Benvenuto Brunello 2025

~ Benvenuto Brunello 2025 debuted this month ~

Last week, Benvenuto Brunello 2025 descended upon Manhattan in glorious form.  Gone were both the awkward App ordering system, the clunky waiters and the small tasting glasses.  By comparison, the return to a walk-around format was a resounding success.  It allows for more interaction with winemakers and principals and a much slower pace.

I spent several hours digesting the walk-around event and also participated in a Masters Class with Italian Master of Wine, Gabrielle Gorelli.  Excellent insight was gleaned from both.

Brunello 2020

But first, what’s the character of 2020 like?  Because it was the start of the pandemic, I always lump the trifecta of vintages (2020-2022) together.  It’s not just me because many of the winemakers speak about them this way too.   The consensus is this.  2020 and 2021 are very close in quality and 2022 lags behind slightly. Which is better?  It depends who you ask.  I got about 50/50 answers from winemakers comparing 2020 and 2021.

~ My first stop was to see Giacomo Bartolommei of Caprili ~

Overall, 2020 was probably the most even growing season of the three.  Winter and Spring provided enough rain and the growing season wasn’t too hot, despite aberrant spikes here and there.  2021 was generally a bit hotter.  Commentary among many was that 2020 fits in between 2018 and 2019 stylistically. That is, the wines are elegant and very approachable with juicy fruit and integrated tannins.  They are not quite as structured as 2019. My tastings seemed to bear this out.

Surprises?  There are always some.  Perhaps the biggest this time was the quality of the 2023 Rosso di Montalcino.  During the Rustic Tuscany Tour that year, winemakers did not hold back. It was an awful vintage with dreadful weather conditions from start to finish.  Yet with pinpoint harvesting, very strict selection, reduced yields and some declassification, these wines were delicious.  Look for them when released.

My Tasting Process

As usual, at an event like this, pours are small and food is minimal.  Therefore, I provide only a score range based on my impressions.  Wines tasted during the Master Class are an exception.  In that format, I took detailed notes over the 60-75 minutes that the seminar lasted. Avanti!

~ The Caprili lineup. In the glass at left is the Brunello Riserva ~

Giacomo Bartolommei has been making excellent wines at Caprili for a long time.  That streak easily continues with his recent releases.

2023 Caprili Rosso –  This is deep ruby in color.  Fresh and vibrant with flavors and aromas of crushed cherry, sweet herb and toasted spices.  Medium bodied with good concentration.  Wonderful.  87-90 points.

2020 Caprili Brunello –  Brilliant ruby color.  Flowers, crushed cherry and cake spices on the nose lead to flavors that echo on the palate.  Dusty, with integrated tannins and beautiful, pure juicy fruit. This is a very worthy successor to his excellent 2019.  91-94 points.  Should also be a great value.

2019 Brunello Riserva “Ad Alberto”  – Brilliant shimmering ruby that fades to burnt sienna at the edge of the bowl.  This is a special Riserva with everything amped up.  More power, more elegance.  Concentrated full bodied cherry flavors are fresh and lively.  Balanced well in spite of the 15% abv.  Needs probably 5-8 years to flesh out and show its complexity.  95-97 points.

~ Tasting San Lorenzo with winemaker Luciano Ciolfi ~

I had tasted the wines of San Lorenzo ages ago.  In fact, I asked Luciano if I was insane or if I found his wines at Total Wine?  He said yes, that was his first vintage and then he left.  Good for him!  I was excited to re-familiarize myself with these.  Luciano is on his game.  His wines are available directly from him.

2022 San Lorenzo Rosso – Pretty medium ruby color.   This was so lovely.  Dusty, with vibrant bright raspberry flavors. All about the fruit.  Hints of rosemary and toasted spice. Luciano said he’ll bottle his 2023 in about a week.  86-88 points.

2020 San Lorenzo Brunello –  The 2020 is pictured below.  Bright ruby with sweet herb, gorgeous cherry and hints of fennel on the nose. Flavors follow with mouthwatering, dusty tannins.  This is very well done and also a good value.  91-93 points.

2019 Brunello Riserva “Bramante” –  Another 2019 that struts its stuff.  Honestly, I can probably count the bad 2019s I’ve had on one hand. This extends to the Riservas too. The only caveat for buyers will be the price.   This is a large scaled wine that needs time to develop.  It wasn’t open long before I tasted it. Black cherry, mushroom and fennel nose gives way to wild cherry, truffle and ripe herbs on the palate. Balanced and structured, this has the stuffing to last.  I’d be tempted to try one with a good decant.  95-97 points.

~ The San Lorenzo lineup is very attractive and certified organic ~

Another early stop was San Felice where I promised to visit with my friend Virginia.  San Felice sits in the southern part of the zone and their wines are often “heftier” and with a bit more alcohol than some. That said, their current range of wines was very impressive.  Especially, the 2023 Rosso.

2023 San Felice Rosso – As good as any.  Deep ruby color.  Fragrant, with cherry and spice overtones.  Medium bodied with excellent depth of flavor and concentration. Fresh and lively, it’s got a juicy finish.  89-91 points.

2020 San Felice Brunello – Deep ruby.  Aromas of cherries, plum and Christmas spices are backed by similar flavors. This is well done too, but slightly warm on the finish. Could flesh out with some bottle age?  90-92 points.

2019 Brunello Riserva Il Quercione – This is a single vineyard Riserva that is infrequently produced. Deep ruby in the glass with a slight fade at the edge of the bowl.  (see below)  Ripe on the nose, with hints of wood, alcohol and black cherry. It presents more balanced on the palate than the aroma and in fact is quite impressive. Muscular, with lots of red fruits backed by substantial tannins. Could need 8-10 years to become approachable.  Range is difficult here.  92-96 points.

~ This 2019 Riserva was one of the biggest wines at the tasting ~

Next up was a stop to see my friend Roberto Terzuoli.  For years this gent has been looking for an importer. I wish someone would get interested because his wines are so well made.  His organic property is near Torrenieri.

~ Sasso di Sole will ship DTC if interested. Simply email them ~

To this day, I still contend that Sasso di Sole created the best 2014 Brunello that I’ve tried.  It was a revelation in an awful vintage.  For this tasting, Roberto was debuting 2 new wines.

2022 Rosso di Montalcino  “Rosso di Luna” –  This isn’t meant to be a “Cru” in any way – simply the isolation of a specific, older plot that Roberto feels provides wines with a different character.  This is a pretty Rosso with soft vanilla, sandalwood and ripe berry character.  Fresh and lively.  86-88 points.

2022 Rosso di Montalcino – Honestly, I’m not so sure I see the difference in character while isolating the Luna plot.  Tasting side by side it was hard to tell these wines apart. Maybe this one is more mineral driven, with powdery soft tannins.  My note is basically identical.  86-88 points.

2020 Brunello Sasso di Luna –  This wine is compelling.  The 60 year old vines contribute more complexity to the Brunello than the Rosso wine.  Medium ruby in the glass leads to aromas of minerals, cherry and sweet pipe tobacco.  Very balanced.  On the palate, this is fresh and lively.  The tannins are very refined and elegant. This is what a lot of people are looking for in Brunello.  91-94 points

2020 Brunello –  Dark ruby with a classic fade at the rim of the bowl which you can see in the image below. Cherries, violets and spices mark the nose and palate.  This is larger scaled (slightly) than the Luna. Give it 2-4 years and the minerality should be more pronounced.  92-94 points.

~ An impressive range of wines ~

Classics are classic for a reason. Stalwarts are stalwarts for a reason. And icons are iconic.

Il Poggione is situated approximately 8 miles south of Montalcino near the tiny hamlet of Sant’Angelo in Colle. It has been under the watchful direction of the Franceschi family since 1964.

The original winemaker for Il Poggione was none other than Piero Talenti.  Upon leaving to create his own estate, Fabrizio Bindocci became winemaker. Fabrizio’s tutelage continues to this day. However,  since 2005, the winemaking duties have been assumed by  his son, Alessandro who was on hand to pour.

2020 Brunello – This is a classic medium ruby color with a slight sienna fade. Textbook grande botte Sangiovese aging.  Expressive aromas of brush, wild berry, tobacco and spices mark the nose. This evokes the overall approachable nature of 2020.  On the palate, this remains juicy and fresh throughout the dusty finish.  Personally I love this estate and buy some every year. Domestically, the price is creeping up. But from Enoteca di Piazza, it’s compelling with my discount.  94-96 points.

2019 Brunello Riserva Vigna Paganelli –  I’m asked all the time what Riservas are worth buying.  One of the most important reasons I give is to understand whether the wine is a single plot/single vineyard or if it’s simply one year older.  If you’re going to invest the extra money, go for the best vineyards.

Brilliant shimmering ruby in the glass; the tint of the blood of Jove. The array of colors is gorgeous.  Perfumed red fruits, toasted spices, sweet porcini on the nose lead to layers of crushed wild cherry on the palate framed by roasted nut and fennel character. Monumental.  95-99 points.

~ This is the Riserva in the glass ~

La Magia is a special place.  Perched in an oasis of forest high atop Castelnuovo dell’Abate, they are across the road and way up the hill from Poggio Antico.  The estate boasts some of the highest vineyards in Montalcino.  Fabian Schwarz is the owner/winemaker and was on hand to present his wines.  Sadly, he recently severed ties with his US importer, so that bears watching.  However, he’s already in talks with new representation.

2023 Rosso – During the Rustic Tuscany Tour, the 2022 Rosso was among the best I tried.  This keeps that trend going  and again,  I’m amazed at the quality.  Bright berry in color, this is expressive with red fruits, cinnamon and soft vanilla tones.  I love how it smells.  Juicy and fresh in the mouth, medium bodied and well balanced. It’s everything you could want in a Rosso.  87-89 points.

202o Brunello – Another 2020 that speaks to the vintage. Wonderfully aromatic. Cherry and raspberry notes with hints of vanilla and sweet herb present. On the palate, the flavors follow the nose with laser like freshness from front to back.  Really pretty Brunello and will drink well from the start.  91-93 points.

2020 Brunello “Ciliegio” –  This is a Cru Brunello from a single vineyard that Fabian has identified as yielding special grapes. He’s right.  The 2019 was the wine of the Tour last year and the 2020 is not far behind.  Old vines yield potent aromas of crushed cherry, stone, tobacco and fennel.  On the palate, this is elegant and delicious. Juicy flavors of wild cherry, tobacco leaf and sandalwood are fresh and concentrated. I love this.  It’s not cheap, but the distinction is noteworthy. 15% but impeccably balanced. 95-99 points.

2019 Brunello Riserva –  La Magia’s wines are characterized by elegance.  But the Riserva runs a little atypical to that.  This is brawny and bold.  Dark cherry flavors dominate with sapid/sweet herbs and hazelnut.  Floral notes on the nose turn toward cherry liquor.  14.5% and again, perfect balance.  95-97 points.

~ One of our Rustic Tuscany Tour stops; Ciliegio in the glass ~

The next table was another Rustic Tuscany Tour stop and was hosted by Sales Director, Irina.  The Fanti family are wonderful. From Filippo to daughters Elisa and Elena, it’s a family run winery.

2020 Brunello –  Quite simply, this is one of the best values in Brunello.  Even in the US, it’s about $40 and closer to $34 from Enoteca di Piazza. How do  you beat that?  This wine isn’t a bruiser. But it’s an elegant Sangiovese that is versatile with food.  Bright cherries, toasted spices and fresh tobacco leaf on the nose and palate. Elegant.  Fresh and long.  90-92 points.

2020 Brunello “Vallochio” –  Quite simply, one of my must buy wines each vintage.  This Cru is not from a single vineyard, but an optimal selection of three different plots. It’s hallmark?  Dusty tannins. The mouthfeel of this wine – I think I could identify it blind.  Crushed berry, ripe tobacco and fennel notes on the nose and palate lead to that dusty, powdery texture that is just outstanding.  95-98 points.  Great value from Enoteca di Piazza.

2019 Brunello Riserva Vigna Le Macchiarelle –  In returning to my comments above regarding Il Poggione, this is another single vineyard Riserva that is an amazing wine.  Last year, we had the 2012 at the estate and it was harmonically singing.  I see that same potential here. Dark ruby color, this bodes black cherry, Christmas spices and minerality on the nose. Flavors follow – are a bit monolithic now – but this is a massive wine.  That was my first reaction to which Irina replied, ” Certo!”   It may need a decade and will reward handsomely.  95-100 points.

~ Another extraordinary lineup; Vallochio in the glass ~

The Mate estate was carved out of land that was formerly owned by Castello Banfi.  The property was not contiguous, so in the early days of the creation of the Banfi Estate, the parcel was sold to Ference Mate.  As an aside, if you haven’t read Ferenc’s books about establishing a Vineyard in Tuscany, you need to.

I’ve been a fan of these wines for a long time, but don’t seem in the US very much. The lineup here features a new Cru wine first made in the 2019 vintage.

2020 Brunello –  This really highlights the style of Mate.  Spicy, robust berry fruit is overlaid on chestnut and pipe tobacco flavors and aromas. Elegance is paramount here.  This is drinking so well now and will be very versatile at the table.  Delicious.  92-94 points.

2020 Brunello “Veltha” –  This is a Cru selection of the best plots from some of the oldest vineyards on the property.  You can sense the age of the vineyard in this wine as it’s substantially more broad in the shoulders.  Dark in color, with cherry and dusty cocoa leading the way. Muscular, tannic, this needs time to flesh out but should be spectacular when it does. The balance is there.  94-96 points.

2019 Brunello – Like many of its vintage siblings, this drinks well right from the start.  The nose is perfumed with violets and cherry, the palate is juicy, fresh and concentrated.  Toasted spices, fennel and lively red fruits display structure but remain approchable.  What’s not to like?  93-95 points

2019 Brunello Riserva – This is not a single vineyard, but the selection for this wine is severe.  In fact, since 2010 the wine has only been made 5 times.  While this wine is as massive as some other Riservas, it has an elegance about it. The tannins are integrated very well and they are dusty.  Juicy, snappy and crisp.  I would try this now with a good decant and some wonderful meat.  Pure pleasure.  94-97 points.

~ Each of these wines were distinctive in their own way ~

That wraps up the data points from the walk around portion of the event.   What follows below is the detailed notes from my Master Class and then the article closes with my Winemaker Q&A replying to questions my readers raised on X.

Masters Class Guided Tasting

Gabrielle arranged the wines to be poured in an order that he thought highlighted the differing terroirs of Montalcino. Being very familiar with many of the wines and the properties, I could sense the illustration he was trying to create. But honestly, it was a pretty subtle distinction.  I wonder how others perceived it.

San Lorenzo Brunello 2020 –  I was happy to taste this again and spend some more time with it.  Medium ruby color with flowers, vanilla and fresh berry on the nose.  Juicy and fresh. Fresh, sweet herbs with chalky tannins and really nice fruit in the mouth.  Nice fennel finish.  91-93 points.

Mocali Brunello 2020 – Never a big fan of this winery and they have done nothing to alter that impression.  Darker ruby than the San Lorenzo.  Cherry and dried potpourri on the nose with dried herbs and red fruits on the palate. My tasting sheet says “meh”…   86-89.  Pass.

La Magia Brunello 2020 –  Dark ruby.  Flowers and red berries mark the nose.  50+ age on the vines.  Gorgeous palate, fleshy and bright.  Lovely sapid Sangiovese character with berry, vanilla and tobacco notes. Well done.  91-94 points.

Sasso di Sole Brunello 2020 –  Dark ruby.  Floral and bright cherry notes on the nose.  Linear, more classically styled on the palate with snappy wild cherry, toasted spice and nut notes. Really delicious. 92-94 points.

~ The pours were slightly larger during the seminar, so I took a more proper note. Duplicates seem consistent ~

Camigliano Brunello Cru “Paesaggio Inatteso”  2020 –  Medium Ruby.  This is a single vineyard Cru.  Smokey on the nose with a slightly briny character backing red fruits.  Really nice on the palate with ripe cherry, perfume and chalky structure.  I like this a lot, but it needs some time for the aromatics to develop.  91-94 points.

Argiano Brunello 2020 –  Medium ruby color.  Not as expressive on the nose as other wines.  Cherry is coaxed out but little more.  On the palate, this is somewhat monolithic.  Bright fruit notes are accented with spice. I sense there will be more here eventually, but now I am left wanting.  And I worry about the price.  89-91 points.

Cortonesi Brunello 2020 – Darkest of all the wines.  Nice nose!  Berry, cocoa and some funky game meat aromas lead the way.  Cherry fruit is massive and ripe but they are covered in chewy, massive tannins at the moment.  This may be the most backward wine of the day.  Needs cellaring but to me, it’s a risk not worth taking when you can find many other attractive 2020s.  Unless you’re filling a vertical or at a restaurant with limited selection, I’d pass.   Difficult to score now.

Castello Banfi Brunello Cru “Poggio alle Mura” 2020 –  Dark ruby color.  Wild berries and savory herb notes mark the nose. Ripe and polished on the palate with crushed cherry fruit that is bright and succulent. You feel Montalcino here – the research Banfi has done to adapt these clones to the vineyards where they are has really paid off.  Salivating flavors and chalky structure.  This wine is excellent.  93-95 points.

Questions from X readers & Winemaker Q&A

In advance of the tasting, I asked my readers on X if they had questions they wanted me to raise with winemakers.  Here’s what they had to say.

Q:  What is the most prominent wood (origin/size) being used in Montalcino for Brunello?   As you know, the law requires that aging now be in oak.  This has been the case since the 1970s when some producers then, and even in Chianti, were using chestnut.  Chestnut is ok – it’s cheaper than oak, but it’s not ideal for wine – especially Sangiovese.  Chestnut imparts bitter character to wines that isn’t desired and it’s more porous. The grain is not as tight as oak and so it also allows too much oxygen to pass to the wine. It’s not something that should be used any more.

Barrel size is a matter of art.  I think most producers today use predominantly Grande Botti from the Slavonian forest. There is some Austrian and Hungarian oak being used, but again, they are smaller in size. And of course tonneaux and barrique are used from France. But again, they are not as widespread.

Q: Are the Riservas from 2019 truly “a cut above” in this vintage?   This was a resounding yes from the winemakers as you might expect. For me, I would agree.  The ones I’ve tasted and reported on above were incredible wines. They are special occasion wines with richer fruit and more complexity.  The only variable will be the price.  I think you will see $100 on the low end with $130-$150 being more mainstream.  So the value judgement will be paramount.

Q:  What do producers think about decanting Brunello, young versus old wines?   You get a lot of different answers here.  One that was repeated a few times was the difference between decanting to open a wine up, and decanting to remove sediment. In an older wine, decanting to remove sediment was recommended, but not long in advance. Not longer than 30 minutes depending on the age of the wine. The more delicate, the more you should pop, decant, pour.   In terms of younger wines, most producers prefer to open 30 minutes in advance, taste the wine, and decide if it needs further air.  Most prefer to watch the wine evolve in the glass, over time, with dinner rather than leaving the wine in a decanter for 2+  hours.

Q: Do you see any additional movement toward a Chianti-like “UGA” approach in Brunello?   No, not really. And this isn’t something I would support. For producers that have vineyards across many parts of the zone, this would be a disservice to them if not an outright disadvantage.  I am more in favor of Cru bottlings where vineyards can be highlighted – outside of any official UGA.

Q:  What is the concern over climate change?  It’s an issue for sure.  But I don’t know that it’s something we need to be “concerned” with.  Vines adapt. Winemakers and vineyard managers adapt. The key is to take care of your land. Because the vines will produce healthy grapes.  And every year is different. In 2020, we harvested everything across the zone in September.  In 2024, we had a harvest like it was the late 1990’s… almost into the 3rd week of October.  So the idea that vendemmia comes earlier and earlier isn’t true.  Each year is possible to have different issues.

Final Comments

The final takeaways from this event are mainly two things.  First, do not brush off the 2023 Rosso di Montalcino because of how horrific the weather was that year.  They surprised me greatly and if they are reasonably priced, will offer attractive QPR.

The 2020 Brunello were excellent wines overall.  As I mentioned above, they’re like a cross child of 2018 and 2019.  They are expressive and approchable so I don’t see the need for long cellaring as a rule.  This makes them great while 2019s and 2021s age and it also puts them in position to shine in restaurants.

I hope you enjoyed this article.  It’s clearly a much more extensive piece than I’ve written in the past about Benvenuto, but with fewer producers present, I was able to do a deeper dive.  The 2020’s will likely be the main event during my upcoming Rustic Tuscany Tour.  That’s both good for my guests and you as there will be many more data points coming

Salute!