~ The Brunello di Montalcino “Well” in Dogheria Francia, Montalcino ~
Brunello di Montalcino hit highs in 2019 with a vintage that combines approach-ability with age-ability. The majority of the wines show wonderful freshness but also display silky, structured tannins that will allow the wines to last in the cellar.
And now, while we await the official release of the 2020 vintage, there is still plenty of time to stock up on the 2019 Brunello. If you’re late to the game, the first two installments of my Annual Report can be found here: Parts 1 & 2. Salute, and let’s begin.
I Vini di Brunello di Montalcino
I’ve been a Caprili fan for years. Ever since I first interviewed Giacomo Bartolommei, I was impressed by his knowledge and skill. This small family winery, not far from the center of Montalcino, is picturesque and verdant.
~ Walking the vines on the Caprili Estate ~
2019 Caprili Brunello: This was #15 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 this year. While I don’t put much credence in these type of lists, the acknowledgement is well and truly deserved. This 2019 has a beautiful color. It is shy on the nose at first. Even after an hour there’s little more than faint cherry and a mineral alkalinity to the aromas.
However, the palate sings. Deep and bright cherry fruit permeates across the mouth. Sweet herbs and pipe tobacco flavors are excellent and leave a mouthwatering feel to every sip. Fresh and vibrant; this is an excellent value. I’m thrilled for Giacomo on the honor too. Easy 95 points. Find this wine at Enoteca di Piazza and save 10% with my Coupon Code “FODERA“.
~ Given the value, this has the potential to be one of the best buys of the entire vintage. An excellent wine and one I had to fight my wife over ~
Like most of Antinori’s properties, the Pian delle Vigne estate is rather large. Yet perhaps there is not a better producer in Italy that micro vinifies excellent premium wines along side more budget friendly offerings. Pian delle Vigne lies 3.5 miles southwest of Montalcino centro. Planted to 83 hectares of vines, the remainder of the estate expands over 185 hectares. Antinori has owned the property since 1995 which was the first year Brunello was harvested on the estate.
2019 Antinori Pian delle Vigne Brunello: This is a medium ruby color in the glass. Intensely aromatic, with bright cherry, Christmas cake spices and hints of new leather. I love the way it smells! Juicy and delicious in the mouth with black cherry, toasted vanilla and finely woven tannins. This is so silky, it is an impressive effort. It doesn’t seem as though it’s the most traditional in style, but I don’t care. Frankly, it’s a bit of an outlier because the wine is raised only in large botte. I love it. 95 points. Find this wine at Enoteca di Piazza and save 10% with my Coupon Code “FODERA“.
~ This was another impressive effort and a good value given the complexity and price ~
Despite the rich history of winemaking in Montalcino, it’s not uncommon to find small properties making giant strides and ending up in a position of prominence. Over the past few vintages, Armilla has made such an impression.
In 1980, Silverio Marchetti purchased 4 hectares of land near Tavernelle. At the time, only a dilapidated farm house graced the property. Immediately, he began planting vineyards and since he was close to retirement, decided to begin making wine. Eventually he registered his property within the Brunello zone in 1995. Sadly, before his first Brunello could be released, Silverio passed away. Today, the estate is managed by his wife, his daughters and his grand children.
2019 Armilla Brunello: Nice medium ruby color. A bit shy on the nose but shows nice cherry and soft wood tones. Gorgeous cherry flavors on the palate with a touch of fennel too. The mouthfeel is like raspberry cream. Fresh, round and juicy. Balanced well, though the tannins are so soft I’m not sure this is long for the cellar. That’s ok, it’s delicious now. When I tasted this back at Benvenuto Brunello in November of last year, I raised a question in my review as to whether this seemed a bit “hot” at the time. I don’t sense any of that now. 93 points. Find this wine.
~ A wonderful value in the vintage. Armilla are cousins with the family who run Caprili ~
In 2oo8, Gruppo Illy purchased the Mastrojanni Estate in Castelnuovo dell’Abate. At the time, Francesco Illy – who also owns Podere Le Ripe – was overseeing the estate. Then, in late 2022, a family divide caused a re-structuring of some of the Illy assets. Francesco was removed from any control of Illy Caffe and in turn, was given full ownership of Mastrojanni. Up until 2022, Maurizio Castelli was consulting winemaker. He has since left and Illy is moving the estate to full organic certification. Today, Guilia Harri, daughter of renowned, late winemaker Pablo Harri, is the lead winemaker.
Mastrojanni produces three wonderful Brunello; an estate wine and two Cru. In my past experience, I have never been disappointed with their wines.
2019 Mastrojanni Brunell0: Classic ruby in color. Loads of cherry, baking spices and sweet tobacco on the nose. Gorgeous. On the palate this is long, juicy and fresh. Wild berry, Christmas cake and sweet herbs are lovely. Perfectly balance. Long finish with sweet vibrant fruit. Absolutely brilliant. This is exactly what I think of when I reach for Brunello. Incredibly well done. 97 points. Find this wine at Enoteca di Piazza and save 10% with my Coupon Code “FODERA“.
~ After tasting this, I would be very curious to try their single vineyard Cru, Vigna Loreto ~
The last few years have been tumultuous for Castello Banfi. The General Manager of the Estate was unceremoniously dismissed in 2024 and following that, the lead winemaker abruptly resigned. The team at Castello Banfi is capable and large, so it will be interesting to see if there are any “slips” or stylistic changes in the future. It’s something I’ll be watching closely.
2019 Castello Banfi Estate Brunello: Dark ruby in the glass. On the nose, this displays wonderful cherry, berry, sweet fennel and sweet herbs notes. In the mouth, this is juicy, fresh and lively. Round, ripe cherry and wild berry are backed by pipe tobacco, fennel and savory herbs. This is the best Banfi Estate Brunello I’ve tasted in many years. A tremendous value from Enoteca di Piazza. 95 points. Find this wine at Enoteca di Piazza and save 10% with my Coupon Code “FODERA“.
~ This could be the value of the vintage if acquired with my Coupon Code from the link above ~
The last few years have been eventful for Il Palazzone as well. Back in 2021 long time owner Richard Parsons sold the winery to his friends, the Kerns. They have since set out to put their own stamp on the estate. They have continued ahead with the single vineyard wine Le Due Porte and have also planted a new vineyard high above the winery. This will be an interesting project to follow as the vineyard is almost too high to be used in Brunello. It sits just on the line. This vineyard has yet to produce grapes.
Then sadly, at the end of last year, Richard Parsons passed away. Although he was no longer involved with Il Palazzone, under his tenure the winery flourished. His legacy will surely outlive him.
2019 Il Palazzone Estate Brunello: While I have been critical of the style Il Palazzone appears to be pursuing for their single vineyard Brunello, Le Due Porte, the nature and quality of their estate Brunello has never been better. In the glass, this is a classic, gorgeous ruby color. The aromatics are wonderful. Pure, vibrant cherry dominates, but there are freshly cut flowers, vineyard grass and hints of sweet fennel too. On the palate, the wine is juicy, lively and boisterous. Wild berry and cherry dance nimbly and join with sweet chestnut, trace minerality and sweet herbs. I love this. The best Il Palazzone in some time. Available directly from the winery or here with my Coupon Code. 97 points.
~ This is a gorgeous wine and a high toned, floral example of Sangiovese ~
I found the next wine to be so compelling that I mentioned it exclusively to my Newsletter Subscribers several months ago to give them a head start on finding some.
The 2019 Castello Banfi Brunello Poggio alle Mura, is a Cru Brunello that hails from vineyard parcels just outside the walls of the castle that lends the wine its name. In the glass, the wine is a dark crimson color. It needs a 2 hour decant right now, but after vigorous swirling, black cherry, toasted spices, fennel and porcini became noticeable. I remarked many times on the Rustic Tuscany Tour how so many 2019 Brunello have truffle or porcini character and this is no exception.
On the palate, the wine is full bodied and rich with juicy, fresh, lively crushed fruit character marked with roasted hazelnut and sweet pipe tobacco. It’s large scaled and will benefit now from flavorful food. I love this wine and chose to highlight it because it’s not too hard to find across the US. I also urge you to consider Enoteca di Piazza, and use my Coupon Code “FODERA” to receive a 10% discount. 95 points, about $49 EnotecadiPiazza
~ This Cru Brunello has a long life ahead of it ~
There are many producers in Montalcino now, from small to large. But it doesn’t get any smaller than Pietroso. Pietroso is a 5 hectare estate on the balcony of Montalcino Centro. The farm is a mere 500 meters from the center of town. Owned and run by Gianni Pignattai, the family crafts Rosso and Brunello from their 5 hectares. There is also 1 hectare of olive trees. I first came across them at a Gambero Rosso tasting. They have impressed me ever since.
The 2019 Pietroso Brunello might be among the best wines of the vintage. Look at the color! At first, this was shy on the glass in terms of aromatics, but it quickly blossomed with some air. There’s a beautiful crushed fruit essence to this wine. It’s so fresh but also adds aromas of baking spices and roses. On the palate, this is lively and juicy. A ripe wonderful core of fruit is accented with savory herbs, dusty minerals and silky tannins. I absolutely adore this. It’s a stunner. 97 points. Find this wine.
~ This Estate is becoming a must buy in each vintage ~
Campogiovanni is San Felice’s Brunello Estate. The property covers 65 hectares on the south-western side of the municipality of Montalcino. The estate is divided into different zones, comprising three different soil types. The vineyards are exposed to the south west, though relatively flat in exposition. 23 hectares are used for Brunello. Despite the large house, 23 hectares is small. And Campogiovanni to a fine job for a Brunello that is more modern styled.
The 2019 Campogiovanni Brunello sings a lovely song. Sometimes I find this wine overdone, in either alcohol or oak, but that isn’t the case here. I think that’s more a product of the vintage rather than a change in the house style. Again, look at this gorgeous color. Christmas Cake spices, cigar tobacco and ground coffee mark the nose over crushed berry fruit tones. Crushed clay in the mouth gives backing to the structured cherry fruit. This is ripe, but not overly so. It’s also in a masculine style that many will like to soften with 2-3 years in the bottle. Or you could just grill meat. 92 points. A pretty nice value too from Enoteca di Piazza.
~ How can I not like the Giovanni Field?? ~
Another boutique, family run producer….
4 hectares. That’s all it takes to make magic. At such a small scale, you’d wonder if the wines are easily available. But in the US, thanks to Vias, they are.
The Bambagioni family tend to their small 4 hectare farm in southern Tuscany near the village of Tavernelle. Since 1997, the estate has been crafting wonderful Sangiovese.
The 2019 Fossacolle Brunello exhibits a deep ruby color that fades classically at the edge of the bowl. Penetrating aromas are easily lifted from the glass. Blue flowers, roasted nut and black cherry are dominant. Wonderful texture on the palate. Black cherry and wild berry nimbly coat the mouth. Juicy and fresh, this is persistent and with a fair amount of grip. This is always a good bottle of Brunello and that doesn’t change in 2019. 93 points. Find this wine.
~ I’ve had every vintage of this wine back to at least 2008 and they rarely disappoint ~
~ Three generations of winemakers ~
Finally, an entrant that was rather obscure, but has become more prominent over the last few vintages since being acquired by Colle Massari.
Named after a 12th century bandit that led the people of Montalcino against the ruthless oppressors from Siena, Ugolforte is the flag bearer for Tenuta San Giorgio. Situated not far from the symbolic Abbey at Sant’Antimo, San Giorgio is perched about 350-400 meters above sea level near the town of Castelnuovo dell’Abate. The vineyard soils consist of clay, chalk and loam and as a result, “the essence of ancient seabeds” lend a distinct minerality to their wines.
The 2019 Ugolforte Brunello is dark ruby with a classic fade to amber at the edge of the bowl. Soft on the nose with sandalwood, fresh sweet herbs and cherry notes. On the palate, this is approachable, with medium weight tannins, powdered minerality and a bit of salinity. Fresh, lively and juicy, this finishes cleanly with a trace hint of fennel. Very enjoyable but not at the level of the great 2016. 90 points. Attractively priced. Find this wine.
~ Approachable now, but with the balance to age in the short term ~
So, now with Three Parts in the books for 2019 Brunello, where do we stand? What conclusions can we draw?
First, it is clear to me that 2019 has earned the hype that surrounds it. The vintage is one of the best I can remember and will take its place among the greats. Overall, the character is one of lively, juicy wonderful fruit. But unlike some vintages where it’s all charm now, no stuffing later, the structure exists in these wines. The balance is optimal. Since I’ve tried these wines at Benvenuto Brunello, at points in between and now again for this Report, they have not changed very much. They have remained expressive and lively. Of course, there are exceptions within the sliding scale and these are generalizations, but for lovers of Sangiovese, it’s a must vintage to own.
I will now commence work on Part 4. That will publish later this winter, likely in March. Next month I attend Benvenuto Brunello for the release of the 2020 vintage and the 2019 Riserva. Stay tuned for coverage of that event.
Salute!
