The 2016 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino really stands out with its vivid display of crushed raspberries, lavender and clove. Further depths are found with each swirl, adding mentholated herbs and flowery undergrowth. It’s dense and dark-fruited, enveloping the palate with notes of black cherry, plum, exotic savory spice and minerals. This is soothing and pliant in spite of the 2016’s youthful state, balancing brisk acids and fine tannins to create a push and pull of structural tension. The symmetry here is spellbinding, and everything is in the right place for a long and fruitful evolution over the next ten to fifteen years. Tasted twice with consistent results. Eric Guido

The complexity and beauty to this is really something with cherry, walnut, tobacco and cigar-box character. Sweet cherries. It’s full-bodied and deep with super intensity and power. Layered and beautiful. Really refined tannins. Some whole-berry fermentation gives this added character. Goes on for minutes. Try after 2025.

Sweet spices, roses and dusty stone give way to rubbed sage and rosemary as the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino slowly evolves in the glass. This is pure elegance, silky-smooth and supple with a mineral tinge that adds a lovely depth to its black cherry fruit as brisk acidity adds a lovely tension. Saline minerals cascade throughout as a tinge of orange mingles with gritty tannins, and liquid stone notes linger through the long and staining finale.

The Castiglion del Bosco 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a fruit-forward expression with soft cherry, blackberry, tilled earth and a touch of sweet spice. This wine is made in an especially accessible style that prizes ripe fruit and oak aging (in both barrique and botte). Fruit comes from a 52-hectare vineyard with galestro schist and clay. The tannins are more evident here compared to the 2015 vintage; however, this wine is almost ready to go with beef tagliata topped with porcini mushrooms. Production is 130,000 bottles.

Mid ruby. Fragrant cherry and raspberry nose with a suggestion of oriental spice and cinnamon bark. Sweetly concentrated and then tangy cherry fruit that is almost a little tart on the finish, but remains focused and long. Bags of grainy tannins on the finish giving grip to the fruit. Still a little embryonic. (WS)