A stunning display that invokes cinnamon sticks, dried roses, cherry sauce and spiced blood orange makes the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Teatro a total pleasure on the nose. This engulfs the senses with textures like pure silk, while mixing vivid sweet strawberry with the tart crispness of cranberry and clove. The 2017 finishes with silky tannins balanced by a residual burst of mouthwatering acidity, as inner rose punctuates with a beautiful floral flourish. Salicutti remains one of the standout producers in the 2017 vintage. Of note, the 2017 Teatro is a late release, as opposed to being an official Riserva. EG

Full-bodied with attractive aromas of dried roses, citrus peel, blueberries, ripe plums, cloves and nutmeg. Ripe fruit profile, but I like the energy and vibrancy. Firm, beautifully integrated tannins, with excellent freshness for the vintage. Thoughtful and seamless. From organically grown grapes. Drink after 2023.

The 2017 Brunello Teatro from Salicutti impresses with its earthy elegance and surprising freshness for the scorching vintage. It opens with alluring scents of violet, rose, ripe berry, scorched earth and Mediterranean scrub while the full-bodied, savory palate delivers dried cherry, vanilla, licorice and a hint of toasted almond. Enveloping, velvety tannins provide weightless support. Drink through 2029. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe May 2023 ©kerinokeefe.com

Closed with a black wax capsule, the Salicutti 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Teatro shows the intensity and the open-knit character that is a common feature of Sangiovese from a warm and dry vintage such as this. This cement-fermented wine offers pretty depth and firm consistency with ripe cherry, blackcurrant, potting soil, rosemary essence and wet clay. The tannins are pliant in this vintage, yet the wine also offers rich texture and concentration that fully coats the palate. The grapes for this wine come from a plot with heavier soils rich in schistous galestro. Drink 2025 - 2043. ML

One of Salicutti’s three vineyards, Teatro boasts a full southern exposure. Nevertheless, it remains relatively fresh as it reaches an altitude of 500 metres. Gorgeously fragrant, it flaunts rose, pure cherry compote and a top-note of smoke. Sweet, sumptuous fruit is ethereally weighted, and it doesn't show over-ripeness or excessive heat at all. There's an untamed wildness that recalls Tuscany’s more remote forested reaches. Powdery tannins give ample structure yet this is already accessible. While Teatro ages for 36 months in wood like Salicutti’s other two cru labels, it sees an extra year in bottle before release. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2031
Tasted by: Michaela Morris (at Chiostro Museo di Montalcino, 12 Nov 2022)
Part of Brunello Riserva 2017 & late releases report: 17 wines to buy