Brunello di Montalcino 2019 97WS/96VM/96+WA

A racy, penetrating red, evoking cherry, strawberry, rose hip, orange peel, wild herb and mineral flavors, driven by bracing acidity and underscored by firm, linear tannins, showing excellent balance and length. Complex and energetic, this should develop well. Best from 2027 through 2043. 1,750 cases made, 300 cases imported.

Drinking Window 2026 - 2038
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is just a baby today, youthfully coiled and understated, with dusty dried flowers and nuanced violet pastille complementing wild strawberries and autumnal spice. It sweeps across the palate, lifted and refined, with a core of vividly ripe red and blue fruits that swirl throughout as vibrant acidity maintains balance despite gripping tannins that mount toward the close. This leaves a coating primary concentration as it finishes structured and long yet remarkably pure, ending with lingering licorice hints. Breathtaking.

Lorenzo Magnelli of Le Chiuse continues to show the prestige of their terroir in their new 2019 Brunello. Its purity and balance alone are something to behold, yet it will take some time before this northern Montalcino beauty is ready to reveal all of its charms. The Le Chiuse vineyards are located in the north, a single block that sits between Montalcino and Montosoli. It’s a unique site with a steep, hillside exposition at 330 meters of elevation, rich in schist, stones and fossils with water-retaining clay only two meters below.

The organic Le Chiuse 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is shy to open and will require more time in your cellar before it hits its optimal drinking window. In its current stage, it shows dark fruit, smoky asphalt and wet stone. The initial impact is one of soothing darkness and aromatic concentration; however, the wine lightens up considerably on the palate with fresh acidity and fine tannins. This is a classic case of a Brunello that just needs more time to flesh out. Given its traditional and elegant personality today, it will improve tomorrow. Le Chiuse made 21,800 bottles this year.

Le Chiuse is one of the few estates to make a late-release wine that comes to market 10 years after the harvest. I'm taking about the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Diecianni (named "10 years" in Italian). Sadly, the 2014 vintage was never produced due to soggy and cold weather in that vintage. Father and son team Nicolò and Lorenzo Magnelli currently run the estate based on tradition and always with an open mind to the future. During my conversation, we spoke in detail about 2018 and the vintages that followed. Lorenzo Magnelli describes 2018 as having a cool and wet spring and warm summer without any heat spikes, followed by cooler weather and rain that lasted into September. These conditions made vineyard work extremely important to counter the onset of mold and help grapes reach proper concentrations. In addition, the juice was treated delicately in the cellar to “enhance the elegance” and then refined only in large neutral barrels. However, production was down by 15%, but the resulting wine is a beautiful translation of terroir and vintage character.