2016 - Brunello di Montalcino, Col d'Orcia

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a total pleasure. I was expecting a bruiser but found a beguiling blend of spiced orange and dusty cherries complemented by a cascade of rosy florals. It’s round and plaint, showing its southern Montalcino fruit with pride, yet refined, silky and harmonious, with a core of saline minerality that adds a tactile crunch toward the close. Grippy tannins are front and center through the long and dramatic finale, as hints of licorice and a bitter tinge of blackberry seeds punctuate the finale. This is pure seduction.

The Col d'Orcia 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a widely available wine with an ample production of 240,000 bottles. It is also a landmark wine in Montalcino, although it tends to be very vintage-sensitive, with some releases showing much better than others. In the case of the twofold 2015 and 2016 powerhouse vintages, I like both wines about the same. This cooler vintage shows dark fruit and spice, while there's an extra layer of leather or cigar ash at the back. This wine is made with organic fruit. It displays a mid-weight mouthfeel with tight tannins and lively acidity, the kind that will cut through your favorite steak dinner.

Lustrous mid ruby. Savoury and a little subdued and reductive at the beginning. Wet-earth notes and sour cherry with hints of cassis. Tightly-wound, succulent cherry fruit palate that is stubbornly closed, with long, sandy tannins. The fruit is a little on the skinny side, but this is still embryonic. Long aromatic finish. Grows on you. (WS)