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• Score: 96 Vintage 2020 Vinous The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino opens slowly in the glass, dark and earthy at first, gaining freshness as a cascade of violets and lavender accentuate red plums and hints of spice. It opens with a balanced inner sweetness offset by mineral-inflected red berries and brisk acidity carried over a wave of pure silk. The 2020 leaves a note of sour citrus, adding mouth-watering quality, classically formed tannins and a bitter blackberry tinge that keeps the taster going back for more. This comes across as classic in style despite the warm vintage. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 95 Vintage 2020 Wine Spectator Ripe and succulent, featuring cherry, plum, earth, graphite and wild herb aromas and flavors. Vibrant acidity provides tension and drives this red to the prolonged aftertaste. Harmonious and complex, with terrific energy and length. Drink now through 2043.—B.S. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 98 Vintage 2019 Kerin O Keefe The captivating Baricci 2019 Brunello is another gorgeous wine from this storied producer. It offers enticing scents of woodland berry, new leather, camphor, pipe tobacco and dog rose while the full-bodied, elegantly structured palate delivers juicy Morello cherry, red plum, licorice and cake spice before a flinty mineral finish. A backbone of tight, refined tannins and fresh acidity provide support and racy tension. While it’s still youthfully austere, it already shows great balance and precision. Drink 2029–2044. Abv: 14.5% Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 97 Vintage 2019 Vinous Media The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is youthfully inward and darkly floral with an herbal tinge and hints of crushed ashen stone that give way to vivid black raspberry and exotic spice. This is juicy and spry, with racy cherry-berry fruit and stimulating acidity that creates a sensation of boundless energy, even as a saturation of primary concentration settles in toward the close. The 2019 finishes with incredible length and youthful tension, leaving balsamic spice, sage and licorice notes lingering over a bed of dusty tannins. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 97 Vintage 2019 Decanter Baricci shines with this stunning 2019, from the estate’s south- to southeast-facing plots at 300 metres on the Montosoli hill. It is still far too young, but everything is in place for a long and gratifying life. Preliminary cedar and vanillin nuances melt into sumptuous cherry, and there's a pronounced stony, mineral edge along with juicy blood orange to impart further intricacy. Refined and graceful with layered substance, it has long, chalky, perfectly ‘al dente’ tannins and sappy, mouthwatering acidity. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 96 Vintage 2019 Wine Advocate Baricci's wines are some of the most distinctive and elegant in the appellation. Showing medium-rich concentration, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli delivers granite, slate, black cherry and dark currant in one very impactful dollop. The fruit condition is excellent, with a little under-ripeness that bodes well for the wine's longevity. Montosoli has a bigger presence in the mouth compared to most, thanks to the pronounced mineral nuances, but the wine remains elegant throughout and especially on the mid-palate. Fruit for this wine comes from the estate's oldest vines, aged 25 to 40 years old, in soils rich in marl, quartz, schist and marine fossils. Production is 16,560 bottles. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 95 Vintage 2019 Wine Spectator Cherry, raspberry, leather, camphor, spice and tobacco aromas and flavors are the highlights of this taut red, which is balanced in a compact way. Shows plenty of energy, with a hint of black pepper gracing the long finish. Best from 2026 through 2042. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 96 Vintage 2018 Wine Spectator A succulent, vibrant and harmonious red hallmarked by enticing, multidimensional aromas and flavors of rose, strawberry, cherry, licorice, eucalyptus, iron and leather. Turns up the volume with ripe fruit midpalate, ending with a long, resonant aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2042. 1,420 cases made, 300 cases imported. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2018 Jeb Dunnuck The 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino Montosoli is elegant and classic with notes of chestnut, licorice, cherries, and dried herbs. Supple and ripe, it's medium to full-bodied with an elegant feel that's typical for this vintage, although it boasts more depth and richness than expected. It has lovely concentration throughout and offers autumnal spices on the finish. Drink it over the coming 10-12 years. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2018 Wine Advocate The Baricci 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli delivers a classic expression of Sangiovese from one of the best areas of the Montalcino appellation. I always love wines from Baricci, and I am very pleased to encounter the freshness and bright fruit flavors in this vintage that I associate with this estate. There is punchy cherry fruit, blueberry and lots of white stone or crushed mineral. The approach is accessible, and the tannins are soft straight out of the gate. Some 17,200 bottles were made. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2018 Vinous Media The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino draws me in with a woodsy and balsamic bouquet, blending wild strawberries with flowery underbrush and hints of sage. This is soft yet potent, enveloping the palate with ripe textural fruits and sweet spice, as a staining of minerality and fine tannins settle in toward the close. A saturation of black raspberries and licorice is left to linger through the long and gently structured finale, giving way to pretty inner floral perfumes. There’s a beautiful harmony here, along with the balance needed for a long and steady evolution. Of note, while not stated in the name of the wine, the Baricci Brunello is a pure interpretation of Montosoli fruit. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2017 Vinous Media With the first tilt of the glass, you know that this is not your average 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. An enthralling bouquet of spiced citrus peels, roses, sour cherries, crushed rocks and animal musk keeps you at the edge of your seat. This is remarkably pure and delicate, seeming to hover across the palate, yet delivering a vivid mix of ripe wild berries, salty minerals and purple-tinged florals. Beneath, saturated tannins build, yet the expression remains fresh – almost mouthwatering, in fact – as sweet hints of plum and tobacco slowly fade. While the Baricci family doesn’t market their wine as a cru, this is indeed 100% Montosoli fruit from one of the region's top winemaking families. Bravo. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 93 Vintage 2017 Wine Advocate Proudly from Montosoli, the Baricci 2017 Brunello di Montalcino shows a generous and authentic personality with earthy tones, dried fruit, ripe cherry and roasted herb. This warm-vintage wine is elegant and pure, although there is a meaty or smoky note that is part and parcel of the 2017 vintage. This wine registers 15% alcohol and a thick, open-knit texture. It could use a bit more fruit definition, and I would recommend a near or medium-term drinking window for this bottle. No doubt, Baricci Colombaio Montosoli (this is the full name of the estate) is blessed with one of the best growing sites in the Brunello appellation. The vineyard is spectacular, with views of the medieval Montalcino skyline in the distance and open plains of sun-lit exposures. This is one of a handful of wineries located in the Montosoli subzone, with its special well-draining mix of marl and galestro soils. Ancient marina fossils are often found here. The area also enjoys steep diurnal shifts, making for fresh wines with lifted, fragrant aromas. Federico Buffi and his family recently completed construction on a winery overhaul. Located a few steps away from the best vineyard sites, the old winery was cramped and needed updating, especially in the fermentation area. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 97 Vintage 2016 Wine Spectator Fresh and vivid, this red features cherry, raspberry, plum, floral, black tea and mineral aromas and flavors. The well-defined fruit character is nicely balanced by earthy, savory elements, lively acidity and refined tannins. This is complete, with terrific finesse and complexity. Best from 2024 through 2048. 1,300 cases made, 275 cases imported. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 96 Vintage 2016 Vinous Media The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is coy in the glass, slowly evolving with vivid black cherries, mentholated herbs and hints of cooling mint. This is silky and sleek, quite feminine in character and shows tremendous depth. It holds its power in reserve as a coating of chalky red and blue-toned fruits slowly saturates. This finishes long and youthfully tense with dusty tannins and minerals that mingle through the finale. The potential here is high, yet patience will be required. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 96 Vintage 2016 Vinous Media Dark and animal in nature, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino comes to life like a savage beast waking from a deep sleep, sleek yet still shaking off its slumber. Purple-tinged florals and herbal tones meet depths of dark mineral-tinged fruits and hints of animal musk. This is silky-smooth upon entry, yet it quickly gains in tension and poise, as grippy tannins come to the fore, slowly drying the tart wild berry fruits, while becoming spicy and more grippy with every sip. The cheeks pucker with residual tannic tension as this finishes painfully young yet long, with hints of licorice. The extra time in bottle has only propelled the 2016 even further than expected. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 96 Vintage 2016 Decanter One of the few founding estates of the Brunello consorzio in 1967, Baricci is now in the hands of the third generation. If approaching this anytime soon, give it plenty of time in a decanter. Compelling and complex aromas of stone, leather, cinnamon and iron take time to surface. The palate is weighted but not weighty, with crisp red currant and red cherry flavours. It has a dusty Tuscan dirt road feel - pebbles and all - with commanding chalky tannins and a salty, mineral finish. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 95 Vintage 2016 Wine Enthusiast Aromas of underbrush, rose, wild berry and new leather are front and center. Hailing from Montosoli, one of Montalcino's most revered vineyard sites, the full-bodied palate combines power and finesse, delivering ripe cherry, oak-driven spice and coffee bean alongside firm, close-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Give it time to fully develop. Drink 2026–2046. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 95 Vintage 2016 Vinous Media The 2016 Baricci Brunello di Montalcino is an experience to behold. The bouquet mixes dark earth tones, crushed stone and animal musk with sweet black cherries and balsamic spice. It’s soft and enveloping, seeming to coat all that it touches in ripe primary fruits, just as a mix of brisk acids and salty minerals penetrate deeply, adding traction to this heady experience. Licorice, sweet herbs and a hint of cocoa resonate through the long and structured finale. With perfect symmetry, and so much upfront appeal, it’ll be hard to keep your hands off; but do yourself a favor, and lose these bottles in the cellar for at least the next five years. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 96 Vintage 2015 Vinous Media Good full ruby-red. Captivating nose combines, ripe red cherry, black plum, minerals, herbs, mocha and sexy brown spices. Juicy and sweet, with refined, suave blackberry, raspberry, minerals and tobacco flavors dominating. Finishes extremely long, with a steely quality, fine-grained tannins and a multifaceted personality. Another great Brunello from Baricci. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 96 Vintage 2015 Wine Advocate The Baricci 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is highly distinguished by its mineral side and that is truly the magic of this wine. There is a pungent note of raw grape at first, but it lifts to reveal forest berry, camphor ash and subtle touches of sweet spice. These elements come together like a tightly fitted mosaic. The wine is balanced and fresh, with just enough structure to add firmness and considerable length to its polished mid-weight frame. In fact, mouthfeel is this wine's strongest suit. Acidity is never a problem in Montosoli, located on the north side of Montalcino where day and night temperature shifts play an important role in slow fruit ripening. This warm vintage shows higher extract, but the overall balance allowed Baricci to bottle using very little sulfur (which could account for that little tangy note you get on first nose). Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2015 Wine Spectator A textbook Sangiovese, in the ripe style, boasting cherry, leather, iron, earth and tobacco aromas and flavors. Firm and lively, with a lingering aftertaste of fruit, mineral and savory elements. Best from 2022 through 2040. 1,250 cases made, 125 cases imported. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2015 Wine Enthusiast Subdued aromas evoking underbrush, baked plum and scorched earth form the nose along with a balsamic whiff of camphor. Full bodied and chewy, the brawny, enveloping palate features dried cherry, licorice, coffee bean and the warmth of alcohol alongside firm, noble tannins. Drink 2022–2030. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2015 Vinous Media Here I’m finding a spicy display, with crushed black cherry giving way to zesty herbs and mineral tones, as hints of cedar, mint leaf, and worn leather evolve in the glass. On the palate, waves of silky textures are carried by brisk acids, as notes of black cherry and spice are carried by brisk acids, with hints of cedar, inner leather, and floral tones evolving and adding depth. The finish is long and structured, resonating on zesty acids and spice, with saturating minerality and fine tannin lingering. It’s a remarkably pretty and perfectly balanced Brunello that will perform beautifully with just a few years in the cellar. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 95 Vintage 2014 Wine Enthusiast Wild herb, perfumed berry and pressed rose aromas lift out of the glass along with a whiff of eucalyptus. Smooth, delicious and balanced, the lithe palate has great tension, doling out juicy red cherry, raspberry compote, star anise and baking spice backed up by vibrant acidity. Silky tannins give it extraordinary elegance and linear structure. It won't take years to come around but it also boasts good midterm aging potential. Drink 2021–2029. KERIN O’KEEFE Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 93 Vintage 2014 Wine Advocate Like most producers in Montalcino, Baricci saw a sharp decrease in yields in this vintage. Production of the 2014 Brunello di Montalcino was lowered by one-third compared to an average year. Fruit for this wine comes from well-draining soils located on the flank of the Montosoli hill where steady breezes help to keep the vines healthy. This difficult vintage created many dangers for winemakers. The grape skins were thinner and more fragile. Maceration times were shortened as a result. Baricci usually does anywhere from 25 to 30 days of skin contact, but this wine from 2014 only saw ten days. The desired color was achieved, although this wine, like most of its peers, is a little brighter and thinner in appearance. On the upside, any green tannins were avoided, and the wine shows bright berry nuances followed by a polished, silky finish. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 93 Vintage 2014 Vinous Media Bright medium red. Very pure red cherry, blood orange, nutmeg, cinnamon, minerals and botanical herbs on the captivating nose. Sleek, vibrant, and fine-grained, with a restrained sweetness to the red cherry, balsamic and licorice flavors. Focused and energetic but pliant, with the flavors extended by lively but harmonious acidity. Noble tannins spread out to saturate the palate on the long, multidimensional finish. Probably the 2014 Brunello of the vintage. Shelf Talker Full Page Review