2021 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago

The Castiglion del Bosco 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago, with 9,744 bottles created, offers aromas of dried currant, cured tobacco leaf and brittle autumnal foliage. Aged in French oak, the wine shows medium- to full-bodied texture but reveals moments of hollow leanness through the mid-palate, followed by dry, assertive tannins. There is a clear stylistic shift toward a lighter, more linear and punchy expression that moves away from the softer extraction of previous vintages, though the execution here feels incomplete. The result is an interesting but transitional wine, and it will be worth watching how this direction evolves in future releases.

The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago is intense, with ashen stone, exotic spices, incense and dried flowers. Lifted and graceful, it offers remarkably pretty red and blue fruits with a wave of fresh acidity. A nice contrast of edgy tannins and sour citrus frames the finish as violet inner florals slowly fade.

This cru bottling comes from the estate’s most privileged and highest position. It is always rich in polyphenols and sees a large percentage of whole bunches and submerged cap maceration. Explicit aromas of sun-baked herbs, liquorice root and cherry bark surge from the glass. On the palate, a core of vanilla-infused blackcurrant compote is lifted by vibrant acidity, and the balanced and integrated structure has a properly girdling effect. Stony tannins clamp down on the finish but there is great mineral and minty length.