2019 Brunello di Montalcino

The Capanna 2019 Brunello di Montalcino (with 37,000 bottles made) initially offers a savory combination of aromas with dark fruit, teak wood and bramble. The fruit has a tart side with pomegranate or cranberry that slide into an elegant mid-palate. The wine appears quite direct in terms of its aromatic intensity, and it runs a little hot with a 14.5% alcohol content.

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino bursts from the glass with a rich and intense display of crushed black cherries and plums complemented by cloves, olives and crushed stone. This is expansive on the palate, with silky textures and supple wild berry fruits underscored by saline minerals and brisk acidity. The 2019 finishes structured and full of zesty tension, leaving savory spices and a pleasantly bitter twang that pinches at the cheeks. There is so much pent-up energy here, yet also depth. Lose the 2019 in the cellar as it’s a long-distance runner.

Lustrous, deep ruby. A nose bursting with minerally, salty notes but a little closed on the fruit. With aeration pure cherry reluctantly emerges from the glass. Intense yet poised tangy cherry fruit of great depth. Concentrated and transparent at the same time. Gorgeous gritty tannins building up on the finish. (WS)