2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Phenomena
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Tasting notes
The current release, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Phenomina pours a jewel-like red/garnet hue and offers a deeper aromatic profile of black cherries, tea leaf, wildflowers, leather, and earthy spice. Full-bodied, it fills the palate with plush tannins and an encompassing feel, yet it remains balanced and surprisingly approachable already. The finish is long and persistent. The story behind the name ties to the passage of Mercury through Scorpio, visible only fleetingly. Drink 2026-2046.
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Pouring a medium red hue with an orange tinge, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Phenomina is ripe on the nose with aromas of preserved strawberries, sweet sage, candied flowers, balsamic herbs, and mossy earth. The palate is seamless and very well-integrated, with refined, polished tannins, even acidity, and a rounded feel. It's very well-balanced and has a lot of offer over the coming 15-20 years.
The Sesti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Phenomena is savory and rich with cherry compote, mulberry spice and sweet-smelling rose. In fact, that floral component becomes more intense the longer the wine stays in the glass. It is not too long in terms of mouthfeel, but it does deliver a good dollop of that typical Brunello intensity. Only 5,000 bottles were made.
Maturing mid ruby with orange tinges. A little savoury and subdued but with a clear minerally streak. A core of pure sour-cherry and raspberry fruit with bags of gorgeous gravelly tannins. Fluid and firm at the same time. (WS)