Podere Giodo Brunello di Montalcino 2019

Aromas of cedar, earth, tree bark, fruit tea, black tea and cherries. Then it turns to fresh and dried flowers. Medium to full body as it grows on the palate with superb fine tannins that run the length of the wine. It's structured and powerful with great length. The acid, tannin balance is incredible. Very clear and transparent. What a wine. Drinkable but better in three or four years.

When I tasted this wine with its maker, the celebrated enologist Carlo Ferrini, he told me that he put every last drop of love into the 2019 vintage. He believes it is the best wine he has made thus far at his relatively new Giodo project that started in 2009. Indeed, I would rank the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino as high as or even better than the best vintages made at this boutique estate. In my mind, they are 2010, 2016 and now 2019. This wine comes from a three-hectare plot with 19-year-old vines that are cared for obsessively. This amphitheater-shaped parcel called La Poderina is nestled deep within the forest on a steep slope that overlooks Monte Amiata in the distance. The soils are white in color with lots of rocks. This is a wine of depth and dimension, with vibrant energy, elegant balsamic notes and sweetly ripened fruit. The medium fruit weight is balanced against the wine's acidity and fine tannins. It ends with floral notes of violet and iris.

Tasted for a second time at the estate, and pouring a dark ruby/red color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino is complex and stunning on opening with continuously unfolding aromas of black raspberries, polished leather, sandalwood, blood orange, and rosemary. Raised in French oak barrels of various size, the palate is equally compelling with outstanding structure and is sustained on the palate for ages, with lush tannins and perfectly ripe acidity. While it is appealing and showing off now, it has tension for days and is exceptional, with a lot of purity, although it never lacks for richness. This is a truly remarkable wine amid a slew of successes in this phenomenal vintage. Drink 2025-2050.

An effusive red, with vivid cherry and raspberry fruit that's pure and tangy, courtesy of the vibrant acidity, while mineral and herb accents add depth as this builds on the finish. This is structured too, with well-integrated tannins that sneak up on the firm, long-lasting aftertaste. Best from 2026 through 2042.

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is hauntingly dark, with a cascade of dried violets, black cherries and cedar shavings complicated by hints of ash. It's velvety in feel yet cool-toned and spry, with radiant red berry fruits that ride a stream of vibrant acidity. While structured, its tannins are beautifully contoured, soft and round. The 2019 leaves a pleasantly bitter tinge of tart cranberry that tugs at the cheeks. This is a gorgeous performance and a new benchmark for Giodo.