2018 Brunello di Montalcino Sorgente
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Sorgente is a single 1.5-hectare vineyard named for the water source below it. The 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino Sorgente is bright ruby and reveals vibrant, spicy notes of anise, preserved strawberries, wet stones, leather, and toasted cedar. It was raised in 1000 and 1500-liter barrels for 4 years before resting in bottle. Medium-bodied, it’s weightless on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins, evenly balanced acidity, and a floral note of orange blossom and tea leaf on the finish. It is a very charming Brunello with a lot to offer now or over the coming 10 years.
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Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The organic Salicutti 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Sorgente (closed in a black wax capsule) is darker in color compared to the Piaggione. This wine also shows a heavier bouquet with some distant aldehydic aromas of dried cherry skin that could cause the bouquet to flatten with time. For that reason, I recommend a near or medium-term drinking window. Enjoy the Sorgente today and put the Piaggione aside for more aging. The tannins are still firm, so that needs some navigating or perhaps a pairing with a cheese or butter-heavy dish. Sorgente is a vigorous and humid parcel with sandy soils, stone and ancient marine fossils. Production is 2,450 bottles and about 100 magnums.
Opening slowly in the glass, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Sorgente wafts up with a seductive mix of lavender and violets, complementing dusty cherry, plum and a lifting hint of sweet smoke. This glides across the palate, nearly juicy in feel, with racy acidity propelling its depths of mineral-tinged dark red fruits. For all of its energy, the 2018 finishes with a classic feel, as dusty black tea-like tannins linger, and a punctuating flourish of sweet spice resonates on and on. The inner harmony here is something to behold. Without a doubt, Salicutti has proven that their elevation of Sorgente from Rosso to Brunello was indeed warranted.
Lustrous ruby. Quite tight and a little closed on the nose but with a suggestion of savoury, spicy oak. Very shy on the palate, but with pure fruit flavours becoming perfumed on the finish. Dry, but not rough, tannins support the fruit. This vintage seems to announce a return to former glory. Long and focused. (WS)