2016 Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a total pleasure. I was expecting a bruiser but found a beguiling blend of spiced orange and dusty cherries complemented by a cascade of rosy florals. It’s round and plaint, showing its southern Montalcino fruit with pride, yet refined, silky and harmonious, with a core of saline minerality that adds a tactile crunch toward the close. Grippy tannins are front and center through the long and dramatic finale, as hints of licorice and a bitter tinge of blackberry seeds punctuate the finale. This is pure seduction.
Critic scores
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Lustrous mid ruby. Savoury and a little subdued and reductive at the beginning. Wet-earth notes and sour cherry with hints of cassis. Tightly-wound, succulent cherry fruit palate that is stubbornly closed, with long, sandy tannins. The fruit is a little on the skinny side, but this is still embryonic. Long aromatic finish. Grows on you. (WS)
The 2016 Col d’Orcia Brunello offers notes of pine resin, black cherry, and dried strawberry aromatics. The palate is concentrated and compact, with dried tomato leaf bitterness and tobacco. The structure is not shy, with a rich core of fruit, bold tannin upfront and just as much acidity to match. This is a bold wine for the 2016 vintage, packed with sun-kissed warmth. It commands time in the cellar, so drinking is recommended over 2026-2041. Col’dOrcia is owned and managed by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano. His father arrived in 1973 in Montalcino, where he established the winery. In 2010, Francesco moved to organic certification. Located in the south, just north of the Orcia river, their property has greater exposure to the air coming off the ocean and the Mediterranean climate, so they are always the first in the region to harvest. The vineyards feautre a high concentration of clay soils, with a vein of marine sediment that runs through the property. The Vigna Nastagio has tight clay soils with high pH, creating concentration and freshness. Poggio al Vento comes from a 7-hectare plot from which they select the best fruit for their Riserva bottlings.
The Col d'Orcia 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a widely available wine with an ample production of 240,000 bottles. It is also a landmark wine in Montalcino, although it tends to be very vintage-sensitive, with some releases showing much better than others. In the case of the twofold 2015 and 2016 powerhouse vintages, I like both wines about the same. This cooler vintage shows dark fruit and spice, while there's an extra layer of leather or cigar ash at the back. This wine is made with organic fruit. It displays a mid-weight mouthfeel with tight tannins and lively acidity, the kind that will cut through your favorite steak dinner.