2019 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino

Cherry red, medium intensity, vibrant reflections, has the tasty mouthwatering balance of 2019 in this corner of Italy. Builds through the palate to show intensity and girp, wet stones giving juicy acidities and texture, grilled oak notes dominant. Ricardo Talenti winemaker, second year on the Place (with an extended range). From a site that stretches from 250m-400m in altitude, with winemaker Riccardo Talenti.

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens slowly with a blend of savory herbs, worn leather, dried roses and cinnamon-dusted currants. This flows across the palate with textures of pure silk, racy yet refined, with a seamless wave of ripe red fruits that slowly saturate toward the close. It finishes long and staining yet harmonious. Crunchy tannins frame the experience without slowing its momentum as licorice and orange notes gradually fade. (EG)

In the bottle with the black label, the Talenti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino (with 35,000 bottles produced) is a wine of above average intensity, and it shows a steady delivery of dark aromas with blackcurrant, pitted plum, potting soil and a pungent fragrance that recalls black baccara rose. This is a rich and open-knit Brunello with velvety tannins and a full-bodied mouthfeel. This is your proverbial meat-and-potatoes Brunello to serve on a winter evening (a few years from now).