AltesinoBrunello di Montalcino Montosoli 2020

A juicy and lightly austere young red with blackberry, cherry and bark character on both the nose and palate. It’s medium- to full-bodied with chewy tannins that soften at the end, but still make your mouth pucker. Give this two or three years to soften. Best after 2027.

The Altesino 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli has a rich and syrupy side that underlines the brightness of the fruit in this vintage. That core of dark fruit is framed by mineral notes of black slate and crushed river stone. There is a pretty mineral chalkiness on the palate that ties into the firm tannic structure of this full-bodied wine. The effect is elegant and sharply delineated. Aged in Slavonian oak casks.

From a historic vineyard of 5 ha in the north-east area of Montalcino, vinified as such since 1975, nose that begins on notes of blackberry, lime and orange blood, with hints of black pepper. Salty tannins in the mouth, with a reminder of citrus and officinal sensations.

The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli is hauntingly dark, mixing dried violets and roses with hints of lavender and rum-soaked blackberries. It is elegant, silken and pliant throughout, with mineral-inflected red berry fruit scents accentuated by perfumed inner blue and purple flower aromas. The 2020 tapers off with fantastic length and classical structure, with a tinge of licorice and a bump of residual acidity to maintain freshness. The 2020 steps lightly yet leaves a huge impact.

A deep red hue, the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli is more saturated with aromas of fresh leather, baked cherries, Amarena, mossy earth, balsamic herbs, and graphite. Full-bodied and well-balanced, with a seamless texture, plush tannins, and a velvety feel, it retains good freshness and a lot of length. It's more approachable now, and while it might not be the longest-lived of these wines, it's going to have a wide drinking window over the next 10 -15 years. I will say, while I prefer the freshness and the tension of the standard Brunello in this vintage, this has more polish and softer edges and is the more complete wine on paper.