The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is impossible to ignore. Clove and a dusting of savory spice complicate a beguiling crushed black cherry and strawberry bouquet. This presents textures of pure silk, ushering in ripe red fruits and inner florals that stain the palate in youthful concentration. The 2019 tapers off dramatically, leaving a bed of grippy tannins to grumble on as licorice and orange hints slowly fade.

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino offers plenty of dark fruit and spice, but the wine also shows slightly more austerity that could set it up for a roast pork or ham. There is a drying oak note of smoked cedar or redwood that dovetails into the structural impact of the wine. Yet it also shows very good momentum on the mid-palate, adding more layers or black fruit that soften the tannins.

Lustrous ruby. Concentrated fruit with minerally notes and grows increasingly complex in the glass. Full yet elegant on the palate with finely chiselled tannins. Breathtaking balance. Simply gorgeous, but far from ready. Montalcino nobility. Drink 2026-2040. (Walter Speller)

The 2019 Brunello from Costanti is breathtakingly gorgeous. Combining the intensity of the vintage and the hallmark finesse that defines the wines of this historic estate, this is a wine Brunello lovers will want in their cellars. It opens with heady aromas of fragrant blue flower, woodland berry, forest floor and new leather that on the palate segue into juicy Marasca cherry, wild raspberry, blood orange, menthol and baking spice. Firm, ultra-refined tannins offer support while bright acidity keeps it beautifully balanced and vibrant. What. A. Stunner. Drink 2027-2044. (Kerin O'Keefe)