95 points for Brunello Riserva 2015 from Insider Wine Spectator
94 for the Brunello 2016 and the Brunello Prime Donne 2016 excellent ratings from Wine Spectator for two extraordinary vintages from Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino
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by Donatella Cinelli Colombini
It’s always nice to read good reviews about your wines from super experts and when the label is in the Wine Spectator Insider it’s a real joy. This time it was the Brunello Riserva 2015 with a nice score of 95. Brunello 2016 and Brunello Prime Donne 2016 are on the inside pages of Wine Spectator, both with an excellent 94.
Brunello 2015 Riserva 95/100 WS, Brunello and Brunello Prime Donne 2016 94/100 WS
My choices in harvest, vinification and barrel ageing are based on the search for the purest original characteristics of Brunello. My Brunello is elegant not opulent. It is a current interpretation of Montalcino’s terroir although inspired by the Brunello of our grandparents.
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There are those who fall in love with it and those who prefer a more muscular Brunello. That’s why I wait for the judgments of the US wine critics with great trepidation. Thankfully for vintages like 2015 and 2016 all agree. Tom Hyland (Italian wine report) who lives in Chicago but has been writing about Italian wines for over 20 years, and is considered among the best ambassadors of our oenology in the USA, has also given 93 to my Brunello 2016.
Brunello 2015 and 2016 two vintages liked by all
Both Hyland and Bruce Sanderson, who tastes for Wine Spectator, recommend drinking my Brunello in ten years time and beyond. The advice is right, these are fine vintages suitable for long aging but, in my opinion, they are very satisfying even now. Indeed, this is precisely the secret of the success of the Sangiovese from Montalcino: it is like a handsome young man who knows how to age and become classier.
These are the Wine Spectator ratings according to Bruce Sanderson:
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Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015: 95/100
This red combines fresh cherry and strawberry fruit with notes of graphite, earth and leather for a positive impression. A band of corpulent tannins persists in the finish; it will take time to merge with the ripe fruit and rich structure. Best from 2024 to 2043.
Brunello di Montalcino 2016: 94/100
There is plenty of ripe black cherry, blackcurrant and plum fruits buried in the muscle structure of this red. Balanced, vibrant and resonant, with a long earthy and mineral aftertaste. Best from 2024 to 2047.
Brunello di Montalcino Prime Donne 2016: 94/100
A bright radius of black cherry is the main aromatic thrust in this red, with memories of blackberry, tobacco and tar. This has some strength, building a long ending, where dusty tannins reign. Best from 2024 to 2042.