Acclaim

“The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva tempts the imagination with a mature blend of tobacco, dried herbs, autumnal spice, violets and lavender. This sweeps across the palate, profoundly textural yet energetic, with depths of dark red fruit offset by orange spice. A salty mineral flourish embellishes the close. The 2004 remains remarkably fresh and vibrant, just gently tannic with a pleasantly bitter tinge that lingers as a hint of brown spice slowly fades. It is simply fantastic in its maturity.” -Eric Guido, Vinous, Oct. 2024

“The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva displays a dark opulence, as autumnal spices complement plum sauce and fig before giving way to cocoa, dried sage, earth tones and worn leather. It’s soft-textured and round with a silken feel and surprising weight, all offset by a whiplash of zesty acidity. Masses of balsamic-tinged red berry fruits combine with mineral tones and sour citrus. The 2012 finishes with dramatic length. It’s spicy, leaving gripping tannins that firm up the experience as licorice notes fade beneath an air of rosy inner florals. This remains one of the standout wines of the vintage.” -Eric Guido, Vinous, Oct. 2024

“The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva shows the vivid fruit and energy of the vintage, bursting from the glass with masses of crushed cherry, autumn spice, mint and crushed stones. This is a total pleasure to taste, ripe in style yet balanced throughout, with a core of lively acidity that adds a racy quality to its dark red fruits. Earth tones emerge toward the close, showing a hint of development, offset by sour citrus. Clove and balsamic spice resonate over a bed of grippy tannins. While still pretty structured, the 2015 is already performing quite well. I’d expect another year or two will place this into its primetime drinking window.” -Eric Guido, Vinous, Oct. 2024

“The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a lovely burst of sweet spice, lavender, and black cherries. A dusting of cocoa emerges with time in the glass. This is surprisingly energetic, with depths of mineral-laced red berry fruits and rosy inner florals all accelerated by a stream of lively acidity. It leaves the palate salivating for more. The finish is long and potent, with just the slightest touch of soy that reveals its maturity, as a hint of fine tannin still resonates. I’m happy to say that the previous bottle I tasted in 2021 must have been compromised.” -Eric Guido, Vinous, Oct. 2024

“The 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is entirely atypical of the vintage, wafting up with surprising freshness and verve. Pine shavings and mint leaves complement dried cherries and balsamic spice aromas. This soothes the palate with its silken textures, coming across as weighty yet still energetic as masses of ripe red and black fruits saturate. The 2003 leaves a coating of nearly resolved tannins, tapering off dark and earthy yet still showing amazing refinement. Despite the vintage conditions, Costanti did a fantastic job here.” -Eric Guido, Vinous, Oct. 2024

“Aromatically, the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino has found a lovely balance, dark and balsamic, with dried cherries, cloves, spiced citrus and lifting hints of cedar and pine. This is seductively soft-textured and round. A zesty, acidic, spicy core offsets a silken wave of ripe red berry fruits. Its minerality shines through in the finish as edgy tannins resonate and a pleasantly bitter sensation settles in. The 2017 tapers off long and structured, yet not as severe as many of its vintage counterparts. The balance within is lovely. Andrea Costanti decided not to bottle a Riserva in 2017, instead adding that juice to this Annata. Beautifully done.” -Eric Guido, Vinous, Oct. 2024

“Remarkably fresh for its age, the 2005 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a minty freshness that perfectly complements its dried strawberry, cedar shavings and white smoke notes. It’s silken yet lifted in feel. Crisp red fruits and crunchy mineral tones cascade throughout. Adolescent tannins still resonate yet don’t get in the way as the 2005 leaves the palate salivating for more with a worn leather and saline mineral flourish. When placed next to bigger vintages, this doesn’t show the depth and complexity of the house yet remains a gorgeous and balanced effort. Frankly, it’s a pleasure to taste and would warrant a higher score with just a bit more textural heft.” -Eric Guido, Vinous, Oct. 2024

“Dark, brooding and complex, the 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva takes its time forming up in the glass as dried violets and crushed stones give way to grilled herbs, musky currants and lifting camphor hints. This displays soft and round textures along with ripe red berry fruits. Inner earth tones and leather reveal a bit of its maturity. The 2006 leaves the palate drenched in fine-grained tannins, still structured yet not severe, leaving a tinge of sour berry fruit and the slightest trace of sous bois. This is showing beautifully and firmly in its drinking window. Of note, I tasted this both from 750ml and magnum. The note speaks more to the former, yet it’s worth mentioning that the wine from magnum possesses further dimension and a fresher experience on the palate, eliminating the hint of soy mentioned in my note.” -Eric Guido, Vinous, Oct. 2024