2016 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 1.5L with Gift Box

Winemaker Notes: 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 colour, 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 flavour fully confirms the above in a well-balanced, full-bodied wine with good tannins and a solid structure.

WINE DESCRIPTION

 Brunello is considered among Italy's top-quality wines. Made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso grapes hand-harvested from the Altesino, Castelnuovo dell'Abate, Macina, and Pianezzine vineyards, this wine is an example of finesse and elegance inherent to Montalcino's best vineyard sites.

TASTING NOTES

Ruby-red with a garnet rim, this wine's bouquet displays ample aromas of violet, wild berries, tobacco, chocolate, and vanilla. On the palate, Altesino Brunello is rich, full-bodied, and velvety.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "Bold cherry, dried raspberry and myrtle add to the intensity and the brightness of the bouquet. The Altesino 2016 Brunello di Montalcino displays a lively and fruit-forward ensemble with an infectious and cheerful sense of energy. This is a tonic and crisp expression of Sangiovese with lifted berry aromas backed by subtle spice, tar and licorice gained over two years of barrel aging. Rating: 95+"


Jeb Dunnuck - "The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino has remarkably consistent integration from the nose to the palate. There are generous aromatics of fresh raspberry, rosemary, lavender and Mediterranean herbs. The palate opens up with ripe and inviting cherry fruit and tea leaf, with supple tannin and freshness on the finish. Its drink ability now should not be confused for a lack of structure, as it is true to the energetic nature of the vintage. Drink 2021-2036. Rating : 95+"


James Suckling - "Fresh violet, forest-floor and some pear-skin aromas, underneath brambleberries. Fresher style of Brunello. It's medium-bodied with silky tannins and a great balance between fresh-fruit and forest flavors."


Wine Spectator - "Balsamic aromas of wild thyme, juniper, eucalyptus and pine lead off, with cherry and plum fruit at the core. There’s latent energy that’s restrained for now by the grip of tannins, yet this is lithe and nimble despite the solid structure. Best from 2024 through 2045."


Decanter - "Altesino has been producing a separate bottling from the cru of Montosoli since 1975, though the vines were partially replanted in 2005 and 2016. If Altesino’s estate Brunello is almost accessible already, the polished yet intense Montosoli needs time in the cellar to demonstrate its potential. The nose is discreet with violet, bramble and bay leaf taking on earthy, savoury tones as it sits in the glass. Tight and firmly fastened, the palate fuses stony notes of granite with dark cherry. Ageing is in 30hL casks of Slavonian oak."