Like cracking open an ashen stone only to find a bevy of dried flowers, curry leaves, cloves and currants, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Piaggione makes itself known. This gracefully races across the palate with ripe textural fruits and sweet spices, all energized by a core of juicy acidity. Silky tannins frame the long and classically dry finale, as nuances of salted licorice and medicinal cherry echo on and on. There’s such inner beauty and vibrancy here, yet patience will be required to enjoy the 2018 Piaggione to its full effect. EG

Aromas of raspberries, peach pits, hazelnuts, white truffles and some praline. It’s full-bodied with very fine, creamy tannins that caress the fruit. Beautifully integrated with fantastic drinkability and a long, silky finish. Drink or hold.Aromas of raspberries, peach pits, hazelnuts, white truffles and some praline. It’s full-bodied with very fine, creamy tannins that caress the fruit. Beautifully integrated with fantastic drinkability and a long, silky finish. Drink or hold.

Pouring a pure ruby hue, the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino offers up a musky cologne of wildflowers, raspberry liqueur, baby powder, polished leather, and wet stone. It is medium-bodied, with good concentration that gives way to a soft stony texture, fine-grained tannins, and fresh acidity. Notes of blood orange, red cherry, boysenberry, and crushed rocks are followed by a delicate and pleasant saline note that lingers with a mouthwatering effect. This elegantly balanced wine is drinking well in its youth and will deliver over the coming 15-20 years. AF

While founder Francesco Leanza sold Salicutti in 2016, the 2018 is a stunning tribute to his style. Kudos to new owners Felix and Sabine Eichbauer, who have used their resources to make thoughtful improvements in the vineyards. With precision of aromas and fullness of flavour, Piaggione manages to pull off weightlessness with sneaky concentration. The colour is pale but the nose is penetrating: rose and raspberry are countered by an earthy tug of chestnut and hazelnut. It flows gracefully, delivering flavours of dark currants and rhubarb while the structure remains tight knit. A minerally timbre reverberates on the finish. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2035
Tasted by: Michaela Morris (at Villa Le Prata, Montalcino, 10 Nov 2022)
Part of Brunello di Montalcino 2018: full report plus top-scoring wines

Made with certified organic fruit, the Salicutti 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Piaggione opens to a light ruby color with pretty color saturation and an elegantly lean appearance. This is exactly what you want to see in a vibrant, young Brunello. I would say that the aromas are textbook as well, in a very positive manner. The bouquet opens to fragrant rose and wild cherry. You get so much varietal character here with background tones of licorice, crushed stone and candied orange peel. There is some tannic firmness, but this will soften with time. This beautiful wine should fully embrace more cellar aging. The Piaggione site is characterized by rocky schistous galestro soils. Drink 2025 - 2045. ML

Full-bodied and loaded with finesse, the Salicutti 2018 Piaggione opens with enticing scents of forest floor, iris, new leather and perfumed berry. Savory and still youthfully austere at this stage, it shows great class, offering ripe red cherry, blood orange, grilled Porcini and tobacco alongside tightly woven, fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2027–2036. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe May 2023 ©kerinokeefe.com