Montalcino

97 Points! A restrained and fresh wine with a sleek nose of red cherries, red currants, licorice and dried violets. Plenty of elegance on the palate, with a tight-knit structure, velvety tannins and a super-fresh and precise finish of graphite and minerals. Almost drinkable now, but best from 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! This red is juicy and full of ripe, luscious cherry, raspberry and floral flavors. Wild herb and mineral accents add detail, while its harmony and freshness deliver added appeal as this winds down gracefully on the complex aftertaste. Excellent length. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! Coming from a steep, south-facing single vineyard, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino Piaggione benefits from air and opens with wild raspberries, blackberries, flowers, orange peel, and sweet herbs. The palate is medium to full-bodied, linear, and tension-packed, with bright acidity, well-defined tannins, and a focused, driving finish that keeps building. It’s a more energetic, structured expression compared to the Sorgente and should age beautifully over the coming two decades. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

97 Points! This bursts with cherry, raspberry, pomegranate and rose flavors, offset by earth, iron and underbrush notes, all backed by dense, dusty tannins. Hangs together nicely, with freshness and a lasting impression of ripe fruit. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! A super-complex and spicy wine with aromas of licorice, smoky wood, dried roses and wild strawberries. Fruit sweetness on the palate, with a full body, crisp freshness, velvety tannins and a sleek, graceful and powerful finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

96+ Points! Castello Romitorio’s 2021 Brunello di Montalcino channels much of the estate’s fruit over seven plots, as no Riserva was produced, resulting in a wine of notable depth and cohesion. Whispered and delicate at first, the bouquet unfolds with white pepper, blue flowers and grilled herb before moving toward darker tones of sweet blackberry. The palate is open-knit yet powerful, showing juicy ripeness, layered complexity and a structured mid-palate that remains streamlined in classic Sangiovese fashion. Fermented in cement with maceration times tailored to the thickness of the skins from each plot, typically ranging from 18 to 24 days and extending up to 30 days when needed, the wine was aged for 24 months in oak, with 90% in large barrels and 10% in second- and third-passage tonneaux. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

95 Points! This is plush and features cherry, plum, wild herb, iron and spice flavors. Its tannins are well-integrated with the fleshy texture and resonant flavors, which gather steam by the lingering finish. Shows terrific balance and length overall. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Black cherry and blackberry fruit occupy center stage in this dense, muscular red. Beefy tannins provide support, while vibrant acidity keeps this lively and long on the finish, where iron, tomato leaf and Tuscan scrub add detail. All of the components are there; this just needs time. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Herbal, showing red berries, lavender and stony austerity. Crunchy, linear and medium-bodied, with focused tannins. Wonderful precision and tension throughout. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! A graceful, intense and classic Brunello with aromas of smoky wood, raspberries, red cherries and balsamic vibrancy. Medium-bodied, very fragrant and juicy, with crunchy tannins, crisp acidity and a vivid, youthful, chalky finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! This is so complex, with lifting citrus and herb undertones to the blue and red berry fruit. Thyme, sage and lavender, with mocha and clove, too. Full-bodied, full of depth and intensity, with firm yet seamless tannins. Evolves to espresso. Balanced, powerful and very long. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! A special single-vineyard wine with origins in one of the more remote, wild and beautiful corners of Montalcino, this is one of the true treats of the appellation. The Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso opens to a medium-rich appearance and vibrant color saturation. Sangiovese can lose its color quickly, but it remains beautifully intact here. Sweet cherry, redcurrant, spice, blue flower, balsam herb and orange peel are neatly woven together to create this balanced wine. Fruit is sourced from across a 11.7-hectare vineyard with schistous galestro soils. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

95 Points! Packed with cherry and raspberry fruit, this red also exhibits rose, mineral and Mediterranean scrub aromas and flavors. Coiled tightly, picking up eucalyptus and gripping tannins on the finish. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Aromas of dark berries, light caramel, coffee, balsamic, smoke and dried strawberries follow through to a medium body with firm, chewy tannins and lots of new oak. Yet, it turns crisp and lively at the finish. Needs three or four years to open. - JamesSuckling.com

97+ Points! Bright red. Intense, sultry aromas and flavours of red roses, violets, nail varnish, pomegranate reduction and red cherry syrup, plus sexy vanillin oak. Layered and nicely mouthcoating, with a string underlying spine that neatly supports the ripe red fruit and sexy spice flavours. Finishes long with hints of blood orange and candied violet. More than other more forward-drinking 2020 Brunellos, this needs to spend time in a good cellar, for it is bound to improve considerably. - Ian D'Agata Wine Review: 

97+ Points! Brunello of identity, the result of a protocol aimed at enhancing the elegance of Sangiovese di Montalcino. Imposing aroma, which attacks on notes of pomegranate, with touches of juniper and wild mint and hints of licorice root. Savory palate, recall notes of red fruit and balsamic notes. - Luca Gardini

97 Points! The 2020 Brunello from Fuligni is fragrant, smooth and delicious. It opens with enticing aromas of wild berry, violet, crushed mint and pine forest. Full-bodied and loaded with flavor and finesse, it delivers mature Marasca cherry, raspberry, star anise and cake spice set against fine-grained tannins. Boasting a weightless finesse, it’s well balanced, with fresh acidity. - Kerin O'Keefe

97 Points! A bright red color with orange highlights, the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino is very pretty, with a delicate rustic hint that I find quite attractive. It reveals attractive red fruit on the nose, with notes of cranberries, wild herbs, and just a subtle hint of saddle leather and blood orange. Mid-weight, it's light on its feet while delivering wonderful energy and freshness, with snappy ripe red fruit, a refreshing, angular feel, and mouthwatering saline and acidity. This is certainly one of the highlights of the 2020 vintage.  - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

95 Points! Very attractive aromas of red cherries, mushrooms and flowers follow through to a medium body with firm and integrated tannins and a vivid, subtle, fruity finish. A lovely young Brunello that you can enjoy now or age for many years to come. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Black cherry and black currant flavors are the main themes in this intense red, with iron and wild herbs adding complexity. Balanced and vibrant, with resonant tannins guarding the long aftertaste. This feels more modern in style, with an emphasis on bright fruit. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo bursts from the glass with a vivid blend of crushed raspberries and cherries, a whiff of allspice and candied rose. It is elegant in feel, silken and smooth with tantalizing acidity and a dominating core of ripe red fruits that adds impact. The finish is grippy and long, potent with fine-grained tannins and a slight citrus tinge that pinches at the cheeks. This classy Brunello is built for the cellar. - Eric Guido, Vinous 

97 Points! The expressive flavors of ripe cherry, raspberry, pomegranate and rose are offset by thick, dusty tannins and accents of wild herbs and menthol. This red stays vibrant throughout, with a long aftertaste of red fruit and savory notes. Delivers layers, freshness and the potential for aging. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! The expressive 2021 Brunello di Montalcino opens with an array of crushed violet and lavender tones before giving way to citrus-laced blackberries and cherries. Cool-toned and wickedly fresh, it possesses a solid core of mineral-infused wild berry fruits and blue and purple inner florals that arch throughout. Sweet tannins frame the finish beautifully as hints of balsamic spice and pomegranate linger incredibly long. The 2021 is a radiant beast in need of taming. It's hard to put this glass down. - Eric Guido, Vinous

98 Points! Enticing aromas of red cherries, dried strawberries and hints of plums, cedar, sandalwood and balsamic. Medium-bodied with a tight and rich center palate and a chewy and powerful finish. This needs time to come together and soften slightly. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Aromas of new leather, spiced black plum, violet and camphor unfold on the bold and beautiful 2021 Brunello Pianrosso. Combining power and restraint, the full-bodied palate delivers layers of ripe Morello cherry, raspberry jam, licorice and fine tobacco blend before a spiced orange zest close. Velvety, enveloping tannins provide seamless support. - Kerin O'Keefe

100 Points! The drop-dead gorgeous Gianni Brunelli stopped me in my tracks with its stunning fragrance of freshly picked violet, iris, forest berry, leather and eucalyptus. All about extreme elegance, the palate is equally captivating, delivering layers of succulent Morello cherry, wild raspberry, blood orange, dark spice and crushed mint. Taut, ultra-refined tannins provide seamless support while fresh acidity keeps it vibrant and impeccably balanced. While it’s already incredibly tempting, it also promises years of graceful aging. Hats off to Laura Brunelli and her team. - Kerin O'Keefe

97 Points! Pouring a bright red hue, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino is persistent and fantastic, with youthful tension and expressive aromatics of Bing cherries, orange zest, and iron-tinged earth. The palate is medium-bodied and focused, with refined tannins, refreshing acidity, and savory length framed by salty earth and bright fruit through the finish. It’s a complete, elegant Brunello that should continue to improve with time in bottle. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! Pouring a reflective red/garnet hue, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino is floral and detailed on the nose, with preserved cranberries, cherries, anise, fresh roses, and polished leather. The palate is medium-bodied, structured, and bright, with chalky, angular tannins, refreshing acidity, and fabulous fruit purity that carries through a long finish. It’s exceptional and crisp, and it should easily hold up for 20 years.  - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! A spicy and classic Brunello with vibrant aromas of wild strawberries, raspberries, violets, smoky wood and licorice. Full-bodied, it shows balanced extraction, tamed velvety tannins, refreshing acidity and a super-savory, minerally finish. Juicy and long. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! Plum, cherry, leather, earth and menthol flavors infuse this grippy red. Starts out smooth, picking up dusty tannins that build to the dry, compact finish. Nevertheless, there’s a core of ripe fruit, and everything is in the right place. Accents of cocoa linger on the finish. Give this time. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! The 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino Montosoli pours a deeper ruby hue and opens with compact aromatics of black raspberries, tea leaf, cocoa, rosemary, and crushed stone. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm core of tannins and a refreshing spine of acidity that keeps everything lifted and precise. It’s still tightly wound and will benefit from another couple of years in bottle, then drink beautifully for 15 years or more. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

95 Points! A lively Brunello with aromas of plums, ripe cherries, cedar and teak that follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a crisp finish. Crunchy and linear. Lovely energy at the end. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! This is so beautiful, soft and plush, showing finesse and subtlety. The texture is so enticing. It’s full-bodied with really beautiful tannins. The fruit is dark and vivid with a nice earth and mushroom undertone. So delicious now, but this will age wonderfully. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The Caparzo 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is delicious with lots of pretty intensity, nicely balanced fruit, blackberry, spice, cedarwood and campfire ash. This is a delicately perfumed wine that offers more power and length than you might initially anticipate. That's the secret soul of the 2016 vintage—elegance and brawn wrapped tightly together in one package. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

95 Points! Boasts beautifully defined strawberry, cherry, rose, mint and mineral flavors embedded in a sleek, dense structure. Firm and lingers, with echoes of fruit, savory herbs and earth on the aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2045. - Wine Spectator

95 Points, Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year 2024! Rose, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors are the main themes in this red, along with wild herb, mineral and cut hay accents. Racy and full of energy, with a long, saturated finish. Best from 2025 through 2042. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! Intense aromas of black cherries, lavender and spice, such as nutmeg. Some sandalwood and bark, too. Full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and tannins for the vintage. Rather chewy, suggesting that additional bottle age is needed. Try after 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Rich with compact and velvety layers, the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino offers fleshy aromas of fig, black licorice, mocha, and roasted sage. It is full-bodied and displays more freshness and transparency on the palate, although it remains fully ripe, with black cherry, plum, turned soil, and macerated violets. It has full and present ripe tannins, a hint of crushed rock, and a saline, savory finish. With its liqueur-like richness throughout, this is a fantastic expression, but it needs a couple of years in the cellar before drinking over the following 10. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! Ripe and juicy, this red reveals plum, cherry, earth, tobacco and menthol aromas and flavors. Well-structured, delivering dense, dusty tannins and ample fruit to match, with a long, complex finish. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! Intense, vibrant aromas of strawberries and raspberries, together with cola and flowery notes. Milk and mint nuances, too. Shows a lot of licorice elegance and blood-orange freshness on both the nose and palate with firm, velvety tannins and well-packed, brilliant acidity and a polished finish. Good aftertaste and amazing potential. Very classic. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva tempts the imagination as a mix of geranium and rose petals complement citrus-laced blackberries and hints of violet pastille. This is lifted and finessed with vibrant acidity and masses of mineral infused red and black fruit aromas offset by a tinge of orange zest toward the close. The finish reveals its tannic and poised structure, yet it's blended with a primary concentration that adds tremendous balance as nuances of tobacco and licorice fade. Bury this deep in the cellar. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

95 Points! Packed with cherry and blackberry fruit, this red is dense and a bit chunky at this stage. Mineral, earth and floral notes add depth, and this finishes with echoes of fruit and earth, plus the emergence of Tuscan scrub accents. A solid base of tannins lends support; this is balanced and built for the long haul. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! A restrained wine that’s complex and deep, with aromas of cherry stones, butter, fresh violets, orange peel and prunes. Firm tannins with a grainy texture, yet it has a sweet finish, super-energetic acidity and a full body. Flavors of blood oranges and violets. Perfect balance and incredible aging potential. A super classic. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Definitely among the vintage’s anomalies, Il Marroneto’s 2020 is more overtly structured than its 2019 counterpart. While the latter verges on dainty and ethereal, the 2020 is steelier in resolve and almost austere by comparison. Proprietor Alessandro Mori also felt it needed longer in wood, so this saw a total of 45 months in Slavonian oak casks. Subtle and sweet to start, it flits with strawberry and cherry blossom before taking on earthier tones. Elegantly weighted but still tight, the palate is built around pure red cherry and raspberry, embedded with nutmeg and incense. Chalky and layered, the tannins sport an assertive bite. -Decanter Magazine  

96 Points! The Il Marroneto 2020 Brunello di Montalcino is a wine of special depth and elegance. Alessandro Mori tells me that fermentation in 2020 proceeded nicely with what he describes as a "primordial stew" of grape must, resulting in high pressure "geysers" or "liquid bombs" that rip right through the cap because of pressure build-up. Someone is having tons of fun in the winery. High temperatures (between 36 to 38 degrees Celsius) serve to fix the wine's ruby color and the elegance of its perfumes, which are more floral than fruity. At the end of fermentation, he manages the skins with light wetting by hand with a tube. This vintage offers softness and a silky texture that feels glossy to the palate. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com