Brunello di Montalcino, Giodo 2017

A full-bodied Brunello with lots of plums and cherries, as well as orange-peel character. It’s creamy and round-textured. Soft and chewy tannins. Shows the warmth and ripeness of the 2017 vintage. Drink after 2023.

This has a distinctive and aromatic nose with herbal aromas alongside red cherries and black bramble fruit. The palate is so juicy with such life and an almost sweet touch to the acidity. It tastes youthful and brimming with fervent energy - alive in the best possible way. Tannins are well integrated and the texture overall is smooth and refined. 30 months in 25hl and 40hl traditional Slavonian oak casks, followed by 18 months ageing in bottle.

After the amazing last few years that Giodo has enjoyed, the 2017 vintage doesn’t quite have the same levels of succulence but this is still an exceptional wine. Clear smoke on the first nose, aromatically rich, with touches of rosemary, saffron and white pepper alongside red cherry and raspberry fruit. Hugely concentrated, the tannins take a grip on your palate and tug the fruit back as it moves through the palate, keeping your focus engaged. 30% lower yield than normal. This will be released in September but not available for immediate delivery because it is finishing up its two years in bottle ageing (after three years in barrel). Carlo Ferrini winemaker.

Carlo Ferrini's Giodo 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is plush and softly layered, and the wine has plenty of fiber and cherry to absorb the power that comes naturally to this vintage. This is Carlo's seventh leaf (or vintage) of Brunello from his family-run estate, and it's nice to reflect on the consistency of style and quality achieved since this new venture emerged. Giodo has the advantage of coming onto the scene when international regard and understanding for Brunello was highest (think back to the excellent 2010 vintage). Carlo has not disappointed. He brings us a modern, forward-thinking wine that is rooted in local Tuscan winemaking tradition (just think, one of his first stints was at Soldera Case Basse years ago). This vintage brings home that signature Giodo personality with black cherry, dark fruit and elegant earthy end notes. At about 18-years-old now, his vines are entering an interesting chapter of their lifespan, and we can expect more great results from this estate. Production for this wine is 12,000 bottles.

The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino reveals a purple hue strewn throughout its ruby color, as a bouquet of flowery undergrowth, ashen stone, medicinal cherry and blueberry wafts up from the glass. It enters the palate silky and seamless in feel, as red and black berries tinged with salty minerals settle in, creating a more tactile impression toward the close. This leaves grippy tannins to linger, mingling with residual acids that maintain freshness, though its fruit tapers off rather quickly.