Brunello di Montalcino, Gianni Brunelli 2016

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.

Very fine tannins show right away and nicely frame the subtle cherry, cedar, mahogany and light chocolate notes. It’s medium-to full-bodied, firm and linear. Try after 2023.

Bricky ruby with smudgy rim. Seductively sweet cherry fruit. Open and aromatic, soaring from the glass but when I go back to it, I wonder if the sample is a touch oxidised? The beginning of undergrowth all tied in with the sweet, lightly raisined fruit. Less seductive on the palate than on the nose. Firm, firm, chewy texture. A baby with a deep core of fruit but needs a lot of time. 2025-2028