Aromas of cedar, earth, tree bark, fruit tea, black tea and cherries. Then it turns to fresh and dried flowers. Medium to full body as it grows on the palate with superb fine tannins that run the length of the wine. It’s structured and powerful with great length. The acid, tannin balance is incredible. Very clear and transparent. What a wine. Drinkable but better in three or four years.

This wine was tasted in a preview capacity as it won't hit the market until the beginning of next year. Tasted at the Giodo winery in one of the most remote and beautiful spots in the appellation surrounded by forests and wide open panoramas, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino gives us a promising taste of what we can expect from this warm vintage. The wine delivers ripe, but delicate aromas of cassis and dark cherry with shades of lilac, violet and crushed limestone. The tannins are present and well managed. Carlo Ferrini's Brunello promises a long aging trajectory.

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.

Upon meeting Carlo Ferrini for the first time some 15 years ago, I remember vividly when he described himself as a Sangiovesista, or an adherent of the school of Sangiovese. Many years later, and perhaps to cement that self-appointed moniker, the wine consultant has now settled in Montalcino, or the ultimate holy ground to Sangiovese. Ferrini has embarked on his Giodo estate (with beautiful vineyards and a newly inaugurated winery built precisely according to his technical specifications and wishes), creating his own temple to the mighty Tuscan grape. As a consultant, Ferrini has endured many stylistic transformations over the years, but the personality embraced in his 2016 Brunello di Montalcino celebrates varietal purity, balance and elegance, and I write those words free of hyperbole. Delicate forest berry fruits open to spice, forest floor and balsam herb. The wine presents a pretty wave of freshness, followed by firm tannins and enough fruity texture to smooth over the palate. This is a career-defining wine for this proud Sangiovesista. Production is 10,000 bottles.

The Giodo 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a real stunner with a tight, finely knit texture that transcends and ultimately unites both the bouquet and the mouthfeel, putting them on an even playing field. This gives the wine a broad sense of unity and wholeness that is the key to withstanding the aging process one would expect to submit this bottle to. At this young stage, Giodo's Brunello reveals blue flowers, wild berry, camphor ash and delicate spice. This wine shows a compressed sense of intensity that expands quickly after you lift the proverbial lid off the box. As it breathes in air and takes on more volume, it also leaves a deeper impression on your nose and palate. It closes with a simple note of sweet cherry that makes for a perfect postscript. Some 10,000 bottles were released in January 2020.