Tasting Notes
The colour is a beautiful ruby-red with garnet-red hints. The nose opens with aromas of cherry and plum followed by sweet spices and dried rose petals. The wood is very well integrated and acts as a sounding board for the aroma without conditioning it. Juicy on the palate with good acidity and progressive and elegant tannins showing dynamism and personality. The greater cleanliness in the aromas show excellent work in the cellar. Mineral on the finish with citrusy notes. This is a wine of promise that will benefit enormously from time in the cellar. It has all the character and austerity of traditional Brunello.
Harvest Notes
The 2018 was a vintage that reminded us of a different time, when the growing season could be defined as warm and not hot or torrid as happened in most of the past few years. The winter was characterised by average rainfall and some snow, first in February and then in March, which luckily made up for the considerable lack of water of the past year. There were some rainy days during the first week of September, with maximum temperatures about 30°C which guaranteed a good ripening of the grapes. Heavy rainfall and temperatures of around 20°C from the second half of September forced us to quickly bring the Sangiovese harvest forward in order to ensure the grape’s health. Harvest beginning 25th September 2018.
Reviews
Jancis Robinson – November 2022 – 17.5 PTS (Walter Speller)
Mid ruby with orange tinges. Firm, savoury and minerally nose with dark spice hints. Lively sour-cherry fruit on the palate and quite pure. Elegant, long, perfumed and juicy finish. Really fine and intriguing. Gorgeous. (WS)
Mid ruby with orange tinges. Firm, savoury and minerally nose with dark spice hints. Lively sour-cherry fruit on the palate and quite pure. Elegant, long, perfumed and juicy finish. Really fine and intriguing. Gorgeous. (WS)
Vinous – October 2022 – 93 PTS (Eric Guido)
….. the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino lifts from the glass with a menagerie of foreign spices, wild herbs and dried fruits. This is elegant and finessed, with vibrant acidity enlivening its tart wild berry fruits, and pretty inner rose tones that evolve toward the close. Nuances of licorice and sour cherry linger on, as the 2018 finishes light on structure but big on character. This is so enjoyable already that it’s hard to imagine waiting, but do make sure to cellar for at least a year or two for the full effect.
….. the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino lifts from the glass with a menagerie of foreign spices, wild herbs and dried fruits. This is elegant and finessed, with vibrant acidity enlivening its tart wild berry fruits, and pretty inner rose tones that evolve toward the close. Nuances of licorice and sour cherry linger on, as the 2018 finishes light on structure but big on character. This is so enjoyable already that it’s hard to imagine waiting, but do make sure to cellar for at least a year or two for the full effect.
Winecritic.com – October 2022 – 93 PTS (Raffaele Vecchione)
Intriguing and vibrant with a ”wild” aspect showing notes of red prunes, salted caramel, coriander, wilted lime blossom and camphor. Medium to full bodied, savoury on the centre palate, a harmonic closure with pleasing luminosity. Better from 2023.
Intriguing and vibrant with a ”wild” aspect showing notes of red prunes, salted caramel, coriander, wilted lime blossom and camphor. Medium to full bodied, savoury on the centre palate, a harmonic closure with pleasing luminosity. Better from 2023.
JAMESSUCKLING.COM - December 2022 - 93 PTS (J.S.)
Bright cherries and orange fruit here with bergamot and balsamic. Juicy and fruit-forward, with a full body and ripe, sleek tannins. Touch of sweet and salty adds interest. Drink from 2023.
Bright cherries and orange fruit here with bergamot and balsamic. Juicy and fruit-forward, with a full body and ripe, sleek tannins. Touch of sweet and salty adds interest. Drink from 2023.
Decanter- November 2022 – 92 PTS (Michaela Morris)
This brings together fruit from cool northwest-facing plots, at 540 metres near the town of Montalcino, with warmer, lower-lying vineyards in the region’s southeast. The 2018 saw a slightly shorter maceration – just two weeks as opposed to three. Taking time to come into focus, the nose suggests attractive strawberry blossom, cinnamon and rosehip. The palate is lean and clear fruited with red currants and lots of mineral nuance packed in. The tannins are tightly wound and sinewy, giving texture and backbone, and the sappy acidity is positively scrumptious. Beautifully balanced in its proportions.
This brings together fruit from cool northwest-facing plots, at 540 metres near the town of Montalcino, with warmer, lower-lying vineyards in the region’s southeast. The 2018 saw a slightly shorter maceration – just two weeks as opposed to three. Taking time to come into focus, the nose suggests attractive strawberry blossom, cinnamon and rosehip. The palate is lean and clear fruited with red currants and lots of mineral nuance packed in. The tannins are tightly wound and sinewy, giving texture and backbone, and the sappy acidity is positively scrumptious. Beautifully balanced in its proportions.
Kerin O’Keefe- November 2022 – 92 PTS
Dark spice, moist earth and graphite aromas mix and mingle with forest berry and a whiff of hay on this fragrant red. Taut and linear, the bright, savory palate features juicy cranberry, red currant and the same graphite nose as the nose alongside vibrant acidity and tense, refined tannins. The finish isn’t extremely long but it’s still lovely, with tension and energy. Drink 2023–2028. Kerin O’Keefe November 2022 ©kerinokeefe.com
Dark spice, moist earth and graphite aromas mix and mingle with forest berry and a whiff of hay on this fragrant red. Taut and linear, the bright, savory palate features juicy cranberry, red currant and the same graphite nose as the nose alongside vibrant acidity and tense, refined tannins. The finish isn’t extremely long but it’s still lovely, with tension and energy. Drink 2023–2028. Kerin O’Keefe November 2022 ©kerinokeefe.com
Robert Parker – March 2023 – 91 PTS (Monica Larner)
The Il Palazzone 2018 Brunello di Montalcino offers ripe fruit and lots of spice over an open-knit and accessible mouthfeel. Like some of the other wines from this vintage, this Brunello shows some evolution and a more oxidative approach that bodes well for near and medium-term drinking. It closes with sour cherry, black olive, grilled herb and toasted oak spice. Production is exactly 13,108 bottles.
The Il Palazzone 2018 Brunello di Montalcino offers ripe fruit and lots of spice over an open-knit and accessible mouthfeel. Like some of the other wines from this vintage, this Brunello shows some evolution and a more oxidative approach that bodes well for near and medium-term drinking. It closes with sour cherry, black olive, grilled herb and toasted oak spice. Production is exactly 13,108 bottles.