2019 Brunello di Montalcino
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Tasting notes
From three hectares of vines nestled in the forest, facing southeast, toward Mount Amiata. The 2019 – a vintage that is already garnered serious acclaim – is stunning. This is a pure, vibrant and elegant expression of Sangiovese. The nose is sweet and scented, with more delicate florals sitting alongside mineral tones and a real depth of fresh cherry fruit that explodes in the glass. It’s gorgeous on the palate, feeling entirely whole with a voluptuosity to its medium body. There are layers of strawberries, raspberries, rose petals and hints of orange peel, all cut by terrific acidity. The tannins are fine and savoury, velvet-textured, with the round core of fruit leading on to a long, smoky, saline finish with an almost tarry intensity. It’s so well balanced that it feels amazingly approachable now, but will be best drunk from 2029 onwards.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
More reviews and scores
This vintage was described by the Giodo team as 'resembling the classic vintages of the 1990s', meaning sufficient rainfall and relatively moderate temperatures. Bright shaded garnet with some transparency. Sweet start and very fine tannins indeed. Amazingly supple! Fun to drink already although it has real punch. Complete. (JR)
Tasted for a second time at the estate, and pouring a dark ruby/red color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino is complex and stunning on opening with continuously unfolding aromas of black raspberries, polished leather, sandalwood, blood orange, and rosemary. Raised in French oak barrels of various size, the palate is equally compelling with outstanding structure and is sustained on the palate for ages, with lush tannins and perfectly ripe acidity. While it is appealing and showing off now, it has tension for days and is exceptional, with a lot of purity, although it never lacks for richness. This is a truly remarkable wine amid a slew of successes in this phenomenal vintage. Drink 2025-2050.
When I tasted this wine with its maker, the celebrated enologist Carlo Ferrini, he told me that he put every last drop of love into the 2019 vintage. He believes it is the best wine he has made thus far at his relatively new Giodo project that started in 2009. Indeed, I would rank the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino as high as or even better than the best vintages made at this boutique estate. In my mind, they are 2010, 2016 and now 2019. This wine comes from a three-hectare plot with 19-year-old vines that are cared for obsessively. This amphitheater-shaped parcel called La Poderina is nestled deep within the forest on a steep slope that overlooks Monte Amiata in the distance. The soils are white in color with lots of rocks. This is a wine of depth and dimension, with vibrant energy, elegant balsamic notes and sweetly ripened fruit. The medium fruit weight is balanced against the wine's acidity and fine tannins. It ends with floral notes of violet and iris.