Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 vintage report and top-scoring wines

Canalicchio di Sopra’s Riserva is typically crafted from the estate’s oldest plantings. In 2016, it combines two sites: Vigna Vecchia Mercatale in Canalicchio and the...

Andrea Costanti believes resolutely that 2016 was a year to make a Riserva. His is confidently extracted by a skilled hand and demonstrates the formidable...

Fuligni’s Riserva is born in the San Giovanni vineyard at Podere Cottimelli, the estate’s original site. It is a selection of the best bunches from...

Gianni Brunelli’s Riserva is built from the Olmo vineyard in Montalcino’s southeast. Reaching 500 metres on stony soil, this warm site is the first to...

The first ever Riserva from Castello Romitorio’s Filo di Seta plot, this is crafted from a handful of selected tonneaux – mostly used but a...

With grape growing roots in Montalcino going back to the 1500s, the Padelletti estate is currently run by Claudia Susanna Padelletti. She selects the Riserva...

Poggio di Sotto’s Riserva is usually crafted from one single 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak cask. In 2016, the estate selected two - essentially doubling production to...

San Polino’s Riserva is crafted from a south-facing plot at 450 metres. After spontaneous fermentation and a long 60-day maceration, this sees a short passage...

The Sesti family has always preferred long ageing in large casks, even when less time in smaller barrels was fashionable. They also keep rackings and...

Castello Romitorio harvests in two stages. The first is an early selection of the smallest, loosest bunches across the oldest vineyards and fills one single...

The estate’s oldest plot, Vigna Paganelli is a 12-hectare vineyard planted in 1964. It boasts a rich diversity of old Sangiovese clones which are used...

Second-generation winemaker Fabian Schwarz has been at the helm at La Magia since 2011. He prefers spontaneous fermentations with some whole berries, long macerations and...

Seamlessly constructed, Caparzo’s Riserva combines fruit from the estate’s original vineyard in the far north of Montalcino with La Casa on the Montosoli hill, as...

Starting with the 2010 vintage, Lorenzo Magnelli waits 10 years from the harvest to release Le Chiuse’s Riserva. His goal is to present it at...

Working with consultant Paolo Vagaggini, proprietor Ettore Spina favours relatively low fermentation temperatures of between 26 to 28°C to preserve aromas. Indeed, the 2016 Riserva...

Produced from the estate’s oldest vineyards – predominantly southeast-facing plots at 400 metres – Talenti’s 2016 Riserva is all very charmingly animated on the nose....

Like its sister estate – the nearby Caparzo – Altesino boasts vineyards in different sectors of Montalcino. The Riserva blends fruit from southern vineyards near...

Argiano’s winemaker, Bernardino Sani waited until mid-October to harvest in 2016, benefiting from the slow ripening provided by the cool autumn nights. While the Riserva...

Cava d'Onice Riserva is a 2,000-bottle cuvée selected from the Nannetti family’s four vineyard sites. Fermented and aged in small French and Slavonian oak barrels,...

Selected from the Pacenti family’s 10 hectares of vineyards that surround the estate in the Canalicchio zone. Mellowed and attractively evolved, engaging aromas of vanilla-tinged...

Established by the Cencioni family in 1957, Capanna now boasts 20 hectares of southeast-facing vineyards in the area of Montosoli. Selected from the oldest vines,...

Cecilia Leoneschi has been the winemaker at Castiglion del Bosco since Massimo Ferragamo purchased the estate in 2003. She has been instrumental in converting the...

A single vineyard expression from Pian Bossolino, La Fiorita’s Riserva was picked on 10 October. It comes across as very ripe in its aromas of...

A stone’s throw from the renowned Salicutti estate, Le Macioche is a well-ventilated property with warm southeast- to southwest-facing vineyards. High altitudes are suggested by...

Tassi produces a Riserva from the estate’s oldest plantings. It hails from the Franci vineyard where vines are now over 40 years of age. An...

Andrea Cortonesi crafts distinctly umami Brunello from various parcels at diverse altitudes and exposures in the warm reaches of Castelnuovo dell’Abate. After trying the sensuous...

The 2015 Riserva was born during the brief period between Franco Biondi Santi’s death and subsequent acquisition by luxury company EPI in 2016. Looking to...