“The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Millecento Riserva of Castiglion del Bosco takes no prisoners, boasting a striking bouquet of crushed medicinal cherry and plum complemented by confectionary spices. It floods the palate with velvety textures and dark ripe fruits, offset by vibrant acids and salty tension. There’s a density and primary feel to the Millecento which, combined with its fine-grained tannin, promises years of development. Baker’s chocolate and hints of cedar linger on the long and structured finish. The 2015 Riserva spent thirty-six months in thirty hectoliter French oak barrels and another six months in porous concrete vats prior to bottling. It’s a large-scaled yet balanced effort.”

“The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago places smoky minerals and minty herbs before fruit. It gains further depths of spiced orange, clove and medicinal cherry over time. The textures are silky, almost creamy in feel, giving way to polished red fruits laced with salty minerals, as zesty acids add a motivating and spicy flair. Stern tannins arrive toward the close, clamping down on the expression and leaving only hints of tart berries through the cheek-puckering finale. The 2016 Campo del Drago will require a good amount of time to resolve its hulking structure, yet there’s plenty of concentration and acidity to maintain balance throughout.”

“Opulent aromas of cherry, plum, dried meat and orange peel with some bark and cedar. Full-bodied with firm yet polished tannins that fill mouth and carry far down the wine to the end. It’s creamy-textured and chewy. Purity and integration. Very drinkable now, but needs another two or three years to come around. Try after 2022.”

“Castiglion del Bosco is the Montalcino estate owned by Massimo Ferragamo of the Ferragamo shoe and fashion dynasty. This pretty wine shows precision and focus with a rich, fruit-forward style. The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a shapely Tuscan red with the softness and velvety intensity to pair with a winter meat dish by an open fireplace. The wine glides smoothly over the palate, imparting aromas of black cherry, dried blackberry, plum, toasted spice and crushed flower. This harvest, which came about a week earlier than expected, resulted in a measured and carefully balanced Sangiovese from a generous vintage. An ample 10,000 cases were made.”

“Only made in the best vintages, this release of 7,000 bottles represents the top-end wine from Castiglion del Bosco. Fruit is drawn from the magnificent Campo del Drago, which is a vineyard on a high plateau located in one of the wildest and most beautiful corners of the appellation, with endless views spanning toward the Tyrrhenian Sea. The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago is robust and shapely with blackberry, plum, toasted spice and tilled earth. Showing beautifully balanced results, this cru offers good length and power to the mouthfeel.”