Like the other wines in the La Magia portfolio, vintage is very important when assessing the qualities of these releases. This estate really shows its best results in the classic vintages and shows less overall consistency in the challenging years. This is, of course, implicit of any estate, but I feel this is particularly the case with this small, boutique winery. A micro-release of just 1,152 bottles, the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Ciliegio (named after the cherry trees found on the estate) embraces the warmth and beautiful sunshine of the 2015 vintage to produce rich fruit layers of plum, blackberry and cherry. Spice, tar and tobacco appear on the close and give the wine a heavier, luscious and more concentrated center of gravity. What a pretty wine.

Tasted blind. Lustrous deep ruby. Compact nose with hints of oatmeal and dark cherry, but reluctant to open up fully. Plush fruit with fantastic tannic bite, which gives it an edge. Full-on, ripe fruit yet stylish. Can be approached now, but patience is needed for the plush fruit to settle a little. (WS)