Canalicchio di Sopra, Brunello di Montalcino 2017

The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is wildly perfumed, dusty and exotic, with balsam herbs, savory spices, red currants and plums coming across as so pretty yet rich and potent. A silky display of sour wild berries contrasted by candied citrus wows the senses as the 2017 plays a zesty sweet-and-sour act upon the palate. It’s long, youthfully chewy, yet still remarkably fresh, with rosy florals and tart, tart cherries giving way to chiseled tannins through the finale. This is a beautiful rendition of the 2017 vintage, one that takes the dry warmth of the year and expresses it with tremendous energy and verve. What's more, I revisited this bottle over the course of 36 hours and it only got better with time.

Canalicchio di Sopra began harvesting Brunello on 25 September - just one day earlier than in 2016. Francesco Ripaccioli credits the significant diurnal temperature differences during the preceding month for measured ripening as well as preservation of acidity. The estate Brunello, which is a blend of vineyards in the Montosoli and Canalicchio zones, starts with smoky, flinty notes then gives way to intense herb blossoms. The palate is where it really struts its stuff at the moment, particularly the texture. It grips confidently in all the right places. Packed with flavours of small forest berries and dusty gravel, it finishes with a refreshing salty kick.

As you drive downhill from the hamlet of Montalcino on its north side, you pass the Canalicchio di Sopra winery, which is located in a shallow, sun-lit basin of vines. This estate is meticulous and studied in its winemaking philosophy, and the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is an expression of that concentration. This warm-climate Brunello reveals awesome purity and intensity with wild cherry, almond and lilac spread over a tonic, mid-weight finish. This wine awards plenty of elegance in a vintage that was not easy and not prone to such nuance. Production is exactly 39,989 bottles.