Brunello 2019 – Annual Report Part 2

~ While Producers release 2019 Brunello, Sangiovese 2024 is hanging in the balance ~

As I alluded to in Part 1 of this years Brunello Coverage, the recent string of vintages in Montalcino have been anything but “normal” or easy.   From 2020 to 2024, producers have dealt with drought, extreme heat, vine diseases and frequent storms; some of which contained violent hail and damaging winds.

While in Tuscany this year, producer after producer had similar reactions about these vintages.  Consequently, in relating the recent growing seasons, they were all quick to point out one thing.  2019 was the last normal vintage.  Although there were heat spikes, each part of the season presented even, temperate weather with typical rainfall.

~ Looking down the vine rows at Talenti ~

Assaggio di Brunello – 2019

While journalists and pundits alike will declare 2019 as an excellent vintage, it wasn’t without its quirks.  There were heat spikes in many places and where producers weren’t careful managing this, over done wines were the result.  I’ve seen a few in my tastings.  Avanti!

Altesino owns vineyards throughout the Brunello zone. This “spread” allows them to manage the vagaries of each vintage carefully. Exposure, soils and elevation vary across their six vineyard parcels which total approximately 50 hectares. As a result, the estate Brunello displays a trademark house style. Furthermore, its this very consistency that is a hallmark of Altesino’s quality.

The 2019 Altesino Brunello is a dark ruby to crimson color in the glass.  On the nose, the taster is greeted by red and black cherry the hide an undercurrent of floral notes. Peeks of toasted spice make their presence known as well.

On the palate, I’m left sounding like a broken record.  This is fresh!  Juicy, lively and mouthwatering, there’s little here to leave you wanting.  Pristine fruit with gentle acidity and caressing tannins.  It was like silk with the pictured filets.  96 points.  Find this wine & save 10% with my Coupon Code “FODERA” at Enoteca di Piazza.

~ The Altesino never seems to disappoint ~

~ Our tasting at La Magia was incredible ~

La Magia has become a regular stop on the Rustic Tuscany Tour.  As a result, I know the wines and their quality well.  Which is why I’m always surprised when I *am* surprised.  Be that as it may, that’s exactly what happened.

The 2019 La Magia Brunello “Ciliegio” is a dark ruby in the glass.  That’s the last thing about this wine that will be ordinary.  Aromas of crushed wild berry, cherry, tobacco leaf, roses and toasted spices leap from the glass in an almost orchestral fashion.  Full bodied on the palate with plenty of structure but to say this wine is silky would be to damn with faint praise. It is simply extraordinary.  The aromas follow to the palate and the wine is long, juicy and persistent. Without question, it was the best wine I tasted on the Rustic Tuscany Tour.  99 points.  Not yet released.

~ Ciliegio is one of the best wines of the vintage ~

~ The courtyard, it’s not really big enough to be called a Piazza, in Sant’Angelo in Colle. A lunchtime greeter was observing our group ~

Pairing Ideas

But what to eat with Brunello?  Well – for starters let’s remember that Brunello is 100% Sangiovese, arguably the most versatile food wine in the world.  And yes, there is plenty of beef in these pictures, but that doesn’t need to be the case.

Tuscans are bean eaters.  And there is nothing better than fresh beans with extra virgin olive oil, dabbed with some bread and a glass of Brunello.  Pasta – with truffles, mushrooms or yes, ragu is an amazing foil for Brunello.

~ Simplicity – white beans, sage or bay leaves and the best extra virgin olive oil ~

~ Pici con ragu, in this case beef but you can easily use pork ~

Of course, duck and rabbit work incredibly well too. So let your imagination flow and visit my Recipes Page for inspiration and ideas.

~ Seared duck breast over truffle risotto ~

The Cencioni family have owned Capanna since 1957.  It seems they’ve been making excellent wine since that time!  Founder Giuseppe was one of the original members of the Brunello Consorzio.  This estate also benefits from vineyards on the Montosoli side of Montalcino and their wine is excellent.

The 2019 Capanna Brunello is a deep garnet.  Just looking at the color, I was a little concerned and those concerns turned out to be warranted.  On the nose, the wine gives off rich aromas of dark cherry, a whiff of alcohol, rich clay notes and a hint of tobacco leaf.  In the mouth, the full bodied cherry fruit sits center stage.  This is much larger framed than is typical for the Capanna style.  Fresh and tannic with lots of nutty character like hazelnut and walnut.  Could use a bit of time but the fruit here verges on being slightly over done.  Needs grilled meat.  93 points.  Find this wine & save 10% with my Coupon Code “FODERA” at  Enoteca di Piazza.

~ This is a rich, muscular Brunello ~

Poggio Antico has long been a favorite producer of mine and you can find plenty written about them in these pages.  I’ll admit, when the estate was sold in 2017, I was worried for the future of the wines.  However, the new owners have kept the team in place and made substantial investments in the property.  Since that time, they have completed an organic conversion, built out a new winery complete with a solar system that now provides most of the electricity the estate needs and also made improvements in the cellar.  Their latest creation is the new Cru Brunello I Poggi.

I Poggi sits about 1,800 feet above sea level.  The vineyard is 2.5 hectares and composed of rocky soils and galestro.  My boys and I drove to the vineyard in March of 2023 and it’s a sort of oasis within a forest – very remote and separate from the remainder of the estate’s vineyards.

The 2019 Brunello Cru Vigna i Poggi is a dark ruby to garnet in the glass.  If a wine can offer a smell that exudes class, this is it.  Pure, freshly crushed berry on the nose with notable baking spices, dried spices and fresh pipe tobacco.  Enticing!  On the palate, this is elegant and refined.  Sweet tobacco, ripe crushed cherry and sweet herbs are rich and concentrated.  This is silky and well balanced despite the 15% abv.  I think cellaring will lend complexity here but this is already approachable.  95 points.  Only 7,000 bottles produced.  The negative?  The price is painful.   Find this wine.

~ Vigna i Poggi is a new wine in the 2019 vintage ~

In 1978, Giacomo Neri released his first Brunello. From those humble beginnings, the Neri’s have slowly expanded their vineyard holdings. Today, the estate boasts 7 separate vineyard plots totaling 156 acres.

One facet that sets Neri apart from other estates is his reluctance to conform to the Estate/Riserva methodology of labeling. From the beginning Giacomo has relied on the single vineyard concept. In 1981, the Cerretalto single vineyard Brunello was first designated and in 1993, Tenuta Nuova was born.

With the 2018 vintage, he introduced his latest Cru, “Giovanni Neri” which is named for his Father.  I tasted the 2018 at Benvenuto Brunello when it was released.  The 2019 is an altogether different monster.

The 2019 Casanova di Neri Cru Brunello Giovanni Neri is a dark ruby in the glass.  On the nose, the wine is incredibly floral.  There are roses, lavender and strong notes of lily.  The crushed cherry sits in the background behind these notes along with a cured salume aroma.  Interesting and unique.

On the palate, the wine is absolutely delicious.  Broad shouldered crushed wild cherry is juicy, fresh and mouthwatering.  Sapid notes of rosemary, cumin and toasted baking spices are complex.  Very well balanced, but the lily component is a bit too much for me.  I do love this, but as I mentioned on social media while tasting it,  the price is otherworldly dumb.  95 points.  About $325.  Find this wine & save 10% with my Coupon Code “FODERA” at  Enoteca di Piazza.

~ A rather unique Brunello in both style and price ~

The Castello and Villa of Argiano are impressive.   We had a wonderful tour and tasting there during the 2022 Rustic Tuscany Tour.  This is another estate that has  been purchased by outside Brazilian investors and as seems to be the universal case, the prices for the wines are rising.  That said, the Estate Brunello remains fairly stable.

The new ownershop immediately set about revitalizing the venerable estate. They replanted vineyards, refurbished the Villa, built a new reception area and modernized the cellars and aging caves. The results are impressive. The wines are impressive. Unfortunately, the prices are equally impressive.

The 2019 Argiano Brunello is a bright ruby in the glass.    In a word, delicious.   I know the 2018 version was the WOTY but not even close for me.  This vintage is so much better.  Needs some air upon opening to be most enjoyable – but brilliant floral, cherry and cured meat aromas punctuate the nose.  Very fresh on the palate.  Juicy, ripe concentrated cherry and wild berry flavors are married with toasted spice, grilled meat and wonderful sweet pipe tobacco.  There is no arguing the quality here – the only gripe could be price related.  Still, it’s an excellent bargain if you use my Coupon Code at Enoteca di Piazza.   95 points, potentially around $58.

~ A gorgeous wine that drinks well now and will cellar well for 5-7 years ~

~ Trattoria Il Leccio is among the best restaurants in the Montalcino area ~

Col d’Orcia is one of the oldest and largest producers in Montalcino. Perched on a series of hills overlooking the Orcia river, this certified organic producer crafts elegant Sangiovese. The estate’s modern-day lineage goes back to at least 1890, when records show the Franceschi family of Florence purchased the property, then known as Fattoria di Sant’Angelo in Colle. In 1973, the estate was sold to the Cinzano family who revitalized and expanded the property.  They are doing a wonderful job.

Any ride into Montalcino Centro from the southern part of the zone takes you past several vineyards owned by Col d’Orcia.  It’s a wonder sea of vines.   The 2019 Col d’Orcia Brunello is one of the best wines from this estate that I have tasted in a long time.   Dark crimson in the glass, it doesn’t take much swirling to bring out the aromas in this Brunello.  Flowers, cured meat, hints of truffle and mushroom merge with bright red cherries.  On the palate, this is first a little tight and the tannins slightly astringent. But air tames that.  This red is elegant, refined with good medium plus body that carries the frame of cherries, dried spices and mushroom.  Hints of iron mark the juicy palate.  This is very attractive indeed.  93 points.  Find this wine & save 10% with my Coupon Code “FODERA” at Enoteca di Piazza.

~ Elegant, fresh and lively; this is a nice Estate Brunello ~

Piancornello “feels” like a new estate. I suppose this is because US importation and availability has only recently increased. But the estate has its roots in the 1950s. Today the estate is in the capable hands of Claudio Batazzi, the 4th generation proprietor to run the property. From 2016, the estate is certified organic.  Piancornello’s vineyards are small and carefully tended. Covering a surface area of only 20 hectares, the Batazzi’s are attentive to the entire production process. Brunello, Rosso, and a small amount of Ciliegiolo are produced for a total production of approximately 50,000 bottles.

When I reviewed the 2019 Rosso di Montalcino, I was impressed.  So it’s no surprise to me that their Brunello counterpart hit it out of the park.   The review for the 2019 Piancornello Brunello starts like this:  “Wow, this is amazing!”   It was all uphill from there.  Bright ruby, it almost shimmers in the stem.  Equally as bright on the nose.  Crushed wild berry, panforte cake spices and tobacco mark the aromas.  Ripe, juicy and concentrated in the mouth with flavors of juicy cherry, cigar tobacco, sweet herbs and orange zest.  There is a dusty minerality all over the palate as the tannins just melt away perfectly. A remarkable effort.  97 points.   Find this wine.

~ There is nothing not to like here – this estate is on a major roll ~

Finally, an icon.  I’ve written many times about my preference for full bodied Brunello.  That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the more Burgundian, elegant versions. Col d’Orcia and Poggio di Sotto are reliably enjoyable.  Stella di Campalto’s wines give me chills.  But, if it’s elegant, it better be “right”.  Biondi Santi is right.

~ The Holm Oaks leading to Biondi Santi ~

The 2019 Biondi Santi Brunello is a classic medium ruby color; the sort of color you expect from long maceration and large cask aging.  Knowing Biondi Santi as I do and having also been counseled in the past,  I decanted the wine for 3 hours.  It made a substantial impact.

The nose was rather expressive and very pretty. Crushed berry, soft notes of sandalwood, Christmas Cake spice and pulverized terracotta are notable.  On the palate, this is an elegant statesman.  Medium bodied at most, this offers ripe cherry that seems to hang effortlessly on your palate.  Orange rind, iron and powdery tannins are well integrated.  This is lithe and fresh with plenty of juicy fruit.  It’ll be better in 2030 and beyond, but I was a little surprised at how much it gave right now.  95 points.

~ Decanting this young wine is a must ~

Biondi Santi was acquired in 2016 by a French Luxury Goods Firm called EPI.  They have continued the standard of excellence that was the estate’s hallmark – though they have begun to put their own team in charge.  Jacopo Biondi Santi is no longer involved.

That’ll wrap Part 2 of the 2019 coverage but fear not,  I’ve already begun tastings for Part 3, so stay tuned.

Salute!