2016 Brunello di Montalcino

The 2016 has a fairly deep concentration of color, with aromas of blackberry, plum, violets, and tobacco. The palate is approachable and full-bodied, with fine-grained tannin. The aromas follow through to the palate, but with more freshness and lift, and this wine will be welcome drinking over the next 15 years. Located in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, the southeast corner of the region, Tenuta Buon Tempo has been farming organically since the 1990s and has been certified since 2018.

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino from Tenuta Buon Tempo mixes wild strawberries with hints of plum, sweet herbs and flowery undergrowth. It’s soft and soothing at first, ushering in ripe red/black fruits with cooling acids and minerals, which creates a lifted and refined expression. This turns very floral and classically dry through the finale, with hints of sweet spice and licorice resonating above a coating of fine-grained tannins. The 2016 Tenuta Buon Tempo gains volume and depth the longer it sits in the glass, leading me to believe that the best is yet to come.

Ruby red. Sweet aroma of dried red fruits – almost a touch raisined when I went back to it – and those flavours on the palate. Something like roasted potato skins. Tannins are smooth and chalky. Really fruity style. Dry, dry and chalky on the finish but good core fruit. (JH)