Il Palazzone Brunello di Montalcino 2017

A Brunello that certainly deserves time in cellar, but that is going to be so utterly delicious when it first arrives that you’ll struggle to leave it resting!  Il Palazzone is blessed with three fine Brunello vineyards. Two are in the warmer, southern, part of the zone and face south. They yield ripe, luscious, fruit that gives the Brunello body, depth and heft. The third vineyard, called Due Porte, is in the northern part of the zone, at 500 meters elevation, and faces northwest. The elevation and aspect let the grapes ripen more slowly and retain more freshness and acidity, making them a perfect balance to the richer, lower-altitude, fruit.

Aged 3+ years in large Slavonian oak casks to smooth out tannins, this is just stupid delicious. The ripe black cherry and red raspberry fruit with accents of blood orange, leather and spice floods your palate with flavour. The texture is smooth and velvety and bold, but the fresh acids and fine tannins leave your mouth fresh and watering and ready for the next sip.  Truly delicious stuff.