I am delighted to offer our selection of 2022 Brunello di Montalcino, ahead of the wines’ general release next year.
2022 was a hot and particularly dry year in Montalcino, so I approached the vintage with a little caution. What I found when tasting was much more interesting than the weather report might suggest. There is plenty of ripe fruit, as you would expect, but the best wines have retained wonderful perfume and freshness, with surprisingly ripe but approachable tannins in many cases. Quite a few are going to be very tempting relatively young.
Offer closes at midday, Monday 23rd November
We like to get ahead of the market with Brunello where we can. Buying now means I can secure the wines and quantities I really want, often at better prices, rather than coming back once scores have been published and everyone is chasing the same bottles.
I have selected 14 wines, including some trusted, long-standing favourites and a few that particularly stood out this year. Gianni Brunelli and Conti Costanti are here, of course, while Le Potazzine, with all its vineyards above 400m, has made a beautifully fragrant and finely structured 2022. Cerbaiona was another highlight, with lovely clarity of fruit and the sort of fine tannins that rather disguise how much power there is underneath. We also welcome Tenute Silvio Nardi to our range for the first time.
There is a particularly interesting trio from Calicchio di Sopra. Alongside the Brunello we have tiny quantities of La Casaccia and Vigna Montosoli, which give a lovely illustration of how much site mattered in 2022. La Casaccia, from more clay-rich soils, is broader and more generous, whereas Montosoli is much more coiled, savoury and firm. Made by the same family, in the same cellar, they are fascinating to taste side by side.
There are Brunellos here that I would happily start opening from 2027 or 2028 with a decent decant, and others that really should be left alone for longer. There are also two superb mixed cases, which make a good starting point if choosing between the 14 wines feels a little daunting. After all, it's fun to have good Brunellos in your cellar.
