2019 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pian di Conte, Tuscany

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pian di Conte is intense, with a burst of split pine, cedar shavings, dried flowers and mentholated herbs forming its smoky bouquet. This envelops the palate with silky textures and ripe wild berry fruits, taking on a flinty-mineral concentration that adds lovely depth toward the close. Sweet tannins frame the experience as the 2019 finishes with a spicy twang as hints of violet pastille and tart cranberry contrast through the finish. The 2019 demands further cellaring to come together, but it's a gorgeous interpretation of Pian di Conte.

97 Points, Eric Guido / Vinous

Showing a dark garnet color, the Talenti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pian di Conte boasts extra concentration and a savory fruit profile with cooked plum and dried tobacco. Sangiovese always has an earthy side with some pressed flowers, and you get those aromas here. It ends with finely knit tannins (and a high 15% alcohol content) that give it more accessibility overall. Production is 5,800 bottles.

93 points robertparker.com

Talenti Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Pian di Conte is a pinnacle expression of traditional yet polished Brunello, crafted from some of the highest and most prized vineyards in the southern reaches of Montalcino. The Pian di Conte vineyard lies in Sant’Angelo in Colle, an area known for its warmer climate but moderated by altitude and maritime breezes. Here, vines grown on galestro and limestone-rich soils produce Sangiovese Grosso of exceptional aromatic complexity and structural integrity.

The Riserva is the estate’s flagship, only released in outstanding vintages and made from the estate’s oldest parcels, which are carefully hand-harvested and sorted. Riccardo Talenti, who took over from his grandfather Pierluigi, combines heritage techniques with subtle modern precision. Fermentation is long and gentle to extract detail rather than brute power, and ageing takes place over three years in large Slavonian oak botti to preserve the purity of fruit and regional typicity. It then spends at least 24 months in bottle before release.

In the glass, the wine is regal and restrained, with lifted aromatics of sour cherry, dried violet, blood orange, rose petal and tobacco leaf. With time, layers of balsamic herbs, iron-rich earth, sandalwood and crushed stone unfold. The palate is seamless and deep, carrying weight and grace in equal measure. Tannins are fine-grained yet firm, guiding the wine with precision. There’s a salivating acidity that keeps the darker fruits and spice-laden savoury elements in elegant tension.

This is a wine that speaks fluently of place and time, built to evolve and reward patience. While already impressive in its youth, it will unfurl beautifully over 15 to 25 years, gaining tertiary notes of leather, dried porcini, balsam and autumn leaves.

Ideal food pairings include aged bistecca Fiorentina, venison with juniper, truffle-laced mushroom dishes, or traditional pici pasta with duck or wild boar ragù.