Renieri Brunello di Montalcino 2019

Cherry, berry, and cedar aromas with some rose stem follow through to a medium to full body with ripe fruit and creamy tannins that are impressive and structured, yet they are polished and long. Excellent depth. Give this three or four years to come around. Drink after 2025.

Savory and leathery on the nose with hot tar, tobacco, dried cherries, cranberries and peonies. Cherries and raspberries come out on the palate that leans sweeter and brighter but with a deep undercurrent of umami and a tangy lift from chalky tannins and lots of acid.

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a mentholated freshness, blending rosemary with crushed stone and dried black cherries. This is more lifted and wiry than expected, with brisk acidity and saline mineral tones introducing its tart red berry fruits. The 2019 tapers off full of tension, with a saturation of sinewy tannins and orange hints that pucker the cheeks. The 2019 will require patience to come fully into balance.