2016 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany

The Canalicchio di Sopra 2016 Brunello di Montalcino shows balance and symmetry with that difficult twofold delivery of power and elegance. This terrific new release shows dark fruit and tart cherry, but then unwinds slowly to reveal light spice, toasted nut, blue flower and crushed limestone. The wine affords a genuine sense of place with roots in the northern half of the appellation where the light is whiter and the nights are cooler. That brilliant luminosity appears in the pure quality of fruit and the sharp focus of the mouthfeel, driven by balanced tannins and acidity. The sensation it gives is compact and long, without too much extra volume or padding. This wine is like a contoured, chiseled and carefully polished marble statue that you would see in a Renaissance church. Production is an ample 44,218 bottles.

Canalicchio di Sopra has produced a Riserva 15 times in its history, as the wine is only made in the best vintages. The 2015 Riserva is a single-vineyard wine made from a special selection of fruit taken from the oldest vines (planted in 1988). The blend that made this 2015 Riserva is identical to the blend used in the thrilling 2010 vintage.

95 points Monica Larner robertparker.com