ERIC GUIDO FROM VINOUS AND THE NEW BRUNELLO 2020 AND RISERVA 2019
94 POINTS FOR BRUNELLO RISERVA 2019, 93 AND 91 FOR BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE AND BRUNELLO CLASSICO 2020. ERIC GUIDO’S COMMENTS ON THE NEW VINTAGES ON SALE
by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, #winedestination, #brunellodimontalcino
Vinous is a wine review portal created by Antonio Galloni starting from “Piedmont Report” (2004). It is young but is establishing itself as one of the most authoritative repertoires of wine reviews
VINOUS THE WINE REVIEW PORTAL CREATED BY ANTONIO GALLONI
He has 12 collaborators including two Masters of Wine and Stephen Tanzer who has brought together his International Wine Cellar in the same portal. Eric Guido is entrusted with tasting wines from most of Italy, including Montalcino. Eric previously led wine and retail marketing for Morrell Wine Group and is also an expert in food and music.
After reading his comments we wrote to him saying <<We are not surprised that you like the “Prime Donne” and the Brunello Riserva more which are more structured, but I hope you have seen the new search for purity and territoriality that characterizes all our wines. It’s a project we called “Vineyard First” and has been going on for five years. The most important change concerns the time of harvest. We harvest each parcel of vineyard on the exact day it reaches complete maturation. The result is that when we finish the harvest all the other Montalcino wineries are just beginning>>
In fact, the Vineyard First project has allowed us to produce wines that consumers like because they are pure; they communicate the grape variety, terroir and climate. They may seem simple, almost “minimalist” but in reality, they are the expression of great respect for nature.
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2020 DOCG 91 POINTS
<<Dark and rich with a tempting blend of plum sauce, lavender, sage and hints of brown spice. With a velvety consistency but soft to the touch, saline mineral hints underline its red berries seasoned with citrus fruits. The lively acidity maintains a juicy personality until the finish>>.
BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE 2020 DOCG 93 POINTS
Eric Guido’s description is so beautiful and precise that it makes you feel the wine in your nose and mouth. <<It opens with an explosion of minty herbs, crushed rocks that offset the black cherries and hints of balsamic spices. It spreads across the palate with silky textures and mineral-infused berries, all driven by a core of zesty acidity. It is quite spicy on the finish and features a network of fine-grained tannins, liquorice and tart citrus nuances. There’s a delicious balance here that makes 2020 appealing>>
BRUNELLO RISERVA 2019 DOCG 94 POINTS
In this description Eric Guido is even poetic and arouses very strong tactile sensations <<Perfectly silky and medium-bodied, it flows on the palate with wild berries tinged with liquorice while the autumnal spices accumulate towards the end. The 2019 ends with impressive tannins compensated by a rise in residual acidity, while nuances of plum mix with a bitter pinch of ground cloves>>. The vocation for long aging is very evident and Eric Guido urges consumers to keep it in the cellar <<It will require patience, but it has the balance for a long and constant evolution>>.