The 2015 vintage is a historical year for Brunello di Montalcino that nobody should miss. The wines show impressive precision of vivid fruit, fine tannins and freshness in acidity despite their ripeness and richness which makes them some of the most exciting in years.

Winemakers in Montalcino were never better prepared to produce outstanding wines in a year like 2015 with their exactness in their vineyards and cellars from fine-tuned canopy management and crop thinning to optical sorting and soft fermentations. So many wine producers in Montalcino made excellent wines in 2015.

A small handful of the wines I tasted are a little bit closed at this early stage, and these will benefit from more cellar ageing. However, the majority of the samples tasted showed softly textured, abundant and accessible characteristics that make them beautiful to drink straight out of the gate or with very little aging required. Bottles from the versatile 2015 vintage can go into your cellar for safekeeping or onto your dinner table for near- to medium-term consumption. The choice is yours, and that’s one of the top selling points of 2015.

Podere Salicutti – It’s been in the works for a few years now, but the ownership switch at Salicutti is now complete. Previous proprietor and founder Francesco Leanza has left his beautiful farmhouse in Montalcino and has now taken up residence in the nearby city of Siena. The new German owners Felix and Sabine Eichbauer have taken over, and their names are now listed on the back labels of the bottles.

In terms of winemaking, nothing has changed, and indeed these two vintages were completed under Francesco’s watch. His style represents purity and a non-interventionist’s approach. His simple, hands-off winemaking always works best in the great vintages and the 2015 is an absolutely terrific creation. In fact, the new releases are some of the best wines we have ever tasted from Salicutti, one of our favourite estates in the appellation. A new gravity flow winery was built and completed in June 2019 and as no 2014 Brunello di Montalcino was produced, this is the first Brunello to be released to the market since their stellar 2013.

Podere Salicutti Brunello di Montalcino Sorgente 2015, 14 Abv.

The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino displays an authentic, classically pure personality that is characterized by dark cherry fruits, botanical spices, sweet leather, cherry cola and grilled herbs. The wine has a fabulously intricate level of beguiling complexity that you often see with the best organic fruit and winemaking. This Brunello wine is classically solid in frame but also generous and precise showing a wonderfully balanced acidity and a zesty, energetic intensity. Always age worthy, this Cuvee is sure to be one of the most sought after wines of the vintage yet again.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)