Wine Producing Countries

wines

A jeweled ruby/magenta hue, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Rennina shows off smoldering aromas of incense, cigar box, kirsch, lavender, and sage. It transitions to the palate with ease and is approachable, with refined tannins, mouthwatering, seamless acidity, a long-lasting finish, and a hint of warming spices on the back palate. An outstanding and seductive wine, it’s hard to resist now but will have lots of longevity ahead. Drink 2026-2046.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDImpeccably balanced with that proverbial Gaja Madias Touch that always denotes an extra level of creaminess or fruit concentration that fits lock and key with the wine’s acidity and velvety tannic structure, this is a truly gorgeous wine. The Pieve Santa Restituta 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina represents a blend of fruit from sites of various soil compositions and exposures. In this classic vintage, you can count on a wine that is firmly structured and important in terms of mouthfeel, but it also yields to delicate and softer nuances of wild rose, toasted cumin seed, campfire ash and grilled rosemary. The wine sticks to the palate and offers long-lasting black fruit flavors.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPFrom three vineyards directly surrounding the Pieve Santa Restituta winery in Tavernelle, the Rennina bottling is akin to Barbaresco, according to Angelo Gaja. Harvested between 12 September to 1 October, the 2019 definitely mines Sangiovese’s elegant side. Sweet Mediterranean herb nuances of tarragon, mint and sage are joined by cedary oak tones. Shiny, polished and balanced yet with underlying tension, the palate offers red berries tinged with bitter orange peel and tobacco. Finely powdered, clayey tannins cling confidently to the edges, while appetising acidity races through the core. Full, but not heavy and with a satisfying crunch, this will be accessible before the Sugarille but should be at least as long lived.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Pieve Santa Restituta is gorgeous, starting with its aromas of lavender, forest floor, sun-warmed hay, camphor and exotic brown spice. Linear and focused, the savory, elegantly structured palate features ripe Morello cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and cake spice framed in taut, refined tannins that give it a smooth, polished texture. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. To date, this is the best wine I’ve ever had from Gaja’s Montalcino estate. Drink 2027–2039. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 96 KOAromas of sweet cherries, roses, sweet tobacco, and hints of jam. Full and layered. Lots of fruit. Juicy finish. Chewy at the end, and with air it becomes layered and very structured. Cellar it. Give it three or four years. Best after 2027.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina pulls the taster down to the earth with a beguiling blend of crushed ashen stones and grilled herbs, giving way to red plums and violet pastille. It sweeps across the palate with silky textures yet possesses a wiry framework that adds a sultry character. Salty mineral tones complicate its tart red berry fruits. Edgy tannins collect toward the close, inflected by orange hints and a pleasantly bitter tinge that lingers on and on. Currently, the Rennina is all elbows and knees, yet I’m very excited to see where this distinctly savory Brunello is headed.Vinous Media | 94 VM

This wine is a star of the vintage. It is made with fruit from vines planted in 1968 in ancient soils rich in quartz at a very high 600 meters in elevation. The Le Ragnaie 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Ragnaie V. V. (the initials stand for “vecchie vigne,” or "old vines") reveals a soulful personality with a very elegant set of aromas and compelling complexity. There is heritage rose, lilac and something earthy like tarragon or marjoram. Underripe cherry and redcurrant are found at the core; however, that ethereal herbal note continues to the palate where it meets a chalky mineral tone. Powdery tannins stick to the side of your mouth for a very long time. Only 4,400 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPA similar medium red color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Ragnaie V.V. is another showstopper, with stunning floral and layered aromas of licorice, ripe red cherries, blood orange, and clove. Mouthwatering and structured, this is a noble wine, and while it’s medium-bodied. It’s not for the faint of heart. With ripe, angular tannins that frame this wine, it propels through the palate with notes of saline and vibrant acidity. Long and tension-packed, it demands several years of proper cellaring and feels as though it will improve over the coming two decades at a glacial pace. Drink 2027-2047.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDOwner Riccardo Campinoti reports that the 2019 harvest was slightly early by the estate’s standards: he picked his 50-plus-year-old vines on 4 October, giving the must a long maceration of 45-50 days. After seven months in bottle, it demonstrates the same precision and minerality that were evident in cask. Currently somewhat stern, it’s intriguing in its reticence. Through iron and warm stone nuances, black raspberry pokes through. This will never be a big, rich wine, yet as the dense layers unfold and those chalky tannins relax their grip, its enveloping nature will provide much pleasure.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino VV is youthfully coy in the glass, lifting up with a nuanced blend of dried roses, licorice and clove, excited by hints of spiced oranges. This is cool-toned and saline in character, with silken textures contrasted by crisp red fruits and salty mineral tones that saturate the senses. The 2019 finishes long, primary and with crunchy tannins, yet there are depths of complexity here just waiting to unfold. This is quite forbidding today, yet in five to ten years, I expect a magical experience.Vinous Media | 95+ VMBright and tangy cherry and raspberry fruit heralds this supple red, which is ripe and juicy, backed by fine-grained tannins, with floral and earth accents adding detail. Vivid, charming and integrated, this feels approachable now, yet should improve over the next decade. Drink now through 2040. 370 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

So perfumed and seductive on the nose, with black cherries, minerals and rose petals that follow through to a medium body with ultra-fine tannins. Its finesse and vision tell you why Brunello is great. Long, vivid and beautifully balanced. Already a joy to taste, but best after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSLavender, eucalyptus, dark spice, new leather and juniper berry aromas shape the beautiful nose on the 2021 Fuligni Brunello. All about class and finesse, the palate boasts great intensity, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, blood orange, star anise and rosemary alongside vibrant acidity. Taut, refined tannins lend support. While incredibly tempting, this is still young so give it time to reach its full potential. Drink 2031–2041. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOThe Fuligni 2021 Brunello di Montalcino is an elegant expression with layers of dark fruit and blackcurrant that give way to pressed rose, grilled herb and petrichor, recalling rocks bathed in hot sunlight. The wine is chiseled and refined, owing to the classic nature of the vintage and the restrained, non-extractive house style that distinguishes Fuligni, a historic estate based just outside the village of Montalcino on higher-elevation sites. The wine shows precision with fine tannic tension and a linear, poised finish, making it an ideal match for traditional Tuscan dishes such as pappardelle al cinghiale or grilled lamb with rosemary. The wine ages for three years in Slavonian oak casks and tonneaux, resulting in a production of 30,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2021 Brunello di Montalcino mixes crushed violets and roses with nuances of sour citrus and wild berries to form its alluring bouquet. A model of purity, it is surprisingly lifted yet silken in feel, with pretty red berry fruits swirling across a tactile mineral core. Sweet tannins and a staining of primary concentration remain, finishing long and balanced with a pleasantly chewy sensation that lingers. While already appealing, the 2021 will require cellaring to soften the blow.Vinous Media | 95 VMFragrant notes of red fruits, flowers and citrus announce an elegant, admirably balanced silhouette with authoritative stature. The wine’s textural compactness, measured personality and stylistic consistency are convincing. This noble family has cultivated vines in Montalcino for over 100 years. The 15 hectares of vineyards, mainly around the estate’s centre to the east of Montalcino, are 380-450 metres above sea level.Decanter Magazine | 95 DEC

The stunning Le Chiuse 2021 Brunello shows great intensity and structure as well as the elegant restraint the estate is known for. It opens with aromas of ripe plum, wild berry, forest floor, dark spice and blue flower as well as a camphor note. Vibrant, full-bodied and delicious, the palate delivers ripe Marasca cherry, crushed black raspberry, licorice and fine tobacco blend lifted by fresh acidity. Taut, well-integrated tannins provide polished support. Drink 2031–2046. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOThe Le Chiuse 2021 Brunello di Montalcino is a lovely wine and one of my favorites from a vintage that is not always easy to read. It delivers its message clearly with dark fruit, blue flower, grilled herb and sweet cedar, showing a sense of fullness and aromatic completeness that is not always present in this year. Soft and silky on the palate, the wine offers gentle, powdery tannins supported by good underlying structure, achieving balance without force. Sourced as a special selection from eight hectares of organically farmed vineyards with cool exposures, this bottling demonstrates how site and restraint can successfully interpret variety and vintage. Production is 19,800 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPTwo barrel samples of the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino were tasted – the first from more elegant sandstone soils and the second from the more robustly profiled site with clay soils. The first boasts pretty citrus notes of orange and a refined feel throughout. It’s very pretty and also floral and floats on the palate. The second, from the clay soil, is deeper and has more robust tannins, with a darker feel and hints of tea on the finish. I’m looking forward to the blend when it comes together, and I think this is going to be a very good vintage for the estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDThe 2021 Brunello di Montalcino opens in the glass with a youthful blend of dried flowers, underbrush, crushed rocks and dried black cherries. It is surprisingly round and soothing to the senses, with waves of pure silk and red berry fruits elevated by a core of vibrant acidity. Minerality comes through in the finish, crunchy and long, as sweet tannins frame the experience remarkably well. This is a gorgeous interpretation of the vintage, yet patience is required.Vinous Media | 95 VMAromas of red cherries, stones and herbs like lavender. Medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit and firm, nervy tannins complemented by precise acidity. Lots of tension and definition. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JS