Brunello 2018 & 2019 Masterclass
For Brunello fans who love fragrant wines with energy, elegance and balance, you are going to love the soon-to-be-released 2018s. I haven’t been this excited by a recent vintage since the classic 2013s were released five years ago. And the best part is that thanks to improvements in vineyard management and cellar practices, many of the 2018s are already approachable but the best also promise years of pleasure and evolution...
Luminous and radiant, the 2018s beautifully reflect their individual terroirs, offering a transparency that the burly, warm 2017s and 2015s lack. With the exception of the top 25 or so producers, even many of the 2016 Brunellos, from what in terms of climate was a far superior vintage to 2018, don’t reflect their unique terroirs to the extent that the 2018s do across the denomination. KERIN O'KEEFE
The best of the 2018s offer transparency and refinement, with fresh, vibrant, red-fruited profiles, wonderful mineral textures, and fine-grained tannins that are approachable in their youth. They also excel in their aromatic perfume, highlighting the potential of Sangiovese in these increasingly rare cooler vintages. AUDREY FRICKE, www.jebdunnuck.com
On 2019 Vintage
The resulting wines were an immense pleasure to taste. After sampling over 170, many at least twice, there is no doubt that 2019 is a superb vintage...????I was struck by the gorgeous and immediate aroma profiles, the ripeness without excess, and the balance of richness with freshness. The 2019 Brunellos do not fatigue the palate and are often stealthy in their power. DECANTER
Frankly stated, finding a 2019 that doesn’t show remarkable balance, vivid fruit and freshness is a difficult task. In my opinion, this is always a mark of a great year. The highs are exceptionally high, and the lows are few and far between. What’s more, this is a year where many lesser wines excelled, making picking out a 2019 Brunello a relatively easy affair. ERIC GUIDO, www.vinous.com
I’ve never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage. In 2019, many estates made the best wines they have ever made. KERIN O'KEEFE
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San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere 2018Ruby red with first garnet reflections. Intense, fine bouquet - preserved cherries, rosehip, cinnamon, a hint of oriental spices and the typical slate minerality of the site. Dense and silky on the palate, with a remarkably integrated tannin structure for this vintage. The finesse carries. The finish - long, savoury, salty - is the silent argument in favour of Le Lucére 2018: elegance that gets to the point. SUPERIORE
The 2018 is the most elegant and effortlessly balanced wine I have tasted from this estate. It opens with attractive scents of cinnamon, violets and rosemary and has an impressive concentration of wild berry flavours, but is not heavy. The integrated acidity gives the wine the right support, and the tannins are long and fine, adding texture and shape. The best is yet to come. MICHAELA MORRIS, decanter.com
Le Lucére, the usual expression of the substance that characterises the wines of San Filippo, in a vintage that displays a beautiful opulence. Notes of Vignola cherries on the nose, a hint of rhubarb and undergrowth, with a finish of wild mint. Juicy tannins in the mouth, with a return of fruit and undergrowth. LUCA GARDINI
Already complex and open, with aromas of slate, dried rosemary, grilled sage, lemon peel, sour cherries and cardamom. Smooth and full-bodied with supple and fine tannins. I like the undertones of olive pits and herbs. Powerful, mineral finish. Try after 2025. JAMES SUCKLING2018sangioveseItaly495 -
Siro Pacenti Brunello Di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne 2019Black cherries, lavender, black mushrooms, lead pencil and violets on the nose. Full-bodied with a powerful and polished tannin structure that follows through to the very end. Pure, silky texture. Fascinating aftertaste of ripe fruit, yet it’s fresh and tense. Some orange peel, too. Glorious at the end. So well crafted and pointed. This needs another three to five years to integrate but already extremely impressive. (99) JAMES SUCKLING2019sangioveseItaly495$285.00 As low as $256.50 -
Baricci Brunello di Montalcino 2019The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is youthfully inward and darkly floral with an herbal tinge and hints of crushed ashen stone that give way to vivid black raspberry and exotic spice. This is juicy and spry, with racy cherry-berry fruit and stimulating acidity that creates a sensation of boundless energy, even as a saturation of primary concentration settles in toward the close. The 2019 finishes with incredible length and youthful tension, leaving balsamic spice, sage and licorice notes lingering over a bed of dusty tannins. ERIC GUIDO2019sangioveseItaly495$225.00 As low as $202.50