Lots of dark-fruit notes of brambles and blueberries, followed by dried fennel, vanilla bean and sandalwood. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and savory herb aftertaste. Back in form with this vintage. Try after 2026.

Packaged in a chunky bottle, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino shows aromas of dried fruit and baked blackberry with soft spice, tarry smoke and cured leather. That savory side folds directly into that dark fruit, giving this wine an open-knit and accessible personality. An unfortunate 15% alcohol content is something to keep an eye on. This is a full-bodied Brunello that ends with rich flavors and some bitter oak. Production is 25,000 bottles.

Tenuta la Fuga is part of a larger group of wine estates in Tuscany (Ambrogio & Giovanni Folonari) that makes textbook wines that reflect their region of origin. This can be said of the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino that does not color outside the predetermined lines for a Sangiovese from Montalcino. With fruit from a hot vintage, the wine shows cassis and dark currant aromas with some dried herbs and crushed flowers. It delivers a pretty mineral note on the polished finish. Production is 22,000 bottles.

The Tenuta la Fuga 2015 Brunello di Montalcino needs a little extra time to open, as the wine is initially shy. There are some flinty notes that lift quickly to reveal mild fruit aromas of blackberry and dried raspberry. The fruit feels a little closed, and the mouthfeel is silky and dry. I'd recommend capturing that fruit while it lasts and drinking this Brunello within the next 10 years or so. Some 20,000 bottles of it were made.

The slightly chewy texture envelops plum, cherry, fruitcake and licorice flavors, picking up dense tannins as this wine develops. Well-proportioned and leafy accents of eucalyptus and tobacco chime in on the finish. Best from 2022 through 2038. 850 cases made, 250 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Brunello di Montalcino Select to Add