2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

Boasting dark fruit, scorched earth and savory spice, the Conti Costanti 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a wine of broad shoulders and a lasting aromatic imprint. It is fleshy and even a bit flashy, thanks to that abundant and generous aromatic display. To the palate, this Riserva is soft, thickly textured and enriched by the ripeness of its fruit fiber and the warmth of the Tuscan sun. This wine draws its fruit from a 10-hectare site with Galestro soils. Production is limited to 9,000 bottles.

Costanti's 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva takes a good amount of time to blossom in the glass. It’s dusty and floral in character, blowing off notes of white smoke and crushed stone before showing a delightful mix of ripe plums, cherries and sweet spice balanced by hints of leather and flowery undergrowth. There’s a wonderful purity to its red berry fruits, guided by juicy acids and salty minerals, which creates a refreshing yet tactile feel, as fine tannins slowly begin to dry out the expression. Youthfully dry and a bit chewy, this tapers off with gorgeous inner sweetness. Andrea Costanti explains that the barrel regiment here is the same as his straight Brunello, with just one more year in bottle before release, but that he picks the barrel that shows the greatest aging potential and balanced acidity for the Riserva. My best advice is to lose this in the cellar for at least the next five years.