94 Points John Gilman
The Brunello di Montalcino bottling from Bartoli Giusti is raised in traditional large, eighty hectoliter botti, rather than barriques, making it one of the delicious throwbacks stylistically in the region. The 2019 version is an absolutely beautiful young wine, offering up a pure and classical aromatic constellation of red plums, red and black cherries, cigar wrapper, brown spices, a complex base of soil tones, a touch of hazelnut, roses and just a whisper of oak from the giant casks. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a beautifully elegant profile, superb depth of fruit at the core, lovely soil signature, ripe, buried tannins, fine backend grip and impeccable balance on the long, complex and very, very promising young finish. This beautiful wine comes in at fourteen percent octane and tastes as if it could be issuing from the 1985 vintage, it is so marvelously old school stylistically. Great juice, just add some cellaring time for the wine to blossom!
Winemaker Note
100% Sangiovese from sustainably-farmed estate vineyards located in the central hill area of Montalcino. The grapes are hand-harvested and the wine is aged in traditional large botti, rather than barriques. Aromas of red cherry and berry with notes of Tuscan herb, orange peel and cigar wrapper. On the palate the wine is bright with a good core of fruit and polished tannins making this a Brunello that will continue to develop nicely as it ages. Elegant, suave, old school Brunello - and always an amazing value.
For centuries the Bartoli Giusti family has been cultivating vines to produce Brunello di Montalcino. Old maps found during the renovation of the cellars testify to the company's activity dating before the early eighteenth century. Located in the Municipality of Montalcino, 125 hectares are divided into 12 hectares of vineyards, 30 ha of olive groves, 60 ha of arable land and the remainder, uncultivated forest. The cellar, with aging rooms completely underground, is on the premises of Osservanza, at the gates of Montalcino.
