2015 Brunello di Montalcino

The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a nicely balanced Sangiovese that provides equal parts dark fruit and savory spice. That sense of pretty balance continues to the palate where the wine shows freshness and integrated tannins. The mouthfeel and textural richness of the wine is enhanced by the sunny conditions of the vintage and the balanced ripeness of the fruit on display here. Here's a good excuse for a roasted game hen with crunchy potatoes.

In the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino I find a classic blend of bright cherry and wild berry fruits, laced with sweet florals, cedar spice box, and hints of worn leather, as dusty earth tones evolve in the glass. On the palate, the 2015 Pietroso tips the ripeness scale. Silky textures give way to sweet cherry fruit, made juicy by vibrant acids, as minerals and spice saturate the senses. The finish is long and structured, with a coating of fine tannin drying the wine's fruit, but also leaving the slightest hint of heat toward the finale.

Tasted blind. Mid ruby. Ethereal red fruit with bags of stalky tannins. The fruit manages to balance the tannic load, but only just. A little rustic and with a stalky tannic finish. (WS)