Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino 2018

his promising Brunello is hallmarked by pretty cherry, strawberry, currant and floral aromas and flavors. Starts out elegant and lacy, then the dense matrix of tannins emerges, giving different character to the long finish. Reveals wild herb and mineral notes that add depth. Best from 2025 through 2043.

Full and enveloping with purple floral perfume, the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino is lush with violets, blue fruit, and black raspberry and leather. This moves seamlessly to the palate, where it takes on even more depth, with iron richness, meat, red cherry, raspberry, cedar, and fresh soil. A balanced wine for its style, it is a lovely expression where more warmth is not needed. Best after 2025.

Masses of crushed cherries and cloves give way to nuances of spiced citrus peels and cedar as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino comes to life in the glass. This is round and pliant on the palate, with a balanced inner sweetness contrasting its mineral-tinged acids and tart wild berry fruits. Grippy tannins mount toward the close, yet fail to slow the 2018’s momentum, as notes of salted licorice are left to resonate under an air of dried roses. This is a deep and characterful rendition of Col d'Orcia’s Brunello, but patience will be required to unlock all of its charms.

Santiago Marone Cinzano explains that in 2018, délestage played a key role, especially over extended periods of 8-12 hours, allowing delicate skins to macerate with a reduced amount of juice in order to coax out sufficient concentration. Beautifully weighted, it's full yet agile with enough stuffing to carry it over the next decade. Above all, it underscores the freshness of the vintage: fragrances reveal themselves slowly but are very much in the floral spectrum, with cherry and thyme blossoms lifted by traces of pepper. Crunchy red plum and succulent cherry flavours take over on palate, where youthful grippy tannins need some time to yield.

A certified organic wine, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino has dark fruit, bold cherry, earthy notes and a hint of black olive or scorched earth. The wine is generous and round in terms of mouthfeel with a streamlined mid-palate and plenty of Sangiovese acidity to keep things lively and fresh. The tannins are well managed and silky. 2024 - 2038.