Sesti Brunello di Montalcino Italy 2018 (14.50% ABV) – 93.3
BB | Garnet to pink. Restrained and clean on the nose, with small red fruits, an earthy, lively, herbal character, and hints of violets and rosemary. Medium-bodied, slightly green in its tannins, but clean and long, with a raspberry and sour-cherry finish. 91
MP | Complex, fat, obvious nose, with notes including redcurrant, black cherry, plum, tomato leaf, forest floor, licorice, white pepper, cinnamon, dried honey, fig, and dried honey overlaid with gorgeous notes of creamy oak. This unfolds languorously on the palate, with layers of fruit and oak playfully wrestling inside a ring of taut acidity and skilfully judged oak. The length and balance are both exceptional, and this wine's future is assured. 99
AJ | Deep, clear, black-red. Refined, lifted, and settled, but fresh, too. Charm and refinement here, with nothing overstated. An almost grassy, honeyed fragrance. Concentrated and expressive, with an impressively gathered palate; the forces are marshaled and fashioned here in a way that isn't always true for its peers. Fine tannins provide ample support and help guide and shape the sweetness. I'd give this wine a little time to settle and open further. 90