The Fattoria dei Barbi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva opens to a medium dark color with lots of ruby and garnet brilliance. The fruit is selected from a 27-hectare parcel with youngish vines (20 years old, on average) in schistous galestro soils. Elevations of 400 meters above sea level ensure that the grapes are ventilated even during the hottest months of summer but also protected from cold winds in winter. This was a warm and sunny vintage, but the fruit shows spot-on ripeness with bold cherry and plum, backed by hints of lively acidity. The mouthfeel is fine and smooth with delicate mineral accents. Production is 6,400 bottles.

Leather, earth, plum and cherry aromas and flavors are the hallmarks of this powerful red, with iron and tobacco elements emerging as this unfolds to the finish. Balanced and long, ending with an impression of sweet, ripe fruit. Best from 2025 through 2048. 660 cases made, 200 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Brunello di Montalcino Select to Add

The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is stunning, leading off with an intense yet vibrant display of crushed black cherries, exotic spice, hints of pine resin, cedar and incense. It’s deeply textural, even velvety at times; yet it’s lifted by bright acids, with a core of ripe primary fruit that’s not quite ready to reveal all of its charms. That said, the 2015 Riserva maintains the vibrancy of the year while still coming across as painfully young and structured. Minerals and chewy tannins linger long; yet somehow, the mouth waters for another sip. A few years of cellaring will help this find a bit more balance, so do your best to keep your hands off it until then.