2020 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (750ml)

WINEMAKER'S NOTES:

TASTING NOTES:

Darkly alluring, the 2020 Brunello di Montalcino emerges with an earthy blend of crushed blackberries, grilled herbs and smoky, ashen stones. This displays textures of pure silk and a core of ripe wild berries complicated by flinty mineral tones, rosemary and hints of blood orange, all guided by brilliant acidity. The 2020 finishes with dramatic length and classical structure, leaving a spicy sensation and lingering nuances of red plum. Castiglion del Bosco has captured a remarkable depth and concentration here that's atypical of the vintage.

- Vinous, 94 pts. 

Aromas of cloves, pine needles, bing cherries and dried cranberries create a spicy, warm nose, while the fruit ripens on the palate without losing that snappy freshness. Firm tannins and linear, decisive acid fortify undertones of earth and salt.

- Wine Enthusiast, 94 pts. 

The 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino has a deep brick red color and is ripe with aromas of black cherries, tarry earth, rosemary, lavender, and sweet tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, it saturates the palate with ripe tannins, savory notes of tea leaf, even acidity, and a very well-balanced finish. It boasts a good deal of depth and is going to offer a wide window for enjoyment over the coming 12-15 years.

- Jeb Dunnuck, 93 pts. 

Fruit-forward with a combination of blue fruit and red-fruit jam that follows through to a medium body with medium, round tannins and a fruity finish. Polished. Drink or hold.

- James Suckling, 93 pts. 

The Castiglion del Bosco 2020 Brunello di Montalcino is a softly enriched and contemporary interpretation of Sangiovese in which ripeness and oak aging play big roles in shaping the final product. The wine is plush and soft and definitely feels like it is geared to an international palate that is less interested in the acidic sharpness and rigidity of traditional Brunello. Blackberry and dried cherry cede to cured tobacco and barbecue ash. The finish is on the dry side.

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 pts. 

With 2,000 hectares, mostly of woodlands, Castiglion del Bosco dominates Montalcino’s northwestern quadrant. Vineyards bathe in the intense light that bounces off the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea. The 2020 echoes that luminosity as it wafts with fragrances of Mediterranean scrub on a warm, sunny day. The palate brings in ripe strawberry, red cherry and cola. Acidity is soft and mellow yet still lends a fresh twist, and the smooth tannins frame the wine effortlessly, ending with a characterful finish of bitter orange and cocoa.

- Decanter, 92 pts. 

Rich and dense in both flavor and structure, this red exhibits black cherry, blackberry, tar and forest underbrush notes. Its beefy tannins frame the finish, keeping this compact and a bit rustic today. Best from 2028 through 2042.

- Wine Spectator, 92 pts.