2019 Cerbaia, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG, Tuscany, Italy.
The gorgeous, dark garnet, delicately aromatic and opulent 2019 Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is finely structured and everything one could ever want from a Sangiovese wine with complex layers of blackberry, plum, currant, mission fig and balsamic dipped strawberry fruits, along with spicy cut tobacco, orange tea, minty anise, cedar, loam and crushed floral incense. This full bodied effort is a wow factor effort that has smooth tannin, rounded acidity and carries an incredible long finish that stay with you, making for a wine that rewards for hours. I don’t get that many chances to drink Cerbaia, and almost never a Riserva, so this was real treat and I’m grateful to Cerbaia’s importer Massanois for giving me this rare opportunity. Cerbaia’s owner Fabio Pellegrini, a local legend, has now been joined by his daughter Elena, who has brought a new energy to this prestigious estate and is carrying on the traditions here, focusing on a more authentic and transplant collection of Brunello and Rosso offerings. The grayish, chalky, clay and sandy soils that under pin the Cerbaia vines along with the elevation, helps curb the Mediterranean warm here and gives a distinctive micro climate influence on the wines, which are absolutely delicious, especially this Riserva.
Cerbaia, one of most sought after Brunello producers, was founded in 1978, is a 12 hectare estate in the heart of Montalcino, with 4.5 hectares of vines on the hill of Montosoli, one of the most famous and prized crus in the region. This Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, 100% Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello Clone), comes from vines up at 400 meters and set on what the winery calls marly (limestone) soils composed of clay schistose, which allows for the deep fruit core to shine though in this wine. The grapes were all de-stemmed and cool temperature controlled fermented in 50 HL stainless steel tank with about 15 days of maceration with daily cap management and pump overs. The Brunello Riserva then gets pressed to barrel for aging, with Cerbaia choosing to use traditional large Slavonian oak barrels, where it matured for 48 months before bottling. The wine rested a further 8 or so months in bottle before being released, allowing the wine to really develop its own nuance, terroir influence and elegant form. Even in hot and riper years, Cerbaia, with its higher vineyards and northern/western facings, getting cooler breezes, make a more balanced wine, as seen here, and one that can age well for many decades. I, as noted, don’t get a lot of chances to try Cerbaia, but I’m a huge fan and look forward to following Elena’s efforts in the future here and I highly recommend chasing this lovely and exceptional Riserva!
($105 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive