Talenti Brunello di Montalcino 2021

Falstaff
96 punten
Powerful, bright ruby with a pronounced garnet rim. Very fragrant and clear on the nose, fine raspberry and fresh cherry, some rosemary in the background. Juicy and with present ripe fruit on the palate, crisp, opens up with fine-meshed tannins, firm pressure on the finish.

Vinous
95 punten
The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino is darkly perfumed, evolving with nuances of dried rose, sage, cedar shavings and balsamic-tinged black cherries. It is beautifully balanced with silken depths of ripe red and blue fruits elevated by cooling acidity and a slightly spicy twang toward the close. The sweetest tannins imaginable frame the finish as this tapers off structured and long yet still perfumed and pleasurable. There's a lovely harmony here that keeps me coming back to the glass, even as the 2021 requires extensive cellaring.

Decanter
93 punten
Honouring Pierluigi Talenti’s first vintage in 1981, his grandson and successor Riccardo has bottled the estate Brunello with a special 40th anniversary label. As spring frost decimated his lower vineyards close to the Orcia River, he sacrificed a Riserva to concentrate on this. In its signature fragrant style, freshly cut basil and mint mingle with forest brush and turned earth. Those sweet garden herbs repeat on the palate, which is decidedly light and lithe for the vintage. Red currants and raspberry provide the backdrop, with a lovely length of tobacco and spearmint. It's almost Rosso-like until an appropriate tug of silky tannins kicks in. This is ready to go.

Jeb Dunnuck
93 punten
Pouring a youthful red color, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino is perfumed and expressive on the nose, with notes of crushed roses, pomegranate, sweet Mediterranean herbs, and fresh leather. The palate is medium-bodied, refreshing, and a total pleasure, with fine tannins and outstanding balance. It’s a delightful Brunello that offers plenty already, yet it should have no trouble aging for a decade or more. Drink 2026-2040.

Kerin O'Keeffe
94 punten
Forest floor, violet, Mediterranean brush and spice aromas come to the forefront along with a whiff of leather. Linear and elegantly structured, the full-bodied, linear palate features ripe Morello cherry, blackberry, graphite and star anise before closing on an orange zest note. It’s still youthfully austere, with firm, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Drink: 2039–2039. Abv: 14.5%.

James Suckling 
93 punten
Savory and layered, offering sour cherries, dried strawberries, tobacco leaves and crushed rocks. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with compact tannins and excellent tension. Very polished, linear and focused, finishing long and juicy. Better after 2027.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
92 punten
Issued with a special seal visible on the front label to mark the anniversary of its 40th vintage, the Talenti 2021 Brunello di Montalcino delivers a dark-fruited profile leaning into blackberry and pitted plum. The wine carries a heavier center of gravity in terms of richness and concentration, expressed through an open-knit mouthfeel that favors breadth and weight over vertical lift, resulting in a broad, almost monolithic impression. Sourced from 10 hectares of vines rooted in structured clay soils with galestro and limestone, this is a release of 32,000 bottles plus magnums.

Jancis Robinson 
16.5/20 punten
Just mid ruby with orange tinges. A little stalky and sour on the nose and in need of lots of aeration before it opens up to shy, perfumed cherry. On the palate, lots of sour red fruit and powdery tannins. Embryonic but with a long, subtle cherry length. This needs more time to unfurl.