Canalicchio Brunello consistently offers a tremendous price-to-quality ratio, and the 2015 bottling is an outstanding evocation of its banner vintage! Admittedly, the vintage was a great challenge. After a few weeks of travel through New York City, Connecticut, Paris and the eastern side of France, I’ve finally made it to my beloved Italia. However, Mazzei was somewhat less sanguine about the 2018, citing humid mornings as a challenge. At Castello di Fonterutoli, 15km further south, Giovanni Mazzei added that the heat had been nothing on 2015, when temperatures rose above 45˚C. (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) Darker brick red> ruby color, this shows the warmth of the vintage, and also shows a good deal of structure, too. Chianti Classico 2018 and 2017. (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) I’ve tasted this three times now, once in NYC, and twice here in Montalcino, at Benvenuto Brunello. The nose opens with stones, citrus, hay, and fresh cherries. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Now thru 2029. Perhaps I’ll taste it again in two months at VinItaly; perhaps not. It’s good to discover a like-minded lover of Nature. (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) Darker, almost cloudy brick red, yet clear throughout. expected. No need for fancy descriptors, breathless enthusiasm, etc., this one speaks for itself, and represents the elegance and purity that Sangiovese and this region are capable of offering. On top of the heavy rain, a hailstorm in July wiped out 25% of the crop in some vineyards. (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) A new producer for me, and I can see why, it’s a tiny production of ~ 3,000 bottles. 13,5% abv., drink 2022-2041+ highly recommended. According to Livia Fontana, “the 2018 vintage was beautiful ... excellent quality and good quantity, although a little less crop than usual. Medium-bodied, red-fruited, with an excellent sense of place and grape. All of my notes are linked/posted here, it may be easier for some to view it this way. What is the minimum amount of time that Brunello di Montalcino must age in wood? ‘The fermenting wines are silky and fragrant,’ according to Axel Heinz, estate director at both Ornellaia and Masseto. This article was originally published on Wine-Lister.com. It does not end here because over the years, Brunello’s most precious labels have also become protagonists of the Italian and international auction world: in 2018, a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1955 by Biondi Santi was sold for 4,316 euros. The nose is an equal blend of a tradition>modern style. A robust nose of limestone, herb, ripe, fresh strawberry – both on the nose, and palate. Chianti Classico 2017 and 2018 are two tough vintages that the winemakers have had to deal with. Soldera said that he was still confident of making a great wine in 2018, albeit in very small quantities; unlike in 1989, the only year when Soldera didn’t make a wine, because of too much rain. 14,0% abv. Wow. By chance I discovered your notes on Il Paradiso di Manfredi and I was overjoyed. For different reasons. 2013 is a good, solid vintage (Consorzio rates it 4/5 stars). Having picked one third of the estate’s production by last Monday (24th), the next fortnight will be a race against rot. (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) Garnet>Ruby, clear. We think these brief descriptions are … A new producer for me, and a very good first impression it was. Nose opens with sweet cherry, soil, pomegranate, red apple, Tuscan dust/herbs. The first lot of Merlot for Geppetti’s flagship wine, Saffredi, was already vinified and ‘marvellous’, she said. A classic vintage, the best 2013s boast remarkable aging potential not seen in years. Following this, some red and purple flowers emerged, creating an additional, pretty dimension. 13,5% abv., drink 2021-2033. Traditionally styled, with good purity showing through even if it’s a bit timid today. This is a young Brunello. 14,5% abv., drink now thru 2030. They are by necessity general in nature, but can help consumers make good choices when faced with unfamiliar wines. no botti grandi), this vintage of Madonna Nera is a good success - already open, beautifully textured, with supporting structure, and good potential for further, positive development. 29 Jan 2018. Brunello di Montalcino might be having a moment says Rocco Lombardo, president of the highly-regarded wine importer Wilson Daniels. Brunello di Montalcino best vintages, complete guide. Harvest was well underway on Monday 24 September at Fontodi, Manetti’s winery in Panzano. humble greats on planet Earth. For the style, it’s highly recommended, and a testament to what’s possible in this very fine vintage. BY ERIC GUIDO | APRIL 07, 2020. highly recommended. Traditionally styled, with high acids/tannins just now. I’m not a fan of labels/tags, of generalizations – a lot gets lost. Ella Lister, founder of Wine Lister, reports on a three-day tour of Tuscany to gauge the mood among Chianti Classico, 'Super Tuscan' and Brunello di Montalcino producers. This is not my complete list, I … Imagine a smart – somewhat cocky– exuberant, young brunette. But, people like generalizations, or other tools of convenience, like points/scores, for example. ( Log Out /  2021-2036+ recommended, (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) Whereas many/most are showing their 2016 Rosso di Montalcino wines, today Marroneto is pouring the 2015. Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino Madonna Delle Grazie 2010. 13,5% abv., great value; buy with confidence. but I’d gladly make an exception in this case. What great luck, as the wine was revealing the potential that I saw inside when I first tasted a few weeks ago. Not something I gravitate toward, though others would like it just fine. Clearly there’s room to grow from here, and that growth should be quite positive. 2. The palate is huge, but balanced with excellent freshness, and acidity. For the style, recommended. Readers will find a set of mostly approachable, easygoing Brunellos in 2008. This was a tasting of the 1999 vintage Brunello (and 2002 Rosso di Montalcino) that featured 131 producers and ran over one and half days. A new producer for me, iirc, and easily one of the finest natural wines/wines I’ve tasted this year. Again echoing the story in Bordeaux, she said that she believed ‘true organic vineyards haven’t harvested a single grape this year’. It started with a cold and wet winter, with some snowfall arriving as far down as the lower vineyards, a rarity in recent years. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. After, the wine is raised in large Slavonian casks for ~ 2 1/2 years, then some bottle refinement. From barrel tasting, 2015 will be spectacular. highly recommended, (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) Classic pale>brick red color; bright and clear. There’s already quite a bit of depth to the flavors; breadth is likely not far behind. He predicted ‘a more delicate vintage, like 2013’. The palate is classic, much more traditional that first thought, i.e. Behind the scenes when a Brunello vintage is rated. I have been following the winery for a number of years and they are in my soul. Wine Porn: sharing, farming, making, drinking, etc. Initial aromas of vanillas, some toasted herbs. 2018: Italy: Trentino-Alto Adige. Easily recommended, (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) Whereas the Brunello just before it was good, this is clearly very good. After the (more open) sample today, I simply wrote “wow wine”. Depth and complexity will no doubt be developing as there’s very good underlying material here, it’ll just need another 2-3 years in the cellar before those qualities more fully (being to) emerge. Værsgo - oplev vores store udvalg af en af Italiens mest prestigefyldte rødvine, Brunello di Montalcino fra den højtbeliggende middelalderby Montalcino i det centrale Toscana. Sangiovese has ripened less evenly, she said. Medium-bodied, very fresh, and artfully structured, this is a wine that could be enjoyed now (with food! Easily recommended, though probably better to leave it rest a year or three. vintages. 14,0% abv., drink 2020-2030.Terrific value. There was a dramatic change in the weather on Monday 24 September, with temperatures dropping and strong winds picking up, which lasted throughout our three-day visit. Brunello di Montalcino is a visibly limpid, brilliant wine, with a bright garnet colour. Ella Lister is the founder of Wine Lister. I think you are right on, every word rings true. (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) Darker garnet>ruby. The EtOH is already fully integrated, the depth and breadth of flavors is already on point, and can … Showing '2018 Brunello Montalcino Tuscany Italy' search results. Vintages. Elisabetta Gnudi, the owner of neighbouring wineries Caparzo and Altesino, put 2018 somewhere between a four and five-star vintage. The taste is concentrated and warm with notes of cooked cherries, bonfire, warm herbs and violet pastilles. Brunello di Montalcino is a red DOCG Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino, in the province of Siena, located about 80 km south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region. (Benvenuto Brunello, 2018, Montalcino) Again, a pretty, pale brick red color, this time giving way to a compelling nose that shows a light touch of oak, a pinch of vanillin, and some very pretty floral and soil notes. There’s nothing else at the event (135 producers) that smells or tastes like this. My actual note written at the event is much shorter than this, it pretty much just says WOW!, buy a case or two! Maybe it needs time. The darkest, clearly most modern of the three wines tasted today, the sweet nose manages a fair balance of place/grape and ripe, sultry fruits. “Unlike when I race, I savour Brunello slowly.” Montalcino, 16 February 2019 – The leading figure at Benvenuto Brunello 2019 today is Alex Zanardi, creator of the tile in celebration of the 2018 vintage, added to the wall of Montalcino Town Hall, where the open-air collection is enriched every year by a new and prestigious signature. At the Brunello di Montalcino Consorzio, Pondini said that he hoped remaining grapes on the vines would ‘benefit from this sunny, cool and windy week’. To absorb the humidity, her team used clay dust on the vines. Plus, recommendations for when to drink the wines at their best. ‘It’s like using baby powder’, she said. WOW. Fermented in stainless, then raised in grandi botti (40hl) for two years. She was delighted with her Cabernet Sauvignon, too, and relayed the view of Le Pupille’s consultant oenologist, Luca d’Attoma, that the grape has thrived throughout the whole southern part of Tuscany. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Community wine reviews and ratings on 2018 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino, plus professional notes, label images, wine details, and recommendations on when to drink.