Brunello di Montalcino, Conti Costanti

Extremely elegant and focused, this compelling wine defies the heat of the vintage, starting with a heady fragrance of ripe dark-skinned berries, violet, camphor, dark spice and whiffs of crushed herbs. On the linear, elegantly structured palate, tightly woven but extremely polished tannins accompany juicy Marasca cherry, blood orange, licorice and white pepper while fresh acidity keeps it balanced and fresh. - Kerin O'Keefe

Andrea Costanti has crafted an appetising and characterful 2017, expressive without being over-exuberant or pushed. He reports doing more extraction than usual, with extended post-fermentation macerations as skins were thick and healthy. The tannins are textured and gritty without being green or bitter. While this doesn’t have the profoundness of 2016 or the silkiness of 2015 there is much charm in its vigour. Polished wood, subtle smoke, plum and bay leaf emerge from a backdrop of dry, dusty earth while concentrated acidity keeps it vibrant. One of the stars of the vintage. - Michaela Morris

The Conti Costanti 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is nicely layered and concentrated, with an immediate delivery of black fruit, spice and potting soil. This vintage shows a savory personality more than it shows a sweet one, and the tannins are quite soft and velvety. This is an open-knit Brunello from a hot and dry vintage to drink in the medium-term. - Monica Larner

An alluring, spicy and dusty mix of cherry and raspberry preserves, crushed stone and dusty flowers is lifted by cedar shavings and dried citrus peels as the majestic 2017 Brunello di Montalcino blossoms in the glass. This is fleshy yet delicate in feel, displaying pure ripe red berry fruit, nicely contrasted by salty mineral tones, and lacking only a bit of midpalate depth that might take it to the next level. It tapers off long while leaving the mouth watering for more, as a gentle tug of tannin slowly fades under rosy inner florals. Andrea Costanti didn’t produce a Riserva in 2017, and so all of that juice was used to try to bolster the Brunello. From what I’ve tasted, I’d say he succeeded. - Eric Guido

Ligefrem og umiddelbar, men skræmmende og overvældende… og dog helt uden svulmeri og volumen. Fast og dyster, sort te, hybenpulver, biondi-santi-style, klassicisme og intensitet i skyerne, men harmonisk og uendelig, bider af sangiovese-sandtannin med syre som en gammeldags barolo. Og så en utrolig rødfrugtet frisk afslutning. Sublim brunello.

Relativt mørk i både glasset og i frugten. Næsen er åben og utroligt dejlig med en fløjlsagtig, burgundisk profil inklusive brombær, svesker og tobak – her er ingen små nye egefade at spore. En virkelig velsyet vin, elegant og velafbalanceret med fintmaskede tanniner. - Søren Frank

Lustrous mid ruby. Complex brooding richness on the nose. Fantastic balance between the intense fruit and succulent acidity. Super-fine tannins layering the fruit. Very long, focused, intense and energetic on the finish. Monumental. - Walter Speller

This savory stunner has enticing scents of violet, rose and wild berry that gain complexity alongside notes of leather, camphor and sandalwood. The elegantly structured palate is all about precision, featuring juicy cherry, blood orange, star anise and tobacco framed in taut, refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it energized. - Kerin O'Keefe

Reserveret og tilbageholdende, den er nærmest dage om at åbne sig op, men man fornemmer den slumrende kæmpe nede i dybet. Uhyre klassisk i sit antrit; ja nærmest streng. Den har en tør, krævende og puristisk sangiovese-frugt i centrum. Mørk, barket, jernet, urtet og jordet. Tilmed ladet med rødbede og surkirsebær og tørrede rosenblade og bitre urter. Vilter intensitet uden krævende tyngde. Frugten er holdt i ave af en potent struktur med autentiske brolægger-tanniner. Fremragende brunello, der virkelig er tro imod sit ophav. Bestemt ikke brunello for enhver, men sangiovese-purister vil knuselske dens rene, ranke kompromisløshed. Kræver ubetinget nogle år på langs - gerne 10 år - og en stor vinoplevelse vil uden tvivl være inden for rækkevidde.

There’s a sensuality to Costanti's 2016 Brunello di Montalcino. It’s something about the way it draws you in and warms the soul. Its bouquet straddles both the light and dark sides of Sangiovese, rising up with alluring flowery perfumes, cedar dust and crushed cherry, yet then swaying toward rich brown spices and clove. The textures are velvety-smooth and elegant, ushering in a dense core of fleshy red berry fruits, which leave a coating of crystalline minerals and fine tannins in their wake. Though structured and aching for a stay in the cellar, you can’t help but pour another glass of this simply spellbinding Brunello. While in need of three to five years in the cellar for optimal enjoyment, the 2016 is absolutely worth checking in on today. - Eric Guido

The Conti Costanti 2016 Brunello di Montalcino shows warm fruit layering with cherry, wild raspberry and plum. You might also notice some touches of sweetness with candied orange skin and lavender honey. At the back of it all, you get tilled earth and a touch of black olive. This wine reveals good complexity to the bouquet and follows up with a streamlined, mid-weight mouthfeel. - Monica Larner

After sitting out the 2014 vintage, Andrea Costanti calls 2015 a beautiful year and one of the best in the history of Brunello. He deemed it exceptional enough to craft a Riserva (to be released in 2021) yet his classic Brunello hasn't suffered for it. In fact, it's one of the greatest successes of the vintage. Gorgeous, seductive aromas are already expressive but still youthful. Cherry and plum are enveloped by exotic spice and a faint smokiness. The palate is plush and velvety with layers of powdery tannins that build, and tangy acid that cleanses the palate. Hedonistic but brilliantly balanced, it is hard to resist now but the best is definitely yet to come. - Michaela Morris

Som sædvanligt en forknyt herre, der skal have tid i kælderen, men alligevel er der essens af RØD sangiovese, fuld af malurt, malt, spagnum, blodappelsin, bark og tranebærskind. Idealharmoni, en perfekt vellyd, komplet, intet stikker ud, bortset fra heftig gammeldags tannin, men frugten følger med. Sublim. - René Langdahl

Deep red. Perfumed, saline aromas of red cherry, raspberry nectar, herbs, violet, red roses and minerals on the captivating nose; this really opens and improves with aeration, so make sure you open the bottle at least an hour or so ahead. Clean fresh, and saline, with a metallic edge and a brooding quality to the vibrant, juicy red cherry and raspberry flavors that are long and deep. Sneaky concentration and real power here, but a little inscrutable currently; this lovely wine needs to be cellared for a good five to six years to be enjoyed at its fullest. I have no doubt it will prove a memorable wine in due course, hence the plus sign on my score. - Ian D'Agata

Fragrant and all about finesse, this gorgeous wine opens with enticing aromas of blue flower, forest floor, wild berry and a whiff of eucalyptus. It's linear and elegant, delivering succulent red cherry, pomegranate, star anise and tobacco alongside polished tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it impeccably balanced. - Kerin O'Keefe

Tasted blind. Lustrous mid ruby. Contained richness on the nose and gorgeous succulent notes of sour cherry and marasca cherry on the palate. Just a touch of oak and chewy tannins flexing their muscle on the finish. True precision but definitely ‘sexy’ and sheer pleasure. Can be approached now but with lots of potential to age further. - Walter Speller

Heady scents of forest floor, ripe berry, fragrant blue flower, grilled herb and a whiff of eucalyptus emerge on this superb wine. The elegantly structured palate offers juicy wild cherry, black raspberry, star anise, mint and baking spice while well-integrated tannins provide the framework. Balanced and already approachable, it also shows good mid-term aging potential.

Conti Costanti has a proven track record for quality and consistency. The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a beautiful ruby color and great aromatic integrity. The bouquet presents a quick succession of fresh fruit aromas, cherry cola, licorice, dried ginger and pine nut. All of those elements are delicate and expertly balanced against one another. In the mouth, this Brunello shows a clean and streamlined style with very good length.

The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the classiest wines of the vintage. Macerated cherry, cinnamon, orange peel and spice notes are all fused together in a succulent, impeccably alanced Brunello endowed with fabulous balance, knock-out aromatics and remarkable grace. Costanti's 2011 is a rare Brunello from this vintage that has enough structure to age for a number of years. Its class and pedigree are evident, even at this early stage. The 2011 spent a year in tonneau and two years in cask. - Antonio Galloni

Evolved-looking ruby and orange rim. Compact, fragrant and a little earthy and wonderfully structured fruit on the palate. Still very tight and backward and with gutsy tannins. Firm, powerful and totally convincing. - Walter Speller

This is a spectacular effort. The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva shows deep, inner intensity and lovely aromatic characteristics that are very true to the mighty Sangiovese grape. You can't go wrong with a wine like this, especially if you are seeking the true flavors of Montalcino. The aromas are presented in neat and tidy fashion with wild berry, blue flower, spice and herb that converge to create a united front. In the mouth, the wine delivers ample power and momentum with dark flavors and firm structure. The wine need another few years of bottle aging to flesh out further. - Monica Larner

Andrea Costanti’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is fabulous. The purity and translucence of Sangiovese comes through beautifully as the wine opens up. Refined, pedigreed and exceptionally beautiful, the Costanti pretty much embodies what 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is all about. Reference-point Brunello. It’s as simple as that. - Antonio Galloni