Suckling: “One of the best I have had”
- 98 pts James Suckling98 pts JS
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2019 Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany 750 ml
| $59 | per bottle | |
- Curated by unrivaled experts
- Choose your delivery date
- Temperature controlled shipping options
- Get credited back if a wine fails to impress
Top Terroir, a Great Year, and Winemaking Talent
We’ve written plenty of glowing praise about Cerbaia—about their prime terroir in Montosoli and their talented winemaker Elena Pellegrini—and they’ve never made a Bunello normale like their 2019. James Suckling agrees: He declared it “one of the best I have had from here” in his 98-point review.
2019 is emerging as an all-time great year in Montalcino: Vinous called it “the vintage we’ve all been waiting for.” Kerin O’Keefe, who wrote THE book on Brunello, said “I’ve never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage.” Our own Master Somm, not one for overstatement, called it “tremendous.”
Cerbaia’s 12 hectares of organically farmed vineyards include nearly five in the Grand Cru of Montosoli—possibly the most coveted land in Tuscany—which put them in a perfect position to capitalize on a year that Wine Advocate called “uniformly easy” for vintners.
A bone-chilling winter ensured the vines stayed dormant well into spring, setting the stage for a frost-free budbreak and flawless weather during flowering. Summer kicked the Tuscan countryside into action, with the plants rapidly sending green tendrils toward the sky in the warm air, which saw near-perfect quantities of rain. Once harvest arrived, Cerbaia was able to pick during the final week of September, ensuring the beautifully textured dark fruit and suave tannins that only long hang-times are able to bring.
The Sangiovese grosso was absolutely perfect as it came into the winery, and Elena treated the grapes to just over two weeks of maceration. That brought plenty of color and fruit to the wine without extracting hard tannins. Three years in large oak casks ensured that it would be polished and beautiful from day one.