2020 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino

Pouring a jeweled red/ruby color, the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino is attractive and layered on the nose, with pure notes of red cherries, sweet Mediterranean herbs, crushed roses, and mossy earth. Medium-bodied, it brings lovely energy to the palate and is upfront with mouthwatering salty notes, snappy ripe acidity, and a clean, balanced finish, with even ripeness and stone-fruited notes of apricot on the back palate. This highly appealing Brunello is hard to resist now but likely has the ability to go the long haul over the coming 15-20 years.

This is a standout wine that marries red and purple fruit flavors with tangy hints of green curry leaf, rhubarb and sweet earth. The Canalicchio di Sopra 2020 Brunello di Montalcino carries a distinct signature that recalls not only the Sangiovese grape but a sense of place. You can mistake this for nothing but a Brunello. The vintage manages power and aromatic intensity but is also magically leaner and definitely more elegant in terms of mouthfeel. The immediate results are perhaps more accessible and also quite pleasurable now in this 41,362-bottle release.

With harvest straddling the 25 September downpour, the estate favoured less punchy extractions and limited skin maceration to 25 days. Lots from the family’s Vigna Vecchia Mercatale vineyard have been blended here to reinforce quality, rather than being set aside for a Riserva, and the result is very true to its character. Aromas of balsamic herbs intertwine with dust, recalling Tuscany’s dirt roads. A distinct mint note persists, and it gives a graceful, midweight impression while fleshy cherry and juicy nectarine fill the mouth. With underpinnings of potting soil and gravel, and long, silky tannins, this has sweet/savoury appeal. Warming on the finish.