Wines

93 Points! Floral and slightly spicy, with a fresh fruit profile, this has red currants, pomegranate and deep graphite. Medium-bodied, it shines with concentration, weight and elegant tannins. The supersavory finish is sustained by crisp acidity. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! The captivating Baricci 2019 Brunello is another gorgeous wine from this storied producer. It offers enticing scents of woodland berry, new leather, camphor, pipe tobacco and dog rose while the full-bodied, elegantly structured palate delivers juicy Morello cherry, red plum, licorice and cake spice before a flinty mineral finish. A backbone of tight, refined tannins and fresh acidity provide support and racy tension. While it’s still youthfully austere, it already shows great balance and precision. - Kerin O' Keefe

97 Points! The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is youthfully inward and darkly floral with an herbal tinge and hints of crushed ashen stone that give way to vivid black raspberry and exotic spice. This is juicy and spry, with racy cherry-berry fruit and stimulating acidity that creates a sensation of boundless energy, even as a saturation of primary concentration settles in toward the close. The 2019 finishes with incredible length and youthful tension, leaving balsamic spice, sage and licorice notes lingering over a bed of dusty tannins. - Eric Guido, Viinous Media

97 Points! Baricci shines with this stunning 2019, from the estate’s south- to southeast-facing plots at 300 metres on the Montosoli hill. It is still far too young, but everything is in place for a long and gratifying life. Preliminary cedar and vanillin nuances melt into sumptuous cherry, and there's a pronounced stony, mineral edge along with juicy blood orange to impart further intricacy. Refined and graceful with layered substance, it has long, chalky, perfectly ‘al dente’ tannins and sappy, mouthwatering acidity. - Decanter Magazine

92 Points! Aromas of cherries, dried herbs, strawberry bush, wet stones and subtle spices with some dusty mineral notes. Silky and textured on the medium-bodied palate, it’s deliciously fruity and smooth, with a lingering finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! The organic Brancaia 2023 Chianti Classico shows lovely primary intensity with dark cherry and blackcurrant. Barbara Widmer and her team strive for freshness and an easy-drinking experience with this charming wine. Maintaining fruit freshness and elegance is a main goal of this estate, but it also strives to push beyond the classic parameters of Chianti Classico in terms of complexity and depth. I love the brightness of the primary fruit in this wine. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

93 Points! The 2021 Chianti Classico is a powerful wine. Dark, layered and beguiling, the 2021 has so much to offer. Macerated black cherry, licorice, new leather, cloves, incense and blood orange build as the 2021 opens in the glass. This is a very serious, hugely overachieving Chianti Classico from proprietor Paolo Cianteroni. 

Proprietor Paolo Cianferoni releases his wines a bit later than most. The 2021s are worth the wait. Readers will find Chianti Classicos of uncommon depth and character, starting with the Annata, which is ridiculously good. Caparsa remains one of the Chianti Classicos under-the- radar gems, a small estate known only to relatively small subset of wine lovers. These new releases are nothing short of captivating. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! So much dried-lemon and orange-peel character here. Wet leaf, wet earth, stone and lightly smoked meat. Full body, integrated tannins and a savory, tangy finish. Fleshy and yummy. Fabulous deal. Drink or hold on release. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Cigar box and leather aromas are balanced by strawberry and cherry notes at the core. There is a vibrant, refreshing quality here, with a long, complex aftertaste. Best from 2019 through 2033. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! This is a robust and unflinching red wine with a succulent core of ripe cherry fruit. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Montosoli is more restrained and elegant compared to many of its peers from this hot vintage. Those scorching summer temperatures have been expertly absorbed, and the wine never feels jammy or heavy. The mid-weight finish is fine and graceful. Only 2,493 bottles were produced. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

93 Points! Aromas of dark cherries and plums with dark spices, chocolate and dried flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and structured with firm tannins and velvety texture. Dark-fruited and broad with a polished, lingering finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Red with a garnet tinge, the 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva has a lovely nose of preserved red cherry, grenadine, rosemary, blood orange, fresh sage, and worn leather. It keeps lovely balance and structure on the palate, with ripe fruit but sweet tannins, and despite its ripe fruit, it has good levity and length, with its more sanguine underpinnings keeping its richness in balance. I’m quite impressed with this wine, which is going to age gracefully and show some more umami-rich tones as it ages over the next 15 years or so. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! A delicious, well-rounded and velvety Chianti Classico with aromas of strawberries, raspberries and mild spices. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins and texture. Juicy and velvety with elegance and a pure character. Fresh and delicious finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Sleek and saturated with blackberry, black cherry and pomegranate flavors, this red has density and polished tannins. Balance is this version's hallmark, with hints of mineral, spices and cocoa powder lining the long aftertaste. Drink now through 2033. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! Filippo Chia and his team kill it in this vintage. The Castello Romitorio 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta is a beautiful and balanced wine. This estate is making some of the best Brunellos from Montalcino today. In the not too distant past, its vineyards were once considered too cool for ideal fruit ripening, but with climate change, the vines are now in a prime position for balanced phenolics, sugars and acidity. This wine shows a wide and complete bouquet, spanning many aromas, all delivered with direct vertical intensity. This is one of the delightful oxymorons that occurs with fine wine. It shows soft, building intensity, but most importantly, the fruit quality is bright and fresh (with 7,760 bottles made). This is a keeper. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

97 Points! A silky texture announces this cherry-, blackberry- and violet-flavored red, along with notes of graphite, tobacco and wild herbs. Well-structured, with profound yet finely wrought tannins and an extra dimension of finesse that stands out. Boasting superb balance and a seemingly never-ending aftertaste, this is multidimensional and focused. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! So floral and fresh with rose stem, sandalwood and orange blossom. Cherries, too. Full-bodied yet reserved and held back with creamy fine tannins and a beautiful finish. Shows brightness and finesse. Silky texture. One of the best I have had from here. A Brunello that emphasizes purity of fruit. Give this three to four years more. Try after 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

100 Points! The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is every bit as thrilling as it was on the many occasions I tasted it from barrel. Black cherry, hard candy, plum, rose petal, menthol and lavender saturate the palate in a sumptuous, racy Brunello endowed with magnificent depth and pedigree. An utterly stunning, sensual wine, the 2010 constantly changes in the glass as it conquers all the senses with an exotic kaleidoscope of aromas, flavors and textures. I remember tasting the 2010 from cask a few years ago when Diego Molinari was too unwell to go down to the cellar. Nora Molinari tasked me with essentially serving myself as we went from vintage to vintage and cask to cask. For days after, I was mortified that I might not have closed some of the spigots tightly enough. Fortunately, that was not the case. In all of my years tasting the wines of Montalcino, I have only come across two wines with this level of textural unctuosity and sweetness; Gianfranco Soldera's 1983 Brunello and 1990 Riserva. Cerbaiona's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino will leave readers weak at the knees. It is every bit that profound. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98 Points! The 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino pours a bright red color and shows more aromatic restraint than the 2021. The nose shows wild raspberries, darker berries, and dried floral tones, with a more muted, understated frame. Medium to full-bodied, it offers ripe tannins, balanced acidity, and solid length, although it feels a touch less polished than the 2021 at this stage. It should drink well over the next 12 to 15 years. Drink 2026-2041. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

98 Points! Intense, vibrant aromas of strawberries and raspberries, together with cola and flowery notes. Milk and mint nuances, too. Shows a lot of licorice elegance and blood-orange freshness on both the nose and palate with firm, velvety tannins and well-packed, brilliant acidity and a polished finish. Good aftertaste and amazing potential. Very classic. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Darkly alluring, almost smokey in nature, the 2019 Rosso Granomelo tempts the senses with a complex blend of black currants, exotic spice, air-dried meats and crushed rocks. This seems to hover across the palate, lifted and finessed, with rose-tinged red berries that slowly take on a more savory profile as saline-mineral tones form toward the close. The 2019 lingers with impressive length and is potent, blending wild herbs with black fruits and blood orange hints that slowly fade to leave behind a fine web of tannin. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

92 Points! In the Fonterenza style, the 2020 Rosso di Montalcino lifts from the glass with a wild bouquet as sour cherry and orange mingle with sweet herbs and exotic spices. This is full of energy yet soft and pliant. Vibrant acidity carries licorice-tinged red fruits. It tapers off long and structured, leaving the mouth watering and aching under its youthful structure. Patience will be required. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

98 Points! I really appreciate the dark-berry and burnt-orange aromas that follow through to a full body, very integrated tannins and a ripe, juicy fruit character. Savory, succulent and salty. Hints of chocolate and salted nuts. So juicy and gorgeous. A fabulous red. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino La Torre is born of the earth, as a burst of crushed ashen stones and wild herbs give way to dried black cherries. This is surprisingly juicy and sleek, with vividly ripe red plums complicated by saline minerals and savory spice. Green olives resonate under an air of violet inner florals. The 2019 finishes long, structured and staining. A pleasantly rustic character here may not be for everyone, but I think it works pretty well. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

93 Points! This powerful red is dense yet fleshy, evoking cherry, tobacco, iron, earth and wild herb notes. Balanced and fresh, with a lingering aftertaste of fruit, savory Mediterranean herbs and mineral notes. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! Notes of raspberries and cherries with red licorice, dried orange peel and spices. Medium- to full-bodied with meaty structure. Tannins are wide and velvety with a juicy, red-fruited mid-palate. Fresh and crunchy at the end. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! The Montevertine 2022 Pian del Ciampolo is initially shy and requires extra time to open. You get wild berry notes, redcurrant, peat moss and tin can. This hot-vintage expression is made with 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo and 5% Colorino that fermented in glass-lined cement vats and aged in large oak casks. It is texturally smooth with silky tannins. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com