Decanter (98)

After sitting out the 2014 vintage, Andrea Costanti calls 2015 a beautiful year and one of the best in the history of Brunello. He deemed it exceptional enough to craft a Riserva (to be released in 2021) yet his classic Brunello hasn't suffered for it. In fact, it's one of the greatest successes of the vintage. Gorgeous, seductive aromas are already expressive but still youthful. Cherry and plum are enveloped by exotic spice and a faint smokiness. The palate is plush and velvety with layers of powdery tannins that build, and tangy acid that cleanses the palate. Hedonistic but brilliantly balanced, it is hard to resist now but the best is definitely yet to come.

Wine Enthusiast (99)

This savory stunner has enticing scents of violet, rose and wild berry that gain complexity alongside notes of leather, camphor and sandalwood. The elegantly structured palate is all about precision, featuring juicy cherry, blood orange, star anise and tobacco framed in taut, refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it energized.

Wine Enthusiast (97)

Extremely elegant and focused, this compelling wine defies the heat of the vintage, starting with a heady fragrance of ripe dark-skinned berries, violet, camphor, dark spice and whiffs of crushed herbs. On the linear, elegantly structured palate, tightly woven but extremely polished tannins accompany juicy Marasca cherry, blood orange, licorice and white pepper while fresh acidity keeps it balanced and fresh. Drink 2025–2032

Decanter (100)

I remember tasting Costanti’s 2019 Rosso di Montalcino in 2021 and thinking how Brunello-esque it was: the sturdy structure was almost uncharacteristic, yet it certainly boded well for the Brunello. Simply gloriously sculpted, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is indeed statuesque and stately. While it doesn’t give everything up all at once, it is gracious in its presentation. From chestnut forest and sweet earth, to anise and orange extract, the aromas are visceral, and boundless depths of wild red berries suffuse the palate. It vibrates with scintillating acidity and long, tactile tannins which stretch out leisurely. I bet that Rosso has hit its stride now – if you have some, it’s what you'll want to drink while waiting for this captivatingly beautiful Brunello. I can't help but imagine what next year’s Riserva release has in store.

Wine Enthusiast (98)

Aromas of ripe dark-skinned fruit, forest floor, rose and wild mint shape the enticing nose. Elegantly structured and full of flavor, the linear, focused palate delivers mature Marasca cherry, blood orange, licorice and tobacco set against a backbone of refined tannins. Drink 2023 though 2035.

Wine Enthusiast (100)

This perfumed wine opens with layers of scents, including violet, woodland berries, new leather, forest floor and warm spices. Smooth and elegantly structured, the savory palate boasts juicy black-skinned berry, blood orange, licorice, tobacco and the barest hint of coffee bean alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it impeccably balanced. Drink 2026–2046.

Vinous (88-90)

The 2018 Chambolle-Musigny Village, matured in 30% new oak, has a generous bouquet of red berry fruit, plus touches of brown spice and light loamy aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and lightly spiced red berry fruit mixed with white pepper and sage, dovetailing into a slightly compact but fresh finish. Fine.

James Suckling (97)

This has an unwonted, intensely floral note of eucalyptus and tee tree oil, which makes it immediately recognizable against other 2015 Brunellos. Besides that, there are ripe rose stems and dried lavender. It has a racy core of boisterous berries that dive inwards and outwards of firm, structured tannins. The juxtaposition of steely resolve and intense florals are quite remarkable. Very classy. Drink from 2025.

Wine Advocate (95)

Softer for sure compared to the 2016 wines, and more abundant in personality, the Cortonesi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva La Mannella is very expressive of the sunny, warm and luminous growing season. Rich fruit flavors of dark plum, black cherry and cassis are interwoven with spice, sweet tobacco and balsam herb. This wine is fermented in steel for 25 days and is then racked into oak for a long 48-months élevage. This wine is only made in the best years, and it draws its fruit from the estate's oldest vines, which are 37 years old. A mere 3,658 bottles were made. The tannins are a bit bitter and youthful, so give this wine more cellar time.

Wine Advocate (94)

The Cortonesi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Mannella shows dark fruit with dried cherry, blackcurrant and plum. On a second wave of aromas, you encounter softer spice with toasted almond, tilled earth and grilled herb. This is a classic expression of the crisp but sunny 2016 vintage with an open and food-friendly personality. There is a playful touch of sweet cherry on the close. Fruit is sourced from the La Mannella zone, one of the coolest growing areas in the appellation at moderate 350 meters above sea level. Winemaking is traditional, using 30-hectoliter Slavonian oak for three years of slow aging, and this reinforces all those fun berry notes on display in the 25,000-bottle release.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The Cortonesi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli draws its fruit from a vineyard planted in the 1970s and replanted in part during the 1990s. Its fruit has made this designate wine since 1998, and like many of the Selezioni (and the Brunello cru expressions), this wine shows a pretty mineral character that lifts above the bright red fruit. It's absolutely true that these special sections from Montalcino are always recognized by their terrain or soil-adjacent aromas. In this case, I can smell those flinty or gravel-like tones from the schistous Galestro rocks. That special aromatic signature is followed by dark fruit and balsam herb, firm tannins and bright acidity. This is a limited 4,000-bottle release.

Jancis Robinson (17+)

Full bottle all of 1,405 g. 95% Sémillon, 4% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle. Cask sample. 18 months in oak envisaged. No information on yield. Greenish hint to the golden hue. Very classic with a botrytis note and some real freshness. Weight and integrity here with a savoury, even bacon-fat, finish. Not one of the sweetest wines, or what I probably mean is that the acidity is more pronounced than in many of its peers. Sleek and fresh. But probably for relatively early drinking. 13.5% Drink 2024 – 2038

A harmonious symphony of opulence and finesse, the David Duband Chambolle Musigny 2019 is the culmination of meticulous craftsmanship from renowned French winemaker, David Duband. Exquisitely hailing from his estate in the heart of Burgundy's Chambolle-Musigny village, this wine is a testament to sustained tradition and dedicated viticulture. Each grape was handpicked from this famed appellation before undergoing rigorous selection and gentle destemming, a technique employed by only the most discerning of vignerons.

The wine exudes a pristine ruby hue and reveals an exquisite bouquet of wild berries and violets, underpinned with a subtle hint of oak. On the palate, its opulence is eloquently balanced with a fine line of acidity, unveiling a depth of intricate texture and jubilant fruit flavours. The David Duband Chambolle Musigny 2019 offers a testament to the mastery of its eponymous creator, expertly capturing the quintessence of its prestigious terroir.

As an acclaimed French winemaker, David Duband casts a spell with his rendition of the Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Sentiers 2020, a quintessentially 'Burgundian' Pinot Noir. This elegant wine hails from Chambolle-Musigny, a highly reputed French appellation where winemaking has rich historic lineage. Meticulous vine management using biodynamic principles and the tinder care the Sentiers vineyard is given result in a wine marked with finesse and structure.

The David Duband Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Sentiers 2020 exhibits vibrant aromas of dark cherry, violet, and damp earth, underpinned by an enchanting minerality. Defined by its refined palate, this wine is a harmonious balance of intense fruit, silky tannins, and a lingering finish. David Duband's talent for harnessing the terroir's unique character is evident in each bottle, promising an extraordinary journey into the heart of Burgundy enjoyment. Due to its limited production, each bottle is a prized possession for any discerning wine enthusiast.

Jancis Robinson (16)

Deep cherry; less typically Chambolle than some, quite meaty actually. Floral later.

Burghound (88-91)

There is just reduction present to blur the nuances of the underlying fruit. More interesting are the very fresh and super-sleek middleweight flavors that possess fine intensity while exhibiting ample minerality on the lingering and youthfully austere finale. This is a Chambolle of contrasts as the lacy mid-palate is markedly different from the borderline rustic finale

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-94)

80 year old vines in deeper soil just below Rugiens, with deep roots which make it consistent each year. Avoided the frost. 30% whole bunch, three new barrels out of ten. A fine mid purple with some depth of fruit. The stems have done their job of lifting the bouquet, this is rather delightful, too much fruit to be called floral but there are some roses in the background too. A little firmer on the palate, and a fresh acidity to finish. Promising. Drink from 2027-2034.

Vinous (93)

Bright red. Violet, herbs and faded flowers on the fragrant nose. The red cherry, licorice and orange peel flavors show good inner-mouth perfume and a youthfully chewy quality, plus a subtle hint of leather at the back that adds complexity. Strikes me as being the best entry-level Brunello from Tiezzi in years.

Vinous (93)

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Soccorso from Tiezzi boasts an extroverted display of ripe blackberry complemented by notes of dried orange, minty herbs, tobacco and finally hints of mocha. It’s texturally deep and layered, ushering in wave after wave of ripe black cherries and plums contrasted by zesty acids and hints of sour citrus. Its tannins steadily build throughout the experience, sneaking up on you while drying out the 2016’s fruits and creating a clenching feel on the palate under an air of violet florals and hints of tobacco. It’s a dark, large-scaled and beastly expression of Brunello, but it is sure to have its fans.

Super precision on the nose, charming bright red and black fruits and that characteristic deftness of flavour from Chambolle-Musigny. An elegance on the palate, the tannins, acidity and alcohol all in perfect balance and bright, seductive notes of cranberry, redcurrant, touches of violets and soft subtle spices from the oak, with a line of minerality running through.

Burghound (91-93)

A ripe and brooding nose offers up notes of both red and dark currant, raspberry and a really lovely array of floral elements. The mouthfeel of the medium-bodied flavors is at once finer and more delineated though notably less concentrated and powerful while the lingering and equally firmly structured finish possesses a different texture as the 100% whole cluster vinification is more obvious. Good stuff here as well in a built-to-age style.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Les Carrières 1er Cru, which contains 100% whole bunch, has a vivacious bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, a light tobacco scent emerging with time, then pressed rose petals/white flowers. The palate is underpinned by fine tannins, taut and fresh with wonderful salinity and tension on the finish. Superb.

Burghound (91-93)

An airy and perfumed nose features notes of spice, red currant and a lovely array of floral nuances. There is excellent vibrancy to the solidly concentrated and unusually powerful medium-bodied flavors that are also quite compact on the lingering and balanced finale. Once again, this is firmly austere and a wine that will need at least half a dozen years of keeping first.

Wine Advocate (92+)

Another of the highlights of the range is the 2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Combottes, a lovely wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of sweet wild berries, cherries, potpourri and a generous application of toasty new oak that will settle down with a bit of bottle age. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, velvety and nicely concentrated, structured around rich, powdery tannins and lively acids, concluding with good length on the finish.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Aux Combottes 1er Cru has a lovely bouquet with wilted rose petals infusing the lively red fruit, the 60% whole bunch lending a soupçon of pepperiness. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, taut and fresh with a gentle grip on the graphite-tinged, linear finish. Quite strict! Give this 4-5 years in the cellar.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées 1er Cru had a very tardy malo and consequently had been dosed with SO2 just 10 days earlier. Containing 60% whole bunch, this has a generous red cherry and cranberry fruit, pressed flowers and brown spices. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, a crisp line of acidity, grippy in the mouth but with ample freshness on the finish. Excellent, though cut from a different cloth due to its more clayey soils.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

Mid purple, not so much distinction coming from the nose. But an impressive depth of fruit behind, really singing. Now the fruit comes out. There is a sumptuous aspect to the fruit halfway to grand cru, though nothing vulgar. Perhaps just a mite chunky. Long finish on pure red fruit. Drink from 2027-2033.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2017 Chambolle-Musigny Lavrottes 1er Cru, which sees 50% new oak, was showing some reduction when I visited the domaine, though there appears to be fine fruit concentration. The fresh, vibrant palate is vivid and tensile, offering crisp, slightly chalky tannin and crunchy red fruit mixed with blueberry toward the finish. There is good backbone here, and so this will deserve at least four to six years in bottle. Excellent.