Italy — wine
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Italy's most age-worthy red. 100% Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello) from the hilltop town of Montalcino. Minimum ageing: 5 years (2 oak, 4 months bottle); Riserva 6 years. Needs 10–20 years minimum to reveal complexity. Biondi-Santi invented the appellation in 1888. Soldera (Case Basse) is the perfectionist boutique estate — never uses young vines, never releases early. BC importer for Biondi-Santi: Select Wine Merchants [NEEDS VERIFICATION].
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Vintage assessments
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 87 | Good year. Classic traditional character. Well-balanced tannin. Standard-bearer quality maintained by top estates. |
| 2021 | 85 | Good vintage. Elegant and aromatic. Earlier drinking style. Strong performance from southern communes (Sant'Angelo). |
| 2020 | 88 | Good. Dense, structured wines from warm conditions. Riserva will be powerful long-term holds. Village wine approachable sooner. |
| 2019 | 92 | Excellent year. Well-balanced Brunello. Cigognola and Montosoli showing magnificently. Age-worthy, structured, aromatic. |
| 2018 | 85 | Good vintage. Rain events. Variable quality — top producers thrived. Classic Montalcino expression from old-vine Sangiovese Grosso. |
| 2017 | 88 | Hot, early vintage. Less traditional structure but profound immediate appeal. Casanova di Neri and Poggio di Sotto strong from cooler sites. |
| 2016 | 90 | Very good. Cooler and more elegant than 2015. Traditional Sangiovese Grosso finesse. Biondi-Santi Annata exceptional. |
| 2015 | 96 | Decade vintage. Warm, dry growing season. Brunello of massive concentration, dark cherry, mineral iron, and dried violet. 30-year wines. |