quality appears with more primary elegance compared to the more expensive Cerretalto that is released with an extra year of aging. That dynamic is especially pronounced in a comparison of the 2019 and 2018 vintages. The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova has a dark vein of toasted spice, black fruit, ink, blackberry compote, licorice and star anise. Dark as night, it is exceptionally well crafted with a robust delivery of concentrated fruit and solid tannic structure. You can count on excellent cellar potential, or at a minimum, serve it with a classic steak. Production is exactly 69,696 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPBlack cherries with violets and other flowers on the nose. Full-bodied with chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Needs time to soften. Give it three to five years of bottle age. Better after 2025.James Suckling | 96 JS

Stunning from the first tilt of the glass, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is impossible to ignore. This blends an array of dried flowers with autumnal spices, cedar-tinged cherries and clove hints in a way that I find wildly appealing. It sweeps across the palate with textures of pure silk guided by bright acidity as depths of wild berry fruits and mineral tones saturate toward the close. The 2019 lingers impossibly long, leaving a staining of primary concentration to mingle with grippy tannins and licorice nuances, yet an airy freshness remains through it all. The combination of house style and vintage character here is otherworldly. It will take much willpower to keep our hands off of the 2019 long enough to watch it properly mature. Spellbinding.Vinous Media | 98 VMProprietor Gigliola Giannetti confirms that 2019 is one of those rare vintages that the estate produced a Riserva as well - but we will have to wait a couple more years for its release. Harvested between 27 September and 5 October, Le Potazzine’s Brunello 2019 exhibits all the vintage’s signature fragrance. Heady cherry blossom, freesia and violet entice immediately while promising more to come. Pure and delineated, the palate offers almost a plushness of strawberry and red cherry, then long, suede-like tannins arrive in waves, never drowning out the fruit. Dense yet spacious with a sophisticated texture, this needs more time.Decanter | 97 DECShowing the estate’s hallmark of finesse and the intensity of the vintage, the 2019 Brunello from Le Potazzine has aromas of fragrant blue flower, crushed mint, new leather and wild berry. Full-bodied and savory, the savory palate has a weightless concentration, delivering raspberry tart, ripe Morello cherry, baking spice and star anise set against firm, fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Drink 2028–2039. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOLe Potazzine farms some of the highest vineyards in the appellation at 420 to 507 meters above sea level. As we know, high elevations are essential today for maintaining acidity and aromatic freshness, especially in the face of climate change. That has never been a problem for this estate, and the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino delivers all the goods. The bouquet opens to dried cranberry, redcurrant, rosemary flower and light spice. The palate is streamlined and elegant, concluding with powdery tannins. This is a 16,000-bottle release.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPBright and pure, featuring strawberry, cherry, rose, mineral and wild herb flavors. This straddles the line between delicate, elegant and electric, with vivid acidity and resonant tannins. Offers superb harmony and a lingering aftertaste of red fruit. Best from 2026 through 2043. 2,600 cases made, 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSExpressive red-fruit and floral notes, followed by cloves and a touch of fresh mint leaves. Medium-bodied with firm and sturdy tannins. Precise and compact on the palate. Give it more time to soften. Hold until 2027.James Suckling | 93 JS