2016 Pian dell'Orino Brunello di Montalcino Bassolino di Sopra

As good as it gets, the 2016 Brunello Di Montalcino Bassolino Di Sopra is a breathtaking wine and a masterpiece balancing purity and precision. Pouring a jeweled ruby hue, this beauty is expressive and continuously unfolds in the glass and through the palate, revealing a vibrant core of fresh pine, smoky cedar, ripe black cherry, Mediterranean herbs, white pepper, wild raspberry, polished leather, and pressed lavender. It is medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannins, coiled mineral energy, and a harmonious structure so seamless it is hard to place where one component ends and another begins, and lasts long after it is gone. This is a wine that sparks all the senses and gave me goosebumps. It is transparent yet elusive, as it is evolving from one moment to the next. It is impeccable now but will continue to improve over the coming decades. Drink 2024-2050.

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Bassolino di Sopra is hauntingly dark, complex and powerful in the glass. Coaxing reveals a blend of incense and curries, then cinnamon and clove and, finally, dried strawberries and mint. This casts a dense textural wave of red and black fruits across the palate, laced with blood orange and sweet spice nuances; a brilliant acidity also lifts it. It’s only through the finish that the 2016 reveals its firm tannic core while vibrating with residual tension and finishing with a lingering salted licorice note. The Bassolino di Sopra is holding its power in reserve, and it comes across as deceptively delicate at this moment. That said, this is a masterpiece in the making. Only 1,080 bottles and 600 Magnums were produced.