Vinous (97)

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino maintains its exotic, aromatic and spicy profile, which features gorgeous tobacco notes and hints of brown spice. It's graceful, lifted and silken in style, with ripe wild berry fruits and a cascade of violet inner florals, all coasting across a stream of cool-toned acidity. Classically structured but not forbidding, the 2018 leaves the palate classically dry and with a hint of licorice that lingers on and on. The 2018 remains one of the top wines of the vintage.

Vinous (97)

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino maintains its exotic, aromatic and spicy profile, which features gorgeous tobacco notes and hints of brown spice. It's graceful, lifted and silken in style, with ripe wild berry fruits and a cascade of violet inner florals, all coasting across a stream of cool-toned acidity. Classically structured but not forbidding, the 2018 leaves the palate classically dry and with a hint of licorice that lingers on and on. The 2018 remains one of the top wines of the vintage.

Vinous (98)

Stunning from the first tilt of the glass, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is impossible to ignore. This blends an array of dried flowers with autumnal spices, cedar-tinged cherries and clove hints in a way that I find wildly appealing. It sweeps across the palate with textures of pure silk guided by bright acidity as depths of wild berry fruits and mineral tones saturate toward the close. The 2019 lingers impossibly long, leaving a staining of primary concentration to mingle with grippy tannins and licorice nuances, yet an airy freshness remains through it all. The combination of house style and vintage character here is otherworldly. It will take much willpower to keep our hands off of the 2019 long enough to watch it properly mature. Spellbinding.

Vinous (98)

Stunning from the first tilt of the glass, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is impossible to ignore. This blends an array of dried flowers with autumnal spices, cedar-tinged cherries and clove hints in a way that I find wildly appealing. It sweeps across the palate with textures of pure silk guided by bright acidity as depths of wild berry fruits and mineral tones saturate toward the close. The 2019 lingers impossibly long, leaving a staining of primary concentration to mingle with grippy tannins and licorice nuances, yet an airy freshness remains through it all. The combination of house style and vintage character here is otherworldly. It will take much willpower to keep our hands off of the 2019 long enough to watch it properly mature. Spellbinding.

Discover the exemplary Le Puy Emilien 2019, a rich product straight from the revered Château le Puy in Bordeaux's Saint-Cibard region. This magnificent wine is a hallmark representation of the region's centuries-old winemaking tradition. Crafted from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, and a hint of Malbec, it exhibits a melange of ripe fruit, accented by delicate hints of spice.

In your glass, its ruby glow is a true testament to the natural vinification process - no added yeasts, no filtration, purely driven by gravity. Produced by the Amoreau family, vignerons since 1610, the voyage of the Le Puy Emilien 2019 from vineyard to bottle is guided by lunar and cosmic rhythms, aligning with biodynamic viticulture.

Treat your palate to the splendid Le Puy Emilien 2019, a symphony of refined balance, supple tannins, expressing the true essence of Bordeaux terroir.

Critically acclaimed, the Le Puy Emilien 2020, hails from the prestigious Chateau Le Puy estate, marvellously located on the right bank of Bordeaux, France. This splendid Bordeaux blend expands on the palate with its distinct characteristics, derived from biodynamically cultivated, 50-year-old Merlot vines, intermingled with touches of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Carménère.

The Le Puy Emilien 2020's robust texture is achieved through meticulous traditional vinification, including spontaneous fermentation, without any addition of sulphites but slight filtration, and ageing in centuries-old oak foudres for two years, which also lends it an exceptional ageing potential.

The producer, the Amoreau family, champions a holistic, organic approach in their 400-year-old vineyard, that unfailingly translates into their treasured wines. This standout 2020 vintage encapsulates their profound respect for nature, offering a wine of vibrancy, elegance and authenticity. Alongside its intriguing depth and complexity, the Le Puy Emilien 2020 remains true to the essence of its terroir, radiating unique mineral undertones that reflect the vineyard's limestone and clay soils.

The pomegranate colour reflects the elegant fruit forward wine. Peppered mint and blueberry bring the complexity to this dangeroulsy drinkable wine. Great to serve chilled on summertimes.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is perfumed with high-toned aromatics of fresh rosehip, fresh red cherry, and anise. The palate is crisp and energetic with cherry pit, dried red plum, and fresh tomato leaf, with fine-grained tannins with linear acidity. A vibrant wine to enjoy 2023-2033.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is delicate and fine with aromas of wild cherry, licorice, grilled herb and pressed violet. It brings on more power to the palate with medium-rich concentration, pretty freshness and silky tannins. The fine tannic management stands out here, as does its contained alcohol. In a vintage that sees very high alcohol levels across the board, Le Ragnaie should be congratulated on maintaining a more moderate 13.5% alcohol content. Winemaking sees cement and large oak casks. Some 29,000 bottles were made.

Jeb Dunnuck (95)

A beautiful cologne lifts from the glass of the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino, which pours a red/orange-tinged color. Aromas of wild cherries, truffles, bittersweet chocolate, and dried orange peel are followed by a medium to full-bodied red with fine, coiled tannins, a linear feel, and refreshing lift all the way through the finish. I love the tertiary notes that come through, and this wine will only improve and gain in complexity over time.

Vinous (97)

Dark and brooding today, the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Casanovina Montosoli lifts from the glass with an alluring display of mineral-infused black cherry, complemented by hints of mint leaf, then given further depths, as dark soil tones and a hint of animal musk develops in the glass. The 2015 races across the palate with velvety textures, yet it is somehow lifted, as notes of strawberry and cedar give way to savory herbs and minerals with pretty inner florals. The finish is long, revealing a web of complex tannins upon the senses, as hints of wild berry fruit lingers with just enough residual acids to keep the expression fresh. The 2015 is just a baby today. It shows so much tension and density, with layers of unseen depth that could one day result in this being one of the best wines of the vintage.

Wine Spectator (98)

The immediate impression of this Brunello showcases its harmony and charm, evoking black cherry, blackberry, violet, mineral and woodsy flavors. Iron and tobacco accents emerge as this builds on the palate to the long aftertaste, with well-integrated tannins. Concentrated, yet never heavy or imbalanced. Best from 2024 through 2050. 350 cases made, 50 cases imported. — BS

Kerin O'Keefe (97)

This gorgeous wine starts out with enticing aromas of ripe berry, forest floor, rose hip and wild herb alongside a balsamic note recalling new leather. Racy linear and savory, the extremely elegant, focused palate delivers juicy Morello cherry, crushed raspberry baking spice and licorice. Taut, refined tannins and bright acidity keep it balanced and youthfully tense. Beautiful wine. It closes on an almond note. Drink 2026–2038. 13.5% abv.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

Displaying a slightly darker ruby color than the Petroso, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Casanovina Montosoli takes on more depth and opens to notes of wild raspberries, fresh roses, orange peel, and anise. Medium-bodied, it also takes on more structure, with elegant concentration, ripe tannins, and seamless acidity. Long on the palate, with notes of gravelly earth and Mirabelle plum on the finish, this gorgeous wine demands another year or two in cellar.

Vinous (95)

The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Fornace is laced remarkably pretty display of zesty bright cherry, offset by savory herbs and spice, as dusty minerals and dried florals add further depths. On the palate, silky textures give way to ripe cherry and spice, as saline-minerals and juicy acids add tension, while a hint of fine tannins slowly saturate, yet the 2015 never loses its vibrant persona. The finish is long, resonating with n dried cherry and cranberry over a coating of mineral-laced tannins. This is such a precise Brunello. I’m a huge fan.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

Fornace is located in Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the southeast at lower elevations than the rest of the single vineyards of the Le Ragnaie estate. The 2016 Fornace Brunello is perfumed with perfectly ripe cherry, dried roses, sweet herbs, and licorice. The aromatics move seamlessly to the palate and unfold with kirsch, blood orange, and stony earth. Upfront, there is juicy ripe cherry fruit, blood orange, and salty earth. Ordinarily I would gravitate toward the more tension-driven wines, but this was what I felt to be the most pleasurable and joyful wine on this tasting, so much so that I would keep going back to wanting more. There is a seamless integration through the whole experience, and I do feel there will be longevity despite its immediate gratification. Enjoy over the next 15-20 years. 2021-2041.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The Le Ragnaie 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Passo del Lume Spento (with 3,020 bottles made) sees its fruit sourced from one of the highest places in the appellation, or the "pass of the extinguished lantern," as the wine's name translates into English. It is part of a broader trend that Montalcino vintners seem to be looking for cooler, high-altitude growing sites for Sangiovese. This wine demonstrates without a doubt that elevation is key in obtaining elegance in the warm years. This Brunello is particularly bright, punchy and energetic. It is one of the stars of this report.