2016 Cantina di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

Cantina di Montalcino’s stunning 2016 was far and away our top Brunello of 2021, and it presents a price/value ratio you’ll rarely see, which is why Tuscan-bargain hunters and Wine Access Brunello-nuts keep clearing out this wine so quickly. From a vintage that earned a best-ever score from Wine Advocate, this 2016 shows exactly why Cantina di Montalcino is one of the first places we look for outstanding Brunello deals.  

Montalcino’s lone cooperative for over 40 years, Cantina di Montalcino sits on the famed Tuscan hill of Montosoli among celebrated estates like Le Chiuse and Valdicava, whose Brunellos fetch three-digit prices. Meanwhile, the brilliant winemaking talents of Cantina di Montalcino have kept costs down through the diversity of growers at their disposal—without sacrificing a sliver of quality. 

We love co-op wines—whether they’re Brunello, Champagne, or Burgundy—because of the way they let super-talented small growers shine. We’re extra-vigilant in fantastic years like Montalcino’s 2016, when spring rainfall and a warm, dry summer made for a near-perfect growing season. Stark diurnal temperature shifts kept a balance between fruit and acid, allowing the late-maturing Sangiovese to ripen slowly, making grapes from the cooperative’s 100 small growers and 400 acres of vines a goldmine of quality. 

Wine Enthusiast characterized the year as “a Brunello lover’s dream,” and it shows in this outstanding bottle. From great growers and an excellent vintage, it’s the definition of an overachiever. Don’t miss it.