2016 Tenuta Col d'Orcia Poggio al Vento, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG, Italy (750ml)

Intense ruby red. Rich bouquet, complex and elegant, made up of hints of cherry and small red ripe fruits, perfectly combined with spicy aromas and hints of oak from the long aging in wood. Well structured on the palate, rich and full, with powerful and ripe tannins supported by a pleasant freshness. Excellent, long-lasting, and elegant aftertaste in accordance with the bouquet.

TASTING NOTES:

Super classic Brunello from a classic vintage, being released now. The perfume to this is really something, with cherries, flowers, lead pencil and light hints of graphite. Then it moves to raspberries and black cherries with some sandalwood shavings. You just want to smell it. Clear and transparent. Full-bodied with very fine and succinct tannins that fill the mouth and show super tension and form. Extremely long and structured. Beautiful now, but this will age for decades ahead. Drink or hold.

- James Suckling, 98 pts. 

Packed with vibrant cherry, strawberry, rose, mineral and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is racy and pure, with a superb aftertaste. Defined by its bracing acidity and precise fruit flavors, this still has some tannins to resolve. So youthful and fresh, it feels like this has hardly budged in its evolution. Best from 2027 through 2045.

- Wine Spectator, 97 pts. 

The nose is primarily savory, with aromas of old leather, dirt and mixed spices, like a general store in the Old West with cherry and licorice candy in bins. The palate is more fruit-forward, with notes of cherries and figs, with currents of coffee and sambuca mingling to create a subtle sense of edginess. Tannins and acid oversee affairs without intruding, like a good party host.

- Wine Enthusiast, 96 pts. 

The epitome of a true Riserva, Col d'Orcia’s just-released 2016 Poggio al Vento has brilliantly endured long ageing in both cask and bottle. It is only just coming into its own, and in fact, it should continue to develop leisurely and captivatingly for many years. As it sheds chestnut, flint and tobacco nuances, a heady bouquet of exotic potpourri and dried Mediterranean herbs emerges. The palate is laden with red summer berries, while long, textured tannins flex their commanding muscles but remain classy. With all the depth and detail that distinguishes 2016, this filled me with nostalgia for that glorious vintage.

- Decanter, 96 pts. 

A youthful, saturated bright red, the 2016 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Al Vento has a sunny and introverted personality that draws you into its notes of kirsch, wild sweet herbs, sweet tobacco, leather, and cedar. Full-bodied, it has rich tannins, retains good freshness, and does not feel heavy. Rather light on its feet, it has a clean finish with notes of orange pith and a chalky texture. I would give this another year or two and drink over the following 10 years.

- Jeb Dunnuck, 95 pts.

The organic Col d'Orcia 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento (in a medium-heavy glass bottle) is quite beautiful, truth be told, with a unique sense of direct power, medium-rich texture and evolved fruit. This Riserva takes us back in time to one of the most successful vintages in Montalcino history. The bouquet is distinguished by dried fruit, rose potpourri and roasted chestnut husk. The tannins are resolved, and the wine ends on a softly silky note.

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 pts.