Le Chiuse Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Annata 2016 (1x75cl)

Characters: Epic year, balanced summer and autumn gave the grapes perfect ripeness. The right rains and temperatures never too much make this year one of the most important ever. Grapes: 100% sangiovese grosso. Vintage: During the last week of September, grapes have been hand harvested, selected and quickly carried in baskets (20 kilos) to the close winery. By the gravity, grapes, which have been previously destalked and softly crushed, get into thermo-controlled steel tanks. Then fermentation is made by natural yeast always under 29C° and maceration was made for 22 days. Agieng: After several pouring off into steel tanks, in spring wine was put into 20 HL Slavonian oak barrels for 36 months. It was then reassembled in a big steel tank and finally bottled in March 2020. Colour: Deep strong ruby red with bright garnet hues. Brilliant. Bouquet: Intense scent with easy memories of blueberry, small fruits, black currant and cherry. It is easy to appreciate also notes of violet, mineral hints of flint and spicy scents. Flavour: Great body and elegance. Neat with good complexity. In the mouth it shows all the character of a great wine, with good persistence, elegant and refined tannins. Food matches: Brunello di Montalcino 2016 is perfect with every roasted meat and game, braised beef, aged cheeses and all the tasty dishes. Care Dark not too dry rooms, laid bottles, uniform temperature 13°/16°C. Service: 18°/19°C. Open 2/3 hours before serving.   Wine Enthusiast 100 “This gorgeous wine opens with fragrant aromas of violet, wild berry, new leather, tilled earth and spice. Showing the estate's hallmark elegance, structure and precision, the focused, full-bodied palate delivers cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and tobacco before finishing on a note of black tea. Taut, refined tannins and bright acidity keep it vibrant and balanced. Drink 2024–2046.” KERIN O’KEEFE   Jeb Dunnuck 100 “The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is lifted with aromatics of soft medicinal herbs, fresh soil, cherry fruit and dried flowers. The palate is fresh with black cherry fruit, tea leaf, orange peel and mineral-rich, stony earth. There is wellintegrated structure with crispness, fresh acidity, and a beautifully long finish. This is one of my favorite wines of the vintage for its classic structure, high complexity, and nuanced, balance style.”   Gardini Notes 99+ “A vineyard that originates a wine which stands out for its distinct characteristics. On the nose, aromas of alcoholinfused marasca cherries and a trace of marjoram. Closing of eucalyptus. In the mouth, an extraordinary tautness, with salty tannins and balsamic notes reappearing on the finish." Luca Gardini   Sommelier Life 99 “The owner, Simonetta Valiani, is the granddaughter of Tancredi Biondi Santi, and the vineyards from which this masterpiece comes are those from which some of the historical vintages of the family were produced. The nose is austere, cerebral: animal part, ferrous and gradually dispenses quintessential tones of raw meat, sour fruits, dried flowers and assorted spices, the wood in all its forms. The sip is spectacular: roaring without being scratchy, powerful and at the same time fluid, very elegant in the juicy and balsamic finish, sanguine and floral again, which reminds us - and we don't know exactly why - the Barolo of Bartolo Mascarello. We doubt that the perfect wine exists, but this one yearns for perfection.” RM and PRF   Wine Spectator 98 “Pretty strawberry, currant and cherry flavors take center stage in this taut and linear red, flanked by floral, mineral and tobacco notes, with fine balance and intensity on a slim frame. This is ample, yet the refined tannins provide structure. Best from 2024 through 2048. 15,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.” BS   Wine Advocate 97+ “Le Chiuse's 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a wine buzzing with energy and spirit. You sense this in the sheer crunch and snap of the primary fruit that recalls wild berry, cassis and sour cherry. Those lifted red fruit aromas are framed by light smoke, tar, potting soil, blue flower and crushed mineral or limestone. This is an extremely elegant wine that has been shaped by an epic vintage. The wine draws its fruit from an eight-hectare parcel with limestone clay. Le Chiuse's star is rapidly rising, and this new release from 2016 just thrust that shooting star into hyper speed. With 13,576 bottles made, this estate gives us one of the best buys of the vintage.” Monica Larner   Decanter 97 “This striking 2016 is a suave yet dense package. It’s headily scented with violet, lilac and rose, eventually giving way to exotic spice and tobacco. The tannins are chalky and integrated but commanding from the get-go. The palate is packed with succulent blackberry and strawberry. Accents of leather suggest a savouriness that should amplify with time. The estate now releases its Riserva at 10 years of age, and it is well worth seeking out as it’s a great indication of how Le Chiuse’s wines evolve.” MM   Vinous 97 “The 2016 Brunello de Montalcino is an understated beauty of a wine that takes some time to come fully into focus. Patience is rewarded by a dazzling display of roses and violets, giving way to fresh-picked strawberries with a dusting of autumnal spice. This pure expression of Sangiovese fruit continues to impress with undeniable elegance, soothing and soft yet energrized by brisk acids, taking on a decidedly salty note while still showing a mix of ripe berries. It’s so gentle yet full of character, tapering off to round tannins, primary fruit and inner florals, The 2016 Le Chiuse if full of potential but also deceivingly delicious today.”   James Suckling 95 “Wonderful aromas of blueberries, lavender, violet and sandalwood. Full-bodied, extremely balanced and refined with beautifully polished tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Shows tension and focus. Complexity, too. Lovely length to this. Better to start drinking after 2022.