Wine Advocate (100)

The Gianni Brunelli Le Chiuse di Sotto 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a stunning wine with so much vitality, life and energy. It shows a brazen level of clarity and frankness. If you seek the truth in Sangiovese, I think you find it here. This Brunello unfolds to lasting purity, elegance and length. It is luminous and radiant. When tasted next to the 2015 Riserva from this estate (something I did on multiple passes), I continued to recognize the lifted and exciting personality of this wine next to the broader and heavier character of the Riserva. This Brunello shows extreme precision and focus, both to the bouquet and the mouthfeel. Wild berry, blue flower and licorice converge to perfection, and it's impossible to beat this quality at this price.

Vinous (92)

The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is deeply expressive, showing peppery red berries and pomegranate plus hints of tomato leaf and sage, reminding me of that moment you add fresh herbs to a just-finished ragù. This is pure silk on the palate, rich and pliant, as it slowly saturates the senses with mineral-laced red and hints of blue fruit. Intensely primary and licorice-tinged, it tapers off grippy and classically dry to lasting rosy florals. The 2017 is a bit like a tamed beast of a Brunello.

Vinous (93)

The darkly alluring 2018 Brunello di Montalcino grumbles up from the glass, with a mix of crushed plums and black cherries complemented by rubbed sage nuances. It’s soft-textured and deep, engulfing the palate in ripe wild berry fruit and spice, underscored by a savory herbaceous steak. A web of fine tannins is left to linger, creating a truly classic impression, as mentholated herbs and hints of wild strawberry linger on and on. This youthfully masked beauty will only require minimal cellaring to show its best.

Kerin O'Keefe (99)

The gorgeous 2019 Brunello from Gianni Brunelli pulls you in, with its quintessential Brunello fragrance composed of underbrush, woodland berry, botanical herb and wild rose. Savory and all about finesse, the delicious palate shows elegant restraint and energy, delivering juicy red cherry, raspberry, cinnamon and crushed mint alongside polished tannins. Bright acidity keeps it beautifully balanced. Hats off to Laura Brunelli, this is an absolutely enthralling wine. Drink 2027–2039. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe November 2023

Jeb Dunnuck (96+)

Pouring a medium red hue, the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino shows more depth at first impression, with darker cherry fruit, licorice, and deeper mineral tones on the nose, while still holding onto terrific clarity. The palate is medium to full-bodied and long, with ripe tannins, refreshing acidity, and a salty finish that stays focused and energetic without drifting toward oxidation. It’s showing beautifully today and should drink well for 15-20 years. Drink 2026-2046.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

Pouring a bright red hue, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva is expressive and pure, with layered notes of cherry cordial, blood orange, cranberries, and a touch of white smoke. The palate is full-bodied yet weightless, with coiled, ripe tannins, bright acidity, and mouthwatering salinity that amplifies everything without feeling heavy. It’s exceptionally young and tense today, with a long, resonant finish, and it should be a brilliant wine to cellar for decades. Drink 2027-2057.

Decanter (93)

Recent years have seen Gianni Brunelli’s fame and reputation rise. After his passing in 2008, his wife, Laura continued to manage the estate and today it is one of the most sought after producers of Brunello, whose wines are tightly allocated. To experience her meticulous, fastidious style, pick up this Rosso which is complete and harmonious, with fresh fruit, attractive notes of liquorice and tea leaf, and excellent balance. All in all, a lovely expression of Montalcino Sangiovese that has been given a year’s ageing in cask. A little less open than some, this could benefit from another year in bottle before starting to drink.

Toscana Amor Costante is a fabulous union between Sangiovese and Merlot sourced exclusively from Podernovone. Emphasising the essence of the terroir composed of galestro, crushed limestone and schist, this wine, only released in exceptional vintages, has a microscopic production of just 990 bottles. Yet to be rated by any critics, this “beautiful super Tuscan blend” was called “a real stunner for the money” by Greg Sherwood MW in the previous release.

The Gianni Gagliardo Barolo Castelletto 2018 is meticulously crafted from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, hailing from the illustrious vineyards of Castelletto in the heart of Monforte d’Alba, Italy. This Barolo showcases the deft winemaking prowess of the Gagliardo estate, boasting four decades of piemontese winemaking tradition.

This expressive wine tantalises with a complex nose of red fruits, smoke, and forest floor whilst delivering a delightful, seamlessly balanced palate. Aged for 24 months in large oak barrels and then transferred into the bottle, it revels in its rich, tannic structure without compromising on finesse.

As an exemplary choice for confident cellaring, the Gianni Gagliardo Barolo Castelletto 2018 displays the distinctive profundity of the Nebbiolo variety, coupled with the unique terroir of Barolo. This esteemed vintage encapsulates the symbol of Italian heritage and the essence of the Gagliardo family's passion for this inspiring craft.

The Gianni Gagliardo Barolo Castelletto 2019 exemplifies the superior craft of Italian winemaking. Produced in the luscious vineyards of Barolo, home to the elite Nebbiolo grape, this Barolo is a testament to meticulous viniculture. Famed producer Gianni Gagliardo displays masterful attention to detail, subjecting the grapes to a prolonged maceration process which imparts classically full-bodied, robust character. Aged in French oak barrels, it develops a sophisticated earthy intensity, interwoven with an inviting underlay of red fruits and balsamic nuances.

The 2019 vintage receives accolades for its remarkable balance, demonstrating the Gagliardo family's commitment to the varietal's authenticity. The sophisticated palette and intoxicating aroma of the Gianni Gagliardo Barolo Castelletto 2019 reflect an unmatched winemaking heritage. Imbibe in this exquisite wine and relish the intricate dance between power and elegance, reminiscent of Barolo's verdant landscapes and Gianni Gagliardo's renowned expertise.

James Suckling (95)

A rich and velvety wine now with mushroom, ripe fruit and Christmas cake aromas and flavors. Full and opulent. Shows the richness and beauty of this delicious vintage. Perfect to drink now.

James Suckling (92)

There's definitely a dried flower and spices on the nose here, with hints of ripe fruit. Full body, with balsamic character with fine tannins and a savory finish. Turns almost meaty. Best in 2015.

Halliday Wine Companion (98)

Pinot Noir of the Year. Named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, which was planted at Gladysdale in 1997 by Ray Guerin. Seven clones comprising 114, 115, MV6, D2V5, D5V15, Pommard and Abel. Whole bunches (40%) and 20–25% new French barriques. 2022 was a hard act to follow, but this superb wine gives it a shake. Exotic, aromatic and pure with its bouquet of wild strawberries, dark cherries, quince, spices and flowers. Densely packed, this saturates the palate, but, as always, it's light on its feet at the same time. Seamless tannins round out another benchmark for what's already a benchmark wine.

Wine Advocate (97)

It was a late, cold start to spring 2021 in Coal River Valley, followed by an unbelievably mild summer (barely a couple of days over 32 degrees Celsius). This batch wasn't picked until the 22nd of April, a month later than the last Pinot pick in the Yarra Valley. The fruit is picked in the morning, put onto a shipping container, out on the 7 p.m. boat and at the winery in Healesville 36 hours after it is picked. They used 20% whole bunch for fermentation, and the wine matured for nine months. Planted in the vineyard are MV6 predominantly and D clones. The 2022 Fatal Shore Pinot Noir leads with rosemary, lavender, concentrated raspberry in the mouth (wow!) and layers of ductile tannin to support the fruit. The tannins are pronounced here, and it's great; there's plenty to chew on. The fruit is sapid and pure, decidedly floral and quite savory. There are also notes of graphite, iodine, blood, dried rose petal, tobacco, five spice/cumin/clove/ras el hanout. Super. This is an excellent wine, Tassie showing its prowess here. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Halliday Wine Companion (96)

At 420m Wombat Creek is the highest vineyard site in the Yarra Valley, with a gentle northeast-facing slope of volcanic red soil. The vinification sees the wine bottled by gravity, not fined and only coarse-filtered, as is the case with its siblings. Although the acidity is not adjusted (like its siblings), it feels softer and fruitier, pink grapefruit at work.