Luciani Brunello di Montalcino 2016

A fitting follow-up to the glorious 2015 harvest, “the 2016 vintage offers structured, ageworthy wines with profound depth, soaring acidity and plenty of drinking pleasure. 5 out of 5” (Decanter). Or as expert James Suckling calls it, one of “Brunello’s greatest vintages ever.”

It’s becoming difficult to find a truly great bottle, but thanks to our longstanding friendship with the Luciani family, we’ve got one for you...

And not just any one. Luciani Brunello di Montalcino boasts a history of acclaim from top international critics. The 2016 release arrives with 94 points from James Suckling, 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and 92 points from Vinous’ Eric Guido.

The acclaim comes as no shock, really. The Luciani family have been crafting fine wines in Tuscany since 1888, so they’re drawing on generations of expertise. Aged 36 months in premium Slavonian oak barrels, this stunner is a perfect example of everything that critics are loving about this special year. And, like all fine-caliber Brunello, it has years of pleasure ahead of it...if you can bear to wait that long.

Eric Guido’s emphatic tasting note is a bit long, but well worth the read: “The 2016 Luciani Brunello di Montalcino keeps you at the edge of the glass through a gorgeously perfumed display of lavender and violets with subtle hints of cherries, plums and smoky minerals. It’s silky upon entry, ushering in notes of blackberry, contrasted by sour citrus with herbal spiced tea and hints of licorice. The tannins here are refined and soft; yet they also provide a classically dry expression, as the 2016 Luciani tapers off to notes of dark chocolate and inner purple florals…it’s a beautiful wine that just needs a few years of cellaring to show its best.”

Between the major acclaim and the Luciani family’s quality-focused approach, it should come as no surprise that we have very limited cases of this fine Brunello. First come, first served.