2018 Brunello di Montalcino

A bright medium red color, the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino Vigneti Del Versante takes a lovely citrus and fresh red-fruited profile, with aromas of orange peel, pomegranate, delicate spices, and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied, it has a linear and graceful profile on the palate, with fine tannins and notes of mineral earth. It’s perhaps a touch more ready and open to drinking sooner, with notes of dried strawberries and herbes de Provence. It’s long on the palate, with a mineral texture and a clean perfume on the finish. Drink 2025-2040.

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is a fascinating interpretation of Vigneti di Versante. It takes the lifted, floral, exotic nature of the vintage and marries it beautifully to Pian dell'Orino's style of finesse and refinement. Mint leaf, crushed rocks, hints of camphor and dried strawberries are complicated by suggestions of ground ginger in the glass. This is elegant and refined, silky to the core, with tantalizing acidity and mineral tones further enlivened by hints of orange as red plums settle upon the senses. Its tannins are soft and dusty, with an admirable concentration seldom seen in 2018, finishing fresh yet lightly structured. This is simply delectable. This is the first vintage where Pian dell'Orino used an optical sorter, which drastically helped with the selection. In 2018 there will not be a Bassolino di Sopra. All the juice went to the Vigneti del Versante. To be released in March of 2024.