Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 129

YEAR'S BEST BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
92 | Caparzo

$70

92 | Máté

$60

2013 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La
Casa ^ This comes from a 12.5-acre parcel in
the cool northern subzone of Montosoli,
where the vines soak up sunshine on a southto-southeast-facing slope. Its enticing scents
of lavender and thyme mingle with vibrant
flavors of dark cherry and licorice; a year in
tonneaux and two more in large oak casks
contributed subtle leather and spice dimensions. § Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL
276575
2015 Brunello di Montalcino (Best Buy) ^
Writer Ferenc Máté and his wife, Candace,
a painter, bought this estate in 1990 and
planted 15 acres of vines on slopes between
1,000 and 1,300 feet in elevation. This wine,
from the warm 2015 vintage, offers flavors of
dark cherry and plum layered with rich tones
of roasted fennel, anise and dark chocolate.
Firm, ferrous tannins add lift to the flavors,
but the impression is warm and cozy-a
guilty pleasure to be enjoyed next to a roaring fire. § V.O.S. Selections, NY
276490

92 | Pietroso

$82

2014 Brunello di Montalcino ^ Cecilia Brandini and Gianni Pignattai farm 16 acres of
vines in three areas of Montalcino, and it is
perhaps the combination of fruit from varying soils and elevations that allowed them to
bottle such a balanced and refined Brunello
in the cool, damp 2014 growing season. The
wine's bright flavors of cherry, cranberry and
pomegranate give it immediate appeal while
layers of tobacco leaf and fresh porcini mushroom gained during 30 months in large Slavonian oak casks lend it depth. § North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
276749

91 | Castiglion del Bosco

$110

2015 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del
Drago ^ From a 3.7-acre plot in Montalcino's
northern sector, this wine shows the warmth
of the 2015 vintage in its mulled cherry flavors. The wine rested for two years in French
oak barriques and some larger barrels, gaining thick, chewy tannins and notes of anise,
toffee and espresso. Its bold flavors and
rich texture will appeal to fans of Russian
River Valley pinot noir. § Maisons Marques &
Domaines USA, Oakland, CA
276744

91 | Fuligni

$78

2014 Brunello di Montalcino (Best Buy) ^ A
poised, medium-bodied wine from the difficult 2014 vintage, this offers red berry flavors
laced with notes of thyme and damp leaves,
with smooth tannins that make it immediately appealing. § Empson USA, Alexandria, VA
276349

91 | Pinino

$66

2013 Brunello di Montalcino (Best Buy) ^
This is a lithe wine, its flavors of dark cherry
and licorice girded by leathery tannins. Notes
of tobacco and forest floor add an earthy
appeal. § Kysela Père et Fils, Winchester, VA

275878

276489

91 | Solaria
Patrizia Cencioni

$84

2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 123
(Best Buy) ^ Patrizia Cencioni has been working the vines on this 100-acre estate southeast
of Montalcino's walls for more than 30 years,
now alongside her two daughters. They harvest fruit for this wine from the estate's oldest vines, planted in 1987 on galestro soils at
more than 1,000 feet of elevation. The 2013
Riserva shows scents of violet and menthol
along with bright cherry and pomegranate
flavors. Three years of aging in used French
oak barrels enriched the fruit tones with
lingering notes of cedar, vanilla and anise. §
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
276206

90 | Albatreti

$63

2013 Brunello di Montalcino (Best Buy) ^
This wine shows brisk sour-cherry flavors
laced with notes of tobacco, roasted mushroom and black spice. Broad tannins and
cool iron notes lend structure to the flavors
while a note of orange zest brightens the finish. § Artisanal Cellars, NY
273768

90 | Casisano

$145

2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Colombaiolo ^ In 2015, the Tommasi family
from Italy's Veneto took on a Tuscan property
with the acquisition of the Casisano estate
and its wine stocks. The Tommasi team shepherded this Brunello Riserva through the last
half of its three-year stint in large Slavonian
casks, bottling a wine that balances taut redberry flavors with bright accents of tomato
skin and orange peel. (W&S 2/20) § Vintus,
Pleasantville, NY

90 | Castello Banfi

$90

90 | Fattoria dei Barbi

$67

90 | Col d'Orcia

$60

90 | San Carlo

$70

89 | Solaria
Patrizia Cencioni

$55

WINE & SPIRITS

129

2015 Brunello di Montalcino ^ Notes of
tobacco, baking spice and toasted almond
weave through this wine's flavors of red
cherry and raspberry preserves, the wine
ripe and balanced for current drinking. § Banfi
Vintners, Old Brookville, NY
276500
2013 Brunello di Montalcino (Best Buy) ^
Firm, leathery tannins frame this wine's flavors of sour cherry, sarsaparilla, fennel and
sweet spice. It's a solid choice for a steakhouse list. § Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY
275836
2014 Brunello di Montalcino (Best Buy) ^
Brisk acidity brings clarity to this wine's
black-cherry flavors and picks up notes of
cranberry and orange blossom. That brightness is offset by notes of tobacco and damp
leaves; raspy tannins pull the flavors together. §
Taub Family Selections, Boca Raton, FL
276494
2014 Brunello di Montalcino ^ Gemma Marcucci and her father, Giancarlo, farm just
under seven acres of sangiovese, some of the
vines planted 50 years ago, and make 6,000
bottles of Brunello each year. Her 2014 is
medium-bodied and savory, its black cherry
flavors driven by bracing acidity and underlined by notes of tobacco and graphite. § North
Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
276486
2014 Brunello di Montalcino (Best Buy) ^
Warm berry flavors show good ripeness
for the damp 2014 vintage. Raspy tannins
accent the wine's smoky cocoa notes while
its mouthwatering acidity makes it a versatile
pour. § North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA n

APRIL 2020
https://www.banfiwines.com/wine/castello-banfi-brunello-di-montalcino-docg-2015/ http://www.solariacencioni.com/en/montalcino-wines/brunello-di-montalcino-riserva
Wine & Spirits - April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2020
