Altesino Brunello Di Montalcino 2018 375ml HALF BOTTLE

Winemaker Description

Brunello di Montalcino is the ambassador of top quality Italian wines around the world, the first wine to receive the DOCG appellation. Brunello is a brilliant ruby ??red color, tending towards garnet red with age. Its bouquet is intense, pure, pleasant and refined, reminiscent of sweet violet, tobacco, chocolate and pleasant hints of wild berries and vanilla. Its flavor fully confirms the above in a well-balanced, full-bodied wine with good tannins and a solid structure.

Expert Rating

James Suckling 95 Points | This has fantastic intensity with concentrated hazelnut, chocolate and dark berry aromas alongside dried flower and dried orange undertones. Firm and medium- to full-bodied, with powerful yet integrated tannins. Excellent structural integrity. (2018).

Robert Parker 93 Points | The Altesino 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is an especially graceful wine with tart fruit, clean mineral lines and a mid-weight approach. Like other wines from this vintage, the 2018s are more accessible than, say, the 2016s or the 2013s. You can drink the wine soon or choose to cellar it a bit longer. The young tannins are nearly fully approachable, and the wine ends with dryness and ample freshness.

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points | The 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino is a medium ruby hue, with aromas of licorice, dried red flowers, red cherry, and dusty earth. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins, it is approachable with its more delicate nature and fresh acidity. It has no harsh edges and offers notes of ripe raspberry, blood orange, and tea leaf. (2018).

Vinous 92 Points | Wild strawberries, roses, lavender and hints of flowery underbrush form a vividly fruity yet earthy bouquet as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino opens in the glass. This is round, nearly juicy in character, with ripe red and black berries that cascade across a core of silty minerality. It leaves only a light coating of tannin while tapering off with a flourish of inner sweetness and floral tones, as nuances of licorice slowly fade. This may not be a classic Brunello from Altesino, but I can't argue with how incredibly delicious it is.

Wine Spectator 92 Points | Rich and fruity, evoking plum, cherry, iron, tobacco and eucalyptus flavors. This has a bit more flesh to offset the dusty tannins, with a lingering, fresh finish. (2018).

Decanter 92 Points | With vineyards throughout Montalcino, Altesino started harvest at the beginning of September with its southernmost holdings. After rain mid-month, the estate continued with plots in the north. The resulting wine is light yet bright in colour with an immediately attractive nose of raspberry and tarragon. Linear and direct, the chiselled palate offers mineral intrigue with an expansive juiciness. Dainty tannins are almost an afterthought, but acidity will carry this midweight, balanced charmer.