2016 Brunello di Montalcino
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Dark and pleasantly herbal-tinged, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino smolders up with a woodsy blend of dusty black cherries, cedar shavings and flowery underbrush lifted by hints of mint. This soothes with textures of pure silk, verging on fleshy at times yet held together by stimulating acidity. A wave of ripe orange-tinged red fruits cascade across the palate. Its tannins are sweet and round, still quite grippy as the 2016 finishes long and staining. A licorice tinge slowly fades.
Critic scores
Average Score
Eric Guido, Vinous
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Just mid ruby. A nose that reminds me a little of Biondi-Santi. Deep, sweet and a little mysterious with a hint of camphor. Increasingly complex with aeration. Vibrant acidity buffered by a layer of suave, supple fruit and gorgeous, chewy tannins. Complex and composed on the nose, energetic and transparent on the palate. (WS)
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is highly aromatic with tart cherry fruit, medicinal herbs, dried roses and cedar. The palate is ripe upfront with sweet raspberry, fresh blood orange, and saline minerality with energetic acidity, and fine-grained tannins. The 2016 is vibrant and transparent with classic elegance. Hold for 3-5 years and drink 2025-2036.
Il Marroneto's 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a delicate and heavenly, perfumed beauty. Roses mix with lilac and violets before giving way to a dusting of sweet spice, nuances of plum and white strawberries. It’s wonderfully pure, seeming almost weightless at times yet with gorgeous inner sweetness and a complex display of bright red fruits laced with minerals, hints of licorice and building florality. The long and classically structured finish guarantees that no matter how enjoyable this may be today, it will only get better.
About the producer
Il Marroneto is one of Montalcino’s most respected producers. Its Madonna delle Grazie is consistently one of the top-scoring Brunello di Montalcinos of any vintage.