Eucalyptus, blue flower, baked plum and spice aromas shape the nose in this fragrant red. Full bodied and chewy, the savory palate delivers ripe black cherry, vanilla, licorice and espresso alongside tightly knit, velvety tannins. Drink 2023-2031.

Starts out with macerated plum and cherry fruit, shaded by tobacco, iron and earth flavors. Dense, dusty tannins put the grip on the finish, yet this is also vibrant and finds a nice equilibrium in the end, with the fruit returning. Best from 2024 through 2042. 27,000 cases made, 2,500 cases imported.

Sour cherries, spiced orange and dusty dried flowers open in the glass, as the 2016 Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino slowly blossoms. The textures are creamy, contrasted by cooling minerality and juicy acids, as tart red berries saturate under an air of sweet herbs and inner florals. This finishes dry yet long, with chewy tannins and remnants of crunchy red fruit. The 2016 Castelgiocondo needs some time to come together, yet it has all of the balance necessary to mature into a real beauty.

The Frescobaldi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino CastelGiocondo shows dark fruit, plum and spice. The wine offers good density and richness, but the aromatic intensity is downplayed compared to some of its peers from this classic vintage. Other than that, all the wine's elements are in the right place with cherry, wild plum, rose and tilled earth. Production is an ample 300,000 bottles.