Press

• Score: 95 Vintage 2016 Wine Advocate The Fossacolle 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva hits it out of the ballpark, both in terms of balance and intensity. That's not an easy tightrope to walk, but the ideal growing conditions of the 2016 growing season, which was long, warm and cool at the end, set the stage for this great success. The bouquet is strongly typical of Sangiovese with dried cherry, rose, earth and some grilled herb. This medium-bodied wine shows seamless transitions and a very silky quality of tannins to caress the palate. Sadly, only 1,400 bottles were produced. Stefano Bambagioni and the folks at Fossacolle decided not to make Rosso di Montalcino in 2017 because yields had been greatly reduced by the hail and heat stress of the vintage. This allowed for greater control and fruit selection when making the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino reviewed here. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 95 Vintage 2016 James Suckling Plum and ripe-cherry aromas with spices and lavender, follow through to a full body with tight, integrated tannins that are long and complete. Structured and polished. Really creamy. Very attractive now, but the tannins need at least three or four years to soften. Drink after 2024. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 93 Vintage 2016 Vinous Media The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva lifts up with a classic bouquet of dusty rose, leather and earth tones engulfing a core of cherry-berry fruits. It’s pure and youthfully poised yet potent, as a silky wave carries mineral-tinged red currants and spices across the palate. Gripping tannins clench the senses but find balance through residual acids that keep the expression unexpectedly fresh, as hints of licorice slowly taper off. The 2016 is very pretty, but it’s geared for the cellar. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 95 Vintage 2015 James Suckling A very pretty, focused Brunello with blue fruit, black cherries and some cedar and sandalwood. Crushed stones, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with linear tannins that take you through the depths of the wine. Drink after 2022. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2015 Wine Advocate The Fossacolle 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with a mere 2,000 bottles to be released after February 2021) offers richness and depth with a very linear and direct quality of fruit. There is plum, blackberry, spice, earth, leather and tar. This Riserva occupies the darker side of the spectrum, although the mouthfeel is ultimately lighter and more buoyant than you might expect. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 91 Vintage 2015 Vinous Media The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva blossoms in the glass with a pretty bouquet full of bright cherry, strawberry and a dusting of sweet spice, all offset by hints of leather and earth. It coats the palate in silky richness, which is then perfectly cleansed and enlivened by zesty acids and tart red fruits. There’s plenty of balanced structure for medium-term cellaring here, tapering off to sour wild berries and hints of citrus. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 90 Vintage 2012 Wine and Spirits The warmth of the 2012 vintage comes through in this wine’s robust alcohol (15 percent) and flavors of dark cherry and dried plum. Aged for two years in second-use barriques, it retains chewy tannins and notes of cedar, tobacco and spice. Shelf Talker Full Page Review