Concentrated mid ruby. Perfumed, complex cherry with notes of dark earth. Real intensity on the nose. Concentrated pure cherry palate with gorgeous grainy tannins and a complex oak note. Fantastic layered finish. Big and ageworthy.

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva PS is impossible to ignore, as a burst of mentholated black cherries mixes with notes of crushed stone, sage, smoking embers and a hint of spiced orange. Pure in style yet silken in feel, it offers red berry fruits that cascade across the palate as a jolt of zesty acidity lifts the experience. Structured and dramatically long, the 2016 tapers off with a saturation of fine tannins and a pleasantly bitter tinge of dark chocolate that lingers. It’s a dark beast of a Brunello.

The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne bursts from the glass with a seductive array of sweet spices, minty herbs, a dusting of cacao, and dried black cherries. It is silken and voluptuous, with depths of ripe cherry-berry fruits elevated by juicy acidity as a framework of fine tannins mounts toward the close. This wine is so giving and fresh, tapering off long and structured yet still so pleasurable as hints of sour wild berries pinch at the cheeks. A fantastic showing.

Youthfully backward in the glass, the 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne requires some coaxing to unleash its array of dried black cherries, mentholated herbs, cinnamon sticks and crushed stone. It is seamlessly silky smooth and supple, with depths of chocolate-laced wild berry fruits contrasted by a tactile mineral core. Fresh acidity wins the day as the 2021 finishes with cheek-punching tension, structured yet not severe, while leaving a tart berry twang.

Lustrous mid ruby with orange tinges. Sweet, deep cherry nose with savoury spice touches. Supple, rich sweet-sour cherry fruit on the palate with clayey tannins. A big mouthful of juicy fruit that is nonetheless finely balanced. Ready now.

The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne is tightly wound and inward, with an intense mix of savory herbs, cedar shavings, ground cloves and blood orange forming its bouquet. Velvety smooth and deep, yet surprisingly vibrant, it casts masses of spiced-cherry and wild berry fruits across the palate, complicated by a hint of sour citrus. The structure emerges through the finish, impossibly long and tannic, yet still fresh, leaving a tart blackberry tinge and violet inner florals. This mixes balance and power in a wildly attractive way.

Wine Spectator 37 Brunellos from Montalcino's 2020 Vintage

A dark, distinctive version that veers toward black currant and blackberry fruit, showing fine concentration and structure. Iron, earth, eucalyptus and Mediterranean scrub notes augment the fruit, delivering an anomaly for the vintage. Almost feels more like '19 than '20. Best from 2028 through 2045.

Plum sauce and sage combine with crushed black cherries and balsamic spice to create a darkly seductive bouquet as the 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli comes to life in the glass. It's silken in feel with cool-toned acidity and racy wild berry fruits that flow across the palate with ease. Incredibly long and expertly balanced, the 2020 leaves hints of black raspberry and sour cherry pits over a layer of sweet tannins. Patience will be required but also rewarded.