2020 Brunello di Montalcino
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
A medium red color, the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino opens to notes of wild strawberries, fresh, sweet herbs, herbes de Provence, and fresh purple flowers. Medium-bodied (although it expands through the palate), it's fruity up front, with ripe tannins, and has a complete feel with a savory richness that fleshes out the wine. Drink 2026-2046. One of the first female winemakers in Montalcino, Patrizia Cencioni purchased her family estate in 1989. Today she is joined by her two daughters, Annalisa and Ariana, who handle the export market and the hospitality sector respectively. Offelio is an homage to Patrizia's uncle, who took the role of her daughters' Nonno (grandfather) and encouraged Patrizia in the early days of her winery to pave her own path forward. 123, the name of the cru on the other side of the road, is at the highest elevation, with slower maturation than the other sites. Over the past several years, the estate has moved away from small barriques and has been working to produce wines that remain rich but also have elegance and a sense of place.
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
A beguiling bouquet of crushed roses, violets and a flourish of exotic spice leads to dried strawberries and wet stone as the 2020 Brunello di Montalcino blossoms in the glass. This opens on the palate with a pretty inner sweetness, displaying textures of pure silk and an unexpected richness that's perfectly offset by tantalizing acidity. While nearly fleshy in feel, the balance within is otherworldly. The 2020 finishes with a staining of grippy tannins offset by a tinge of sour citrus, leaving the senses salivating for more. This possesses the exuberance of the vintage but also the harmony to mature beautifully over the medium term. I tasted the 2020 from two bottles while in Montalcino earlier this year that did not perform anywhere near as well as this bottle did. Lorenzo Magnelli of Le Chiuse explained that the winery had experimented with different corks on 1,000 bottles and noted that those bottles will not be released to the public. The bottle I tasted for this note was finished with the winery's standard corks.
The Le Chiuse 2020 Brunello di Montalcino (made with organic fruit) is a wine that prizes transparency and tension with cassis, Rainier cherry and raspberry coulis. I really love the bold fruit intensity that shines in this wine. To the palate, it offers subtle sweetness contrasted by bright acidity and silky tannins. This is a solid Brunello choice from 2020. Production is 18,800 bottles.
Certified organic (Valoritalia). Bottle number 00149. Mid ruby. Complex cherry-and-raspberry nose with real vigour, perfumed and lifted. Lots of juice and depth of fruit on the palate with beautiful coating tannins streamlining the fruit. Elegant and finely balanced. (WS)