Over time the wines of this region have really captured my attention, and my hear. Having had the benefit of tasting many producers back to the early 70s has taught me just how noble Sangiovese (Grosso, too) is.

2014 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Darker brick red color, clear throughout. Plenty of soil-driven character here, with notes of leather, vanilla, plums, etc. The medium/medium(+) body is juicy, and there’s sufficient freshness. Overall, I feel the tannins and structure are quite sound, and bode well for further improvement. 14,9) abv., 17,4k bottles produced. Drink 2020-2032+. (90-92) (a 1986 I had last year was quite lovely, these can age)

2017 Caprili Rosso di Montalcino  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Fairly typical aromas, well representative of the vintage; in the dark red fruit spectrum. The medium/medium(+) body is juicy, rich, and the finish is long-ish, and satisfying. This is likely to improve a little from here; 35k bottles produced. 14,5% abv., drink 2020-2028. (87-89)

2013 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Riserva  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – An AFWE wine if ever there was one; this needs 5-10 years to fill out. HOLD! The tannins are both fierce, and very fine at this point; acidity is high, as is the level of freshness. The very long finish bodes well for this terrific effort, though if you want some, it won’t be easy as there were just 3,6k bottles produced. 14,5% abv., drink 2027-2045+. (90-92), with good upside potential.

2014 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – A solid effort, and one that will improve (some) from here. Darker brick red, clear. The nose, and palate, are rich, full, and the acids are, not unexpectedly, fresh and vigorous lending a stable core from which this wine will evolve further. 15k bottles produced; 14,0% abv. Drink 2020-2032. (90-92)

2017 Canalicchio di Sopra Rosso di Montalcino  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Moderate freshness and complexity, with the acids really moving in to enhance an average wine and take it up, if only a half-step. The tannins are slightly bitter, the finish is average. The 14,5% abv. is already integrated. 27,2k bottles produced. The value equation in this vintage is fair at best. Drink now thru 2025. (87-89)

2014 Albatreti Brunello di Montalcino  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Darker, less luminous brick red (than usual), with darker fruit notes (e.g. dark cherry, not cassis); lots of soil driven character, with average freshness. The acidity is avg/avg(+), the length, the same. The tannins are notably softer than expected, the value proposition is still high. That said, I believe it will show more completely in 6-12 months; drink 2021-2031. 14,5% abv., just 3,7k bottles produced. (87-89)

2014 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – In the (my) top quartile of Brunello wines this vintage – there’s a lot to admire. Really brilliant winegrowing has given us a wine that’s got average(++) complexity, and length – some things I may have missed if I only got to spend 1 or 2 minutes tasting it; mine was with Pici al funghi. 11,0k bottles produced; 14,5% abv. Drink 2020-2032. (90-92)

2017 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Darker brick-red color, clear. Already offering good complexity on the nose, with BIG-ish, raspy tannins (for a rosso), and plenty of fresh, cooling acidity. The perfumes are complex, and already quite pretty. A surprising, and welcome, length that may well improve in the coming years. Very good. 14,5% abv., drink now thru 2026. 24k bottles produced. (90-92)

2013 Enzo Tiezzi Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Soccorso Riserva Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Rather backward just now, even if the nose is already quite effusive, and intensely beautiful. This is keeping the cards close to the vest, and will likely require 5-8 years before it’s on its preferred plateau. That said, there are only 860 bottles, so act fast. A true classic beauty, but if you buy it and drink it in the next few years you’re likely to be disappointed. Drink 2024-2048. HOLD. (93-96)

2014 Enzo Tiezzi Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Soccorso Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – More plump, and juicy than that 2014 Poggio Cerrino Brunello. The aromas are intensely beautiful, and even in its youth, is already foreboding a very good complexity. These tannins will need another 12-18 months to settle in; the acidity, too, will need some more time to better integrate. If I had to choose just one, it would probably be the Poggio Cerrino in this vintage, but only by a hair. I really like that both of the wines offer good individuality. HOLD. Just 5,3k bottles produced; drink 2022-2034. (90-92)

2014 Enzo Tiezzi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Cerrino  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – One of my favorite 2014 Brunello wines. Long, and deep, this also shows enough structure to provide great enjoyment in the coming 15+ years. I could drown this note in complimentary adjectives, but the fact doesn’t change, this is really, really good. The organic winefarming here adds such fine energy and purity that this is hard to resist at the moment, but a few years and it’ll be even more complete/complex. 14,0% abv., drink 2021-2034+. (90-92)

2017 Enzo Tiezzi Rosso di Montalcino Poggio Cerrino  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Red and black licorice on the nose, at first, but with time the wine folds in more typical, soil and forest aromas. The entry is average until it isn’t – this adds good weight, and plenty of fresh acidity rendering this quite fun, and full in the mouth. The finish is average(+); a great rosso wine in a less than ideal vintage. Bravo, Enzo! 10k bottles; 14,0% abv. Drink now thru 2025. (90-92)

2013 Terre Nere Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Oh, dear, this is fantastic. The intensity of the nose is matched by the intensity, and purity of the fruit on this understate, highly satisfying wine. To my surprise, the extended ageing in oak is nearly integrated; so too is the 14,5% abv. This is a Riserva that’s likely to drink well in its youth, and also shows excellent structure to evolve for decades. Stunning, and a strong buy alert. 6,5k bottles produced; drink 2021-2044. (93-96)

2014 Terre Nere Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – There are a lot of great accomplishments in this 2014 Brunello campaign – this is one of them. Classic typicity on the nose and medium-bodied, juicy palate. The acids give good freshness lending a fair amount of structure, and elegance, too. This is textbook Brunello, and I’ve no doubt some smart winegrowing went into this fun, and lovely wine. The winemaking has been handed down to daughter Francesca now; I’m a fan. Just 7k bottles produced; drink 2020-2033. (90-92)

2017 Terre Nere Rosso di Montalcino  Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Darker brick red color, with a spicy nose complemented by dried herbs, and a touch of loam. The medium body is juicy, with nicely framing tannins, and an average(+) finish. This is understated (as to be expected at this address), and quite enjoyable. The 14,5% abv. is well integrated; 22,5k bottles. Drink now thru 2024. (90-92)

2014 Tenuta le Potazzine Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Good>Very good. Clear, softer brick red. The nose has a good dose of spice at first; it fades away gently, but it reminds you there’s intensity within. The entry is more large-scaled, at first, but it too releases into a juicy, structured wine with more elegance than I was expecting in this vintage. Quite a nice surprise; likely to add some weight in the coming years. 13,5% abv., drink 2020-2032 (90-92)

2017 Tenuta le Potazzine Rosso di Montalcino Sangiovese

9/24/2019 – Carries the wounds of the vintage. As expected from Gorelli, a wine of good/avg typicity, and a wine that reflects the vintage, not a house style. Darker brick red color, with ripe-er aromas, lots of Tuscan dust, and a mixture of red and dark red fruits. The nose is average intensity, average complexity. The medium body follow through to a short finish which may improve just slightly with time. Starts off just OK, and improves slightly with time in the glass. 14,0% abv., 12k bottles. Drink now thru 2023. (87-89)