The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva brings us back to freshness and brightness, two qualities that went missing in the annata wine from Palazzo from the much hotter 2017 vintage. This wine is tonic and lively on the palate, with a generous delivery of cherry fruit and wild berry followed by spice, tar and balsam herb. The mouthfeel is slightly sweet in flavor but drying in tannins, and there's a hefty 15% alcohol that does not go unnoticed.

Just like the 2014 Brunello that I tasted at the same time, the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva tastes slightly older and more evolved than expected. The wine opens to a dark maroon color with deep amber browning at the edges. The primary fruit has faded and what you get instead recalls spice, dried plum, wild mushroom, savory tobacco and crushed terracotta. The wine drinks nicely right now straight out of the gate, and for that reason I am reluctant to suggest long cellar aging.

The Palazzo 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva shows an inky dark appearance with rich black fruit tones of plum, prune and dried blackberry. This is a warm-vintage Riserva that offers muscle power and brawn across the board, and that opulence transfers to the palate where the wine shows density and texture.

A fruity style, delivering cherry, raspberry and currant flavors on a juicy frame, this firms up on the finish, with moderate tannins and good balance and length. Best from 2017 through 2025. 350 cases made, 100 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Brunello di Montalcino Select to Add

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a wine of power and determination. It opens to a visibly darker appearance and a solid, compact build. Dark berry and pressed blackberry aromas add fruity appeal, but the wine offers many savory aromas that span from exotic spice to dark tobacco leaf. The 2010 vintage shows an evident dose of heft, grit and concentration that you definitely feel in the mouth.