The 2020 Brunello vintage offers a very different expression from the powerful 2019s that preceded it. Defined by purity, freshness and harmony rather than sheer concentration, the finest wines combine vibrant acidity with beautifully refined tannins, making them wonderfully approachable in their youth while retaining all the balance needed for long ageing.
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Perhaps because of that elegant, classical style, many producers chose not to bottle a Riserva in 2020, deciding instead that their finest fruit was better expressed in their Brunello. As a result, this year's selection is unusually small. Having tasted widely, two wines stood out.
From the south-west of Montalcino, Caprili Riserva 2020 is produced only in the finest years from the estate's oldest vineyard. Beautifully refined in style, it combines perfumed black and red cherry with balsamic herbs, mineral tension and polished tannins in a wine of remarkable poise.
Costanti Riserva 2020 offers a more structured interpretation of the vintage, marrying the estate's hallmark elegance with greater concentration and depth. Savoury, complex and finely balanced, it demonstrates how exceptional producers were able to capture both the freshness and quiet power of the growing season.
With so few Riservas produced across the region, these two wines offer a rare opportunity to experience Brunello at its most ambitious. Distinct in style but united by their finesse, harmony and ageing potential, they rank among the finest expressions of the 2020 vintage.
