Acclaim

The 2020 Rosso di Montalcino shows a slightly darker hue in this sunny vintage and more fruit richness. The bouquet offers ripe cherry, dark currant and soft earth sensations of flower root or potting soil. Andrea Costanti makes a very nice Rosso. The wine drinks with ease and simplicity, showing soft tannins, balanced freshness and bright fruit. Drinking window: 2023 – 2027

Aged in oak for 24 months, the Conti Costanti 2019 Merlot Ardingo reveals a dark, inky appearance and rich fruit weight. The flavor profile is ripe and savory with dark syrup and blackberry confit. The effect is quite extracted and heavy. The alcohol content is measured at 14.5%, but it feels like more than that. This is a production of 5,180 bottles, 120 magnums and 10 double magnums. We don’t see many Merlots from Montalcino, and I applaud these efforts to interpret this beautiful Tuscan territory with a grape other than Sangiovese.

The Castello Romitorio 2018 Brunello di Montalcino shows crisp and tart fruit with cherry, cassis and wild plum. This mid-weight wine offers a lot of freshness and brightness in a vintage that posed challenges for many. This expression is unique thanks to the inner energy displayed here; the red fruit is front and center and the wine’s balanced acidity seals the deal. It ages in oak for two years. Some 46,000 bottles were made. – Monica Larner

This wine is rapidly becoming one of the most interesting vineyard selections to emerge from the Montalcino appellation thanks to the cool microclimate and black slate-like soils of the site. The Castello Romitorio 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta is a wine of unique dimension and depth. It shows tart, almost crunchy red fruit and cassis, with background notes of cola, balsam herb, crushed stone and pencil shavings. The tannins need another two or three years to become silky. The wine ages in oak for 30 months, and production is limited to 7,300 bottles in this vintage. – Monica Larner

This wine displays a dark garnet color that suggests a robust and savory wine to follow. Indeed, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino does reveal a rather austere approach with dried fruit, blackcurrant and fig. I wish there was just a hint more fresh fruitiness to those aromas, but the wine has already veered toward an evolved stage. This prompts me to suggest a shorter drinking window. There is a hint of dryness to the tannins, and the acidity is welcome.

The Fuligni 2018 Brunello di Montalcino stands out for its smooth integration of aromas and the carefully balanced intensity achieved here, which shows momentum but also remains very fine and nuanced. There are many sides to the bouquet with wild fruit, cassis, crushed stone, candied orange and fresh herbs or rosemary. A floral note also appears that suggests rose or iris root. The tannins are very well managed and silky. You hardly feel them, yet the wine offers firm structure throughout. This is a production of 35,000 bottles and one I am happy to recommend.

A wonderful energy seams through the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino, with layered aromas of cherry licorice, leather, spice box, and dried flowers. Medium-bodied, with vibrant tension driving the wine forward through its linear profile, it has fine tannins, with a refreshing edge of acidity and notes of dried cranberry, orange peel, and salty earth. It is a stellar wine to cellar for a couple of years and drink over the following 10-15. Drinking Window: 2015 – 2040. – Audrey Frick

This Barbera flips the script and shows its savory side first. Aromas of thyme, bay leaf and fennel seed meld perfectly with ripe and forward red cherry notes. The palate has hints of cedar and dried herbs and you can sense some blueberry on the finish. The wine’s bright acidity and supple tannins make this wine a crowd-pleaser with your next meal.

Intense reduction and some smokiness on the nose brings to mind bouncy balls and gasoline before turning over to citrus, flowers and sea air. The palate also plays well in the space between floral and savory, first with honey, tangerines and almond flowers and then bringing in toasted pumpkin seeds, wild herbs and seashells. Well integrated acid creates enjoyable depth and length.

A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the Castello di Querceto 2018 Cignale (“wild boar” in Italian) offers beautiful depth and balance. This is a boldly layered Tuscan red that ages in French oak for 18 months. Sweet baking spice, dark chocolate and blackberry confit emerge from the core of this nicely concentrated red. Production is 10,000 bottles.