Le Chiuse Brunello di Montalcino 2019

Lorenzo Magnelli says the timing of the harvest was similar to 2015. To avoid richness and over-ripeness, he picked relatively early – between 20 to 22 September. Like a well written story, Le Chiuse’s 2019 has an enticing beginning, significant and juicy middle, and stimulating end. Heady violet, incense and leather waft steadily from the glass, then the palate explodes with surround-sound intensity, filling the mouth with dark red cherry and crushed stones. Long, chalky-textured tannins wrap confidently around the mouth, leaving space for that succulent acidity to work its quenching magic. An interplay of depth and drama with lightness right through to the zesty, citrus-soaked finish. Drinking window: 2027-2042. Score – 99. (Michaela Morris, Decanter, Nov. 13, 2023)