Azienda Agricola Le Ragnaie Le Ragnaie Brunello di Montalcino 2021 750ml

Vintner Riccardo Campinoti says he makes the wines "that I want to drink." The Le Ragnaie house style is classical, prizing transparency and freshness. His 2020 Brunello di Montalcino (with the white label) represents a blend of fruit from across various parcels. The bulk of the blend comes from the vineyards immediately adjacent to the winery at high elevations. It matures in Slavonian oak for 36 months with an extra year in cement. What stands out is the focus and energy of the bouquet with delicate berry and floral notes and even a touch of fresh mint. It boasts a polished texture. Production is 25,100 bottles.

Beautifully balanced and featuring delicate flavors of rose, cherry and strawberry, this red is nevertheless solidly built and dense. Iron, tar and wild herb accents add complexity as this ends in a tight grip of dusty tannins. The fruit hangs in there, so be patient. Best from 2029 through 2050. 3,000 cases made.

The 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino boasts a youthful red brick hue and offers a wonderful bouquet of aromatics already, with aromas of ripe cherries, fresh rosemary, cedar, and sweet incense. The palate is medium-bodied and snappy with ripe acidity, refined tannins, and a great mouthwatering finish revealing notes of ripe orange citrus and saline. It's very well-styled and hard to resist now, although it has the structure to age at a slow pace and improve over the coming 10-15 years.

More savory than sweet, the 2021 Brunello di Montalcino blossoms in the glass with nuances of wild strawberry, rose petals, mint and white smoke. It is lifted and graceful in feel, with round textures and pretty red berry fruits elevated by tantalizing acidity. A subtle mineral crunch mingles with delicate tannins as the 2021 echoes with a wild berry resonance. This understated yet beautiful Brunello benefited from the inclusion of juice from both the Fornace and Petroso vineyards.

There's a hard, tannic edge to this red, defining its cherry, strawberry, floral and flinty mineral flavors. Linear and compact, this nonetheless delivers fine balance and length overall. Shows plenty of tension, which should bode well for its future evolution. Best from 2028 through 2045. 2,090 cases made, 666 cases imported.