Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016 Banfi

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino offers clean and pristine fruit and otherwise delivers a textbook interpretation of the vintage. Given the large extension of vineyards farmed by this estate, which is located on the southern side of the appellation, and the deft technological approach employed in the winery, you can count on Castello Banfi to offer an authentic read of any of their wines about to hit the market or that have been aged at the back of your cellar. Indeed, the Banfi library of wines acts as an institutional memory of modern Brunello. This edition shows sharp and focused fruit with leather, potting soil and balsam herb. For a straight-up classic Brunello, this wine delivers the goods.

Castello Banfi delivers one of the finest sets of wines that I have yet tasted from this American-owned benchmark estate. In addition to these new releases (from both 2015 and 2016), it's my pleasure to recommend a new wine, the single-vineyard Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Marrucheto that steals the show.

Lots of plum and dark-berry character with citrus, cedar and sandalwood. Very pure sangiovese. Full-bodied with firm, racy tannins and cool, vivid fruit at the finish. Some mineral, tar and steel undertones. Needs time to open and soften. Better than the 2015. Try after 2023.

A rich, earthy style that offers plum, cherry, iron and cigar box flavors, with plenty of power. Broad in profile, ends with savory elements of forest floor and wild herbs. Best from 2023 through 2040.

The 2016 Banfi Brunello di Montalcino blends rich coffee and mocha notes with dark earth tones, savory herbs and woodland berries. The textures are velvety-smooth, giving way to a polished display of black fruits and cooling mintiness. Saturating tannins come in late yet make themselves known through the cheek-puckering finale, tapering off to hints of red currant. It’s a well-constructed and balanced effort that should do well through medium-term cellaring.