Brunello di Montalcino, San Filippo 2016

Plenty of balsamic aromas lead to macerated cherry and plum fruit in this racy red, framed by juniper, thyme, Scotch broom, tar and iodine.

A serene and intensely structured Brunello with cherry, cedar, walnut and dry-earth aromas with some burnt-lemon undertones. Full-bodied, yet with very fine tannins that are extremely polished and beautiful. Goes on for minutes. A gorgeous young wine. Try after 2023.

The San Filippo 2016 Brunello di Montalcino offers a slightly exotic personality with smoked cedar, mahogany or teak followed by dark fruit, pressed blackberry and plum. The wine ages in large oak cask for two years. This is a robustly textured and muscular Brunello with full-bodied intensity that transcends both the bouquet and the mouthfeel. There's a lot going on, especially in terms of the wine's smokiness and spiciness, and there is good acidity and tannic structure to frame it all. Production is 15,000 bottles. 2023-2038