Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago 2019

The nose is nostalgic and lightly sweet, with aromas of vanilla, cloves, cardamom and cherry, along with faint undertones of dried tomatoes and balsamic. On the palate, the cherries star, while fighting back ferocious tannins and piercing acid.

Dark red hued, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Campo Del Drago is more grounded in nature and offers more concentration on the nose, with aromas of licorice, sweet plums, pine, black truffles, and crushed violets. It gains intensity on the palate with a medium to full-bodied frame, hearty tannins, and savory depth with notes of bitter tea leaf and rocky earth on the finish. This commands more time and will do well to see another 6 months to a year in bottle and is an impressive offering from the team of Castiglion del Bosco. Each of these wines are starting to show a change in direction from this estate and seem to offer a softer hand with regard to the resulting wines than I have experienced in the past. Drink 2026-2040.

Dark and savory in the glass, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago lifts up with a bouquet of grilled herbs, exotic spices, ashen stones and dried wild berries. It's soft and enveloping, yet there's an energy within. Zesty acidity motivates its tart red fruits, all underscored by a salty core of minerality. This finishes long and staining with a coating of grippy tannins, yet is still remarkably fresh. Rosy inner florals linger. The textures here are stunning, as is the 2019's spry personality. This was fermented using 100% whole clusters.