2015 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino Vallocchio

"What a nose of dried meat, tar, tobacco, dried boysenberries, red licorice and baking spices. Hearty tannins surround the full-bodied palate from every side, wringing bursting acidity from a full-throttle core of ripe, chewy fruit. The power and intensity are undeniable, but as you seep in the rich dried spices and died meat on the finish, you catch a glimpse of crystalline acidity through the looking glass. Drink from 2025." Review Date: September 2020

"The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Vallocchio shows depth and a more sophisticated approach with ample textural richness and more evident spice and smoke from its oak aging. However, the style fundamentally embraces the same lithe and lifted elegance that we saw in Fanti's classic Brunello. The color saturation of the Vallocchio is a degree or two darker, and the bouquet reveals dark cherry, tilled earth, cola and smoked cedar wood. Give the wine a few more years in your cellar to flesh out." - Monica Larner Review Date: October 2020

"Balsamic aromas of menthol mingle with new leather, underbrush and steeped prune. The big brawny palate offers dried cherry, orange zest, licorice and tobacco alongside assertive, close-grained tannins that grip the close. You'll also notice the heat of evident alcohol." - Kerin O'Keefe Review Date: July 2020