Gianni Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino – 2019

This small but very fine Brunello producer is ideally situated, with vines just below those of Biondi Santi in the southeast of Montalcino, as well as a small vineyard  (Le Chiuse)of Sangiovese vines planted in 1947 to the north of the town. 2019 was a perfect vintage in the area, producing rich, ripe, fragrant fruit with good acidity and complexity.

“Just below Biondi-Santi in southeast Montalcino, this is one of the most classic estates of the denomination. The 2019 has a deep nose of amazing fruit ranging from cherry to strawberry, soaked with fresh violet, liquorice and vibrant minerality. It’s loaded with racy acidity and firm, velvety, super-ripe tannins; lavish and polished. The wine is aged for 29 months in Slavonian oak, of which a third is renewed every year.” 97/100pts Decanter Magazine; Sept 2023 and one of Decanter’s Top 10 Italian wines of 2023.

“This wine offers lifted fruit with popping cherry, blackcurrant and sour crab apple. This level of fruit brightness is not easy to maintain in a wine that ages for five years before its commercial release. The folks at Gianni Brunelli Le Chiuse di Sotto do a fine job. The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino delivers balanced oak renderings with exotic spice and dried chili flake. The wine has a beautiful nose, but the palate definitely needs more time to flesh out and relax, considering the current tightness of the tannins. With 14,230 bottles made, it promises a long drinking window.” 97/100pts Wine Advocate