Packaged with the burgundy-colored label, the Tenute Silvio Nardi 2018 Brunello di Montalcino reveals a darkly saturated, almost inky appearance with black ruby highlights. The bouquet is laced with dark cherry fruit and blackberry preserves, and there is juice and energy inside, which is very nice. A second wave of spice and mild tobacco adds to the wine's volume and intensity. I do feel the oak tannins. However, the wine's powerful 15.5% alcohol content is an obstacle that takes away from the elegance of the grape. This is a 150,000-bottle production.

Tenute Silvio Nardi is an estate worth visiting. It occupies one of the most extreme locations in the appellation, tucked away into the hills north of the town in a wild no-man's-land of its own. Once you get there, there is a cozy, warm feeling, with vineyards carved out of the surrounding Mediterranean shrub oaks and forests. If you taste forest floor, button mushroom and wild flowers in the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino, you could easily imagine this magical place. This is a silky, mid-weight Brunello with a cool-climate character (which is preserved despite the hot vintage). An ample 114,000 bottles are hitting the market now.

The Tenute Silvio Nardi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino makes a big impact in the glass thanks to its dark color saturation and the pretty intensity of its aromas that range from dark fruit and plum to soft potting soil and grilled herb. You get beautiful balance here, even more so when you allow the bottle to breathe for a few hours. A twofold delivery of freshness and tannic backbone gives the wine the DNA required to hold 10 years or more.

Beautifully polished and bright, the Tenute Silvio Nardi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers a textbook rendition from this slightly warm vintage. The wine sketches out classic lines with a generous and full array of Sangiovese aromas. These range from wild fruit and dried cherry to tilled earth, cola and balsam herb. There's a pretty note of blue flower or lilac as well for added elegance. The finish is smooth with integrated tannins and balanced acidity. All the elements work harmoniously here and would be nicely accentuated by a spezzatino di maiale, or pork shoulder slow-cooked with tomato, shallots, red wine and peas.

Tenute Silvio Nardi's 2013 Brunello di Montalcino is a balanced and complete wine. It opens to pretty color saturation and a mid-weight style that is perhaps a touch darker and more concentrated compared to some of the estate's neighbors in this beautiful appellation. Dark fruit flavors of dark cherry and plum segue to spice, campfire ash, cola and wild rose. The wine sees a long oak-aging period, with 12 months in smaller tonneaux followed by 18 months in botti grandi. This elaborate process bodes well for the future longevity of the wine. In fact, I would definitely recommend putting this bottle aside for a few more years before popping the cork.