Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 vintage report and top-scoring wines

Mother Nature was kind to Montalcino in 2016. The growing season was warm and dry with well-timed sprinkles of rain. Crucially, significant temperature differences between day and night allowed for long, slow and simultaneous ripening of sugars and polyphenols. In the glass, the annata Brunello exhibited transparency, balance, raciness and beautifully formed tannins with ability to age. Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the best Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 wines High expectations With all the deserved praise, the obvious assumption was that Montalcino’s producers would be unanimous in their decision to release a 2016 Riserva. Opinions, however, were clearly divided. This speaks equally to varying philosophies as it does to the diversity of the region. [subscriber-content]For some, like Andrea Costanti, ‘2016 was a year for Riserva.’ He calls it an extremely classic vintage that has taken its time to express and continues to improve. Costanti professes a traditional vision of Riserva. ‘I have to believe in the wine’s ageability.’ His 2016 Riserva stands out for its confident and commanding character, as do those from Fuligni and Cava d'Onice. View all 43 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 wines, plus two late releases, tasted for this report At Castello Romitorio, Filippo Chia came out with not just one, but two noteworthy Riservas, including the inaugural Riserva bottling from the estate’s Filo di Seta parcel. ‘2016 was a slightly cooler vintage than 2015 but it has a lot of muscle,’ describes Chia. Nevertheless, he seeks to highlight Sangiovese’s ethereal character in his Riserva rather than sheer strength. Both are based on a selection of early-picked small, loose bunches. ‘We make a Riserva when there is so much generosity in the vintage that there is no need to put this back into the annata.’ When I was tasting the 2016 from barrel at Casisano in 2018, Emiliano Falsini characterised the wines as ‘less structured but with lots of freshness.’ This is borne out particularly in the estate’s Riserva, which comes from a southeast-facing site at almost 500 metres above sea level. It is more about delicacy than force. It was precisely this character that persuaded several producers to forgo bottling a Riserva. Le Potazzine’s Gigliola Giannetti deems 2016 exceptional for its elegance. ‘We could have made a Riserva in 2016 but it would be very different from the 2015, which is more powerful.’ According to Giannetti, 2015 is more representative of the Riserva category. Riccardo Fratton at San Polo came to a similar conclusion when tasting the 2016 during maturation. He felt that further ageing would compromise the best characteristic of the estate’s high-altitude terroir. ‘It would have been a mistake,’ he says. ‘We didn’t want to lose that beautiful freshness.’ The decision not to produce a Riserva in 2016 isn’t exclusive to estates in cooler areas. ‘We didn’t have enough quantity to produce Ugolaia as well as a Riserva,’ reports Ludovica Lisini, in Montalcino’s balmy south. Choosing the estate’s selection bottling over the Riserva is not insignificant. It hints at a general trend within the zone of producers favouring a selection from a single vineyard or lot as their top wine. Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016: Conclusions Nonetheless, 2016 does boast plenty of Riservas. The best examples capture the vintage’s depth, sophistication and vitality without being weighed down or too forceful. They should age leisurely and gracefully for 15 to 20 years. Gianni Brunelli, Canalicchio di Sopra and Sesti are all dialled up a notch compared to their already solid annata versions. Some, like Uccelliera, La Fiorita and Col di Lamo represent a substantial step up. A handful of disappointing examples are either dried out by long ageing or look a bit tired, with the vintage’s succulence zapped out. Luckily, these are exceptions. With the Riserva category comes higher expectations. When met, the 2016s merit the heftier price tag. Rather than overshadowing their annata counterparts, however, they provide yet another opportunity to indulge in this exceptional vintage. [/subscriber-content] Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016: top wines View all 43 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 wines, plus two late releases, tasted for this report [wine-collection] See Michaela's accompanying Brunello di Montalcino 2017 report View all Tuscany vintage reports

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Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 vintage report and top-scoring wines

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the best Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 wines

High expectations

Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016: top wines

See Michaela’s accompanying Brunello di Montalcino 2017 report

View all Tuscany vintage reports

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