2017 La Serena Brunello di Montalcino

The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is dark and moody in the glass, grumbling up to show musky black currants, savory herbs, violets and wet pumice stones. It’s surprisingly juicy and lifted on the palate with a pure mix of red and blue berry fruits, yet it lacks the mid-palate depth of better vintages. This becomes quite tannic while leaving a deep saturation of primary concentration through the finale, a very unfortunate quality of many wines from this difficult vintage, as hints of cocoa and licorice linger. The 2017 will require some cellaring to come into focus, but don’t expect this to be a long-lived rendition of La Serena’s Brunello.