Round and plump, sporting cherry, raspberry, floral, mineral and wild herb aromas and flavors. Well-defined and solidly structured, ending with plenty of energy driving the fruit and savory elements. Best from 2025 through 2040. —B.S.

Mid to deep ruby. Spicy cherry fruit on the nose with an undertow of sour cherry. Lots of concentrated sour cherry with just a touch of sweet oak giving it fullness. Notably firm, but not rough, tannins. Lots of grip and juice on the finish. Can be approached now but I wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to
age well. (WS) 15%
Drink 2023 - 2030

Strawberry, raspberry and cherry aromas and flavors are beautifully displayed in this charming version, with loam, tobacco and herbs adding detail while the aftertaste goes on and on. Shows balance and formidable length. Best from 2026 through 2042.

The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino stands out thanks to the very glossy and polished quality of the fruit on display. The smooth texture of the wine sets it apart and gives it a distinct personality. This expression drinks nicely out of the gate but could stand up to more cellar aging, especially to further finesse that silky, shiny texture. Some 21,500 bottles were made.

Tasted blind. Mid ruby. Compact nose that is yet to open up fully. Concentrated palate of sweet fruit and firm, slightly drying tannins. Solid and gripping and with quite an abundance of fruit, but it works. (WS).

Lustrous ruby. Deep marasca cherry and cherry-liqueur nose with touches of sweet spice. Intense and concentrated sweet-sour cherry fruit with supple acidity. Quite rich and sweet yet balanced. (WS)

Drink  2021 – 2028

Enticing aromas of menthol, ripe dark-skinned fruit, new leather and sandalwood lead the way. Boasting a heady combination of power and finesse, the full-bodied palate doles out ripe black cherry, raspberry jam, licorice and tobacco framed in firm, velvety tannins. Fresh acidity keeps the richness in check. Drink 2024–2036

La Fiorita is part of a large group of boutique, artisanal producers who operate in Montalcino and contribute to the town's lively wine scene. The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is light and silky in texture with cherry, earth and dried violets. The bouquet is delicate and so is the palate, save for that powerful 15% alcohol. This wine is a blend of fruit from the Collosorbo (Poggio al Sole), Pian Bossolino and Giardinello vineyards. Production is 20,000 bottles.

Lustrous ruby. Deep cherry nose with sweet-spicy notes while a hint of gingerbread adds a sense of richness. Bags of ripe, succulent cherry fruit and chewy, but not rough tannins clinging to the fruit. Dramatic, long tannic fruit finish. (WS) 15%
Drink 2022 – 2026

This has a rich and aromatic nose of hazelnuts, poached plums, orange peel, spearmint and hot chocolate. Full-bodied, with broad and velvety tannins that spread across the palate. Rich and warm, but balanced. Drink after 2024.

Lustrous ruby with bricky rim. Dramatic, deep, concentrated nose with an exotic spice note from oak, but perfectly integrated. Succulent, deep, polished marasca cherry on the palate with deep, chalky tannins. Immense length and concentration, but balanced at the same time. Still needs to lose it intense fruitsweetness, but I can imagine some would tuck in right now and enjoy its voluptuousness. (WS)

Developed ruby red colour with an orange rim. Pure and floral nose with fine oak underneath blending red berries, ripe cherry, tobacco and mild spice notes. The palate is dense and vigorous with grainy tannin, nice intensity with finely spicy red fruit followed by a long and nuanced finish.

Wild berry, truffle, chopped mint and leather aromas come together in the glass. On the smooth, structured palate, polished tannins and fresh acidity balance juicy Morello cherry, raspberry compote, tobacco and cocoa.

Mid ruby color. Sweet candied-cherry fruit nose. Tangy, sweet cherry fruit on the palate, which has great length and a gentle structure. Ready now. (WS)

Mid ruby with orange tinges. Stalky nose with brooding red fruit and what looks like a bit of oak that evolves into notes of incense. Sweet fruit that is still a little embryonic. Good balance with chewy tannins and really youthful and vibrant too.

This is a full-bodied, juicy red with ripe plums, dried cherries, cedar and a touch of milk chocolate. Dried roses and leather. Silky tannins and a long, focused finish. Some tile undertones. Drink after 2022.

The La Fiorita 2016 Brunello di Montalcino unfolds to dark fruit, cherry, tobacco and sweet spice. This wine shows very nicely, thanks to the balance of its fruit, and is characterized by a delicate sweet note that recalls cassis and wild raspberry. The wine is open and accessible from the start, and that bodes well for those who don't care to wait and age their Brunello too long. Indeed, I could see this wine matched up nicely to a wood-oven flatbread with shaved truffles layered generously on top. This wine draws its fruit from two sites, Poggio al Sole and Pian Bossolino, and ages in Slavonian oak casks for 24 months. Production is 21,500 bottles.

Solid fruit for the vintage with berry, cherry, stone and orange-peel aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, firm tannins and a fresh, juicy finish. Drinkable now, but better in 2023.

La Fiorita is a blend of estate vineyards located in three different sectors of Montalcino with varying soils, exposures and altitudes. After fermentation in cement, it matures in French oak casks of 26 and 37hl. Vanilla and incense accent ripe strawberry and cherry scents, and soft, plump fruit fills the mouth while supple tannins give much needed shape and balance. While immediately pleasing, it tightens up on the finish and has both the body and structure for gratification over the next six to seven years.

Good deep medium red. Initially reduced nose opened somewhat with aeration to show strawberry, raspberry and minerals, along with a lightly herbal quality. Then minerally cool, with smooth tannins nicely framing the crisp red fruit and herbal flavours on the long zingy finish. Very solid Brunello for the vintage, offering more stuffing than most; this will likely improve quite a bit with an appropriate amount of  time spent in the cellar. Drinking window: 2027-2035

Medium red. Ripe, fleshy aromas of red cherry, minerals, dried flowers and blood orange; an essence of Sangiovese.  Savory, plush and seamless on entry, with pungent red cherry showing an almost liqueur-like sweetness but without any impression of heaviness. Features a rising whiplash of fruit on the long close, which features sweet tannins, firm acidity and a strong savory nuance. Made in a ripe, warm-weather style, this edge-free Brunello nevertheless stains the palate. Drinking window: 2029-2040

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster down to earth with a dusty bLend of flowery underbrush and crushed wild berries lifted by camphor hints. It’s silky and round with sweet spice and plush red and blue fruits that flow across a stream of vibrant acidity. A web of fine tannins tugs at the palate as the 2019 tapers off with a licorice tinge and an orange concentration that curls the tongue. The 2019 turns the pleasure dial to the max yet remains painfully young.

2019 was a significant year for La Fiorita. It is the first vintage made in the estate’s new cellar as well as the inaugural release with organic certification for its vineyards. Progress at this estate is notable. Despite a pale garnet hue, aromas are expressive and vivacious. Garden herbs, Mediterranean shrub, rose and orange potpourri soar from the glass. The palate echoes, offering up sweet, lush red berries infused with mint and crushed dried flowers. Lovely liveliness. A substantial core of firm yet supple tannins will give some paced ageing to this

Deep red with ruby tinges. Violets, flint, herbs and a note reminiscent of carbonic maceration on the nose and in the mouth. Chunky and currently monolithic in the mouth, with saline and savory strokes on the clean, medium-long finish. A smooth, easygoing Brunello that offers early accessibility and appeal, if not mind-boggling complexity and size. This is the first vintage to be entirely aged in used 25-36hL used Slavonian and French oak barrels (in other words, no barriques) and the first to be entirely made by the new consultant winemaker, Maurizio Castelli. Though it’s pleasant to drink right now (like many 2015 Brunellos are) I suggest cellaring this to allow for further development and complexity.

Medium red. Clean, fresh aromas of cranberry cocktail and spicy herbs. Then spicy in the mouth too, with savory herbs and red cherry flavors offering good intensity. Starts very savory and broad, then nicely integrated acidity gives the wine a more buoyant and linear mouthfeel while providing good grip. Finishes long and clean. A much less fleshy, tactile and musky Brunello from La Fiorita than the wines typically made here over the past decade, and I have to say I like this style better.

Bright red. Fresh, enticing aromas and flavors of strawberry, tea leaf and licorice are lifted by a violet topnote. Polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine provide support and very good cut to the long finish, which features a strong note of graphite. This easygoing, bright, floral wine is the best Brunello from La Fiorita in years.

Here is an accessible expression of aged Sangiovese that offers food friendly characteristics to pair easily with your favorite meat ragù pasta dishes without too much hassle. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a slightly stripped down expression from this mighty appellation located in southern Tuscany. You get the complexity and the depth of Brunello, but the wine's intensity is measured at a lower threshold in this cooler and wetter vintage. Some 7,500 bottles were made.

La Fiorita's 2013 Brunello di Montalcino shows smooth balance and mild intensity, with good fruit definition along the way. This wine exhibits the firmness and focus of Sangiovese in this classic vintage. The oak notes are also in plain view. They impart extra layers of spice and tobacco. The wine ages in already-used tonneaux for two years and is fermented in conical oak vats. Those oak influences never fade too far into the background. Some 14,000 bottles were produced.

This bold wine begins with aromas of berry, spice, violet, leather and a hint of meat juices. The juicy palate offers wild cherry accented with cinnamon-spice, white pepper and hints of mocha alongside solid tannins and the warmth of alcohol. Give this time to unwind and develop more depth and complexity.

A rich Brunello with plenty of ripe-fruit, spice, porcini-mushroom and nutmeg character. Full body. Dense and flavorful. Ripe and polished tannins. Excellent structure and focus. Give this time to come together. Try after 2021

Aromas of black cherry and dried herbs follow through to a full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Drink or hold

Nuance granato, di pingue consistenza. Ha naso superbo ed ampio di ciliegia e rosa rossa, foglie e sottobosco autunnale, tabacco conciato, arancia e un insistente tono di resina balsamica. Bocca ricca d'estratto e di energia, caratterizzata dall'incedere di tannini incravattati e perfetto sviluppo fresco/sapido. Persistenza completa che si acquieta lentamente. Maturato 2 anni in tonneau

Veste rubino terso dai bagliori granato, sfumata sui bordi. Il profumo è un atelier di ammiccanti sensazioni di ciliegie e iris, cenere e foglie secche, arancia sanguinella, incenso e pesca. Al sorso la forza dirompente è contenuta da perfetta tensione, composta da fresca acidità e un manto di sapida mineralità che rallegra l'assaggio; nobile e maturo il tannino. Finale brillante su ricordi di tabacco Kentucky. Maturato 2 anni in tonneau

This is fresh, evoking cherry, floral, black pepper, mineral, earth and tobacco aromas and flavors. The assertive tannins come into play by the long finish, yet this shows balance overall. Best from 2022 through 2037. 400 cases imported.

Sweet cherry and berry fruit fills the center of this red, with spice, tobacco and bitter almond playing supporting roles. Firmly structured, yet balanced, with a long, spice-filled aftertaste. Best from 2013 through 2026. 1,250 cases made

The elegant 2016 Brunello di Montalcino boasts a beautiful blend of pure fruits and perfumed aromatics. A dusty mix of wild strawberries, cherries, sage and cedar makes for an understated yet pretty display. It’s medium in body, and the textures are creamy in feel, with a polished display of red and black fruits offset by a twang of sour citrus, as inner florals build toward the close. The tannins here are sweet and nuanced, even as they create a classically dry expression; yet there’s plenty of residual energy to make this a knockout Brunello to enjoy over the medium term.

La Fiorita – Brunello di Montalcino 2008
Glänzendes, sattes Rubin mit leichtem Granat. Intensive Nase mit ausgeprägt fruchtigen Aromen, viel reife Kirsche, etwas Himbeere, einladend und klar. Auch am Gaumen viel präsente Frucht, öffnet sich mit feinem, dichtmaschigem Tannin, baut sich im Verlauf schön auf, im Finale schönes Spiel zwischen Tannin und Frucht.


Affabile e succoso, more di rovo e mirtilli, in bocca ha muscoli flessuosi e un finale splendido

La Fiorita opted not to release the estate’s selection ‘Fiore di NO’ in 2017, nor did they make a Riserva bottling. As such, the backbone of this wine hails from their prized Pian Bossolino vineyard. An extroverted greeting delivers sunbaked Mediterranean herbs, ripe plum and a pleasant back note of minty chocolate. The palate is laden with plump black cherries and framed by soft supple tannins. Full-figured yet balanced, this forward, unpretentious Brunello is immediately accessible and will give plenty of cheer for the next five to six years.

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is darkly floral yet understated, with hints of oriental spice, rosemary and dried strawberries evolving in the glass. This is elegant and rich on the palate, with masses of ripe wild berry fruit and savory herbal tones that penetrate deeper and deeper with each sip.

Sour-cherry, peach and floral aromas follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a refined texture. Fresh and vivid energy. Not the richest wine, but shows tension and balance. Graphite at the end. Drink in two or three years.

With cherrywood or cedar, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino has a savory, almost spicy side that follows garden herb, cola, dark cherry, plum and sweet cherry. The fruit is slightly baked or cooked with hints of road paving or smoky tar. This is a concentrated wine for sure, with fruit sourced from three sites: Collesorbo, Pian Bossolino and Giardinello. Drying tannins want a steak and polenta dinner.

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is pushed by a powerful 15% alcohol content, and this impacts the overall balance of the wine. The bouquet reveals cooked fruit and baked plum and there is a big component of earthy spice, tar, smoke and leather at the back. Thankfully, the wine maintains a fresh, mid-weight texture with silky tannins. This is a 22,000-bottle release.